A delicious, light vanilla sponge birthday cake recipe. Quick and simple to make and perfect for decorating to make a birthday really special.
When I was a child I loved the birthday cakes my mum made and decorated for me. At my parties, I was always really proud to show off my birthday cake to my friends. In the weeks running up to my birthday, I used to look through my mum’s cake decorating book and choose the cake I wanted (actually I always chose the fairy castle, but never got it).
Now I have my own children, it’s important to me to do the same for them. Rather than choosing from a book, I let them describe what they want and then scour the internet for inspiration to achieve it (I don’t know what I’d do without Google Images and Pinterest). Today is my littlest’s second birthday so I thought it would be a good time to share with you the recipe I use for making the vanilla sponge which goes inside most of the cakes I make for my family. The recipe is adapted from a book called Cake Magic by Virginia Welsh and Alison French – the same book I chose my cakes from when I was little.
The theme I was given for today’s cake was Chuggington. I was told it must include an engine shed, three trains (Wilson, Koko and Brewster), and a turntable (they don’t ask for much!). I’m not a professional cake decorator, but what I lack in skill I hopefully make up for in enthusiasm and effort.
Equipment
To make my vanilla sponge I’d recommend the following equipment…
NOTE – These are affiliate links which means that if you purchase from Amazon after clicking on one the product links below I will earn a small commission.
Accurate scales are essential when baking and I love these Electronic Scales from Salter. You can reset the weight every time you add a new ingredient which is perfect for something like this all-in-one sponge. They’re also compact so take up hardly any space in your cupboards.
If I’m making a round cake I use these tins
from Delia Smith (well if it’s good enough for Delia then it’s good enough for me!).
Instead of using greaseproof paper to line your cake tins I recommend trying these Bake-o-Glide reusable liners
. There’s no need to grease the tin as they’re easily removed, and they’re pre-cut to size so there’s no fiddling around trying to get the greaseproof cut to the right shape.
You’ll also need a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer (you can mix by hand if you don’t have a mixer just be prepared for some arm ache!).
Fancy making a chocolate birthday cake instead?
Then try my new CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE RECIPE, it’s really chocolatey, easy to make and perfect for decorating.
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Birthday Cake (All-In-One Vanilla Sponge)
INGREDIENTS
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 eggs - I usually use medium but large also work well
- 225 g soft margarine
- 225 g caster sugar
- 6 drops vanilla extract
- 2 tsp milk
RECIPE VIDEO
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan
- Line your baking tins(s) (I usually use 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins or a 20cm x 30cm rectangular tin, depending on the shape of cake I want to make).
- Sift the self-raising flour (225g) and baking powder (2 tsp) into a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients (4 eggs, 225g soft margarine, 225g caster sugar, 6 drops of vanilla extract and 2 tsp milk) and beat until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour into the tin(s)
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. To check if the cake is cooked insert a skewer and if it comes out clean the cake is ready.
- Leave to cool in the tin(s) for about 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely – Make sure the cake has cooled completely before decorating.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Nut-Free
- Soy-Free
The ingredients for this recipe are commonly available free from all these allergens. However, please ensure you double-check allergen information for all ingredients.
I’m sharing this with the following recipe challenges… #TastyTuesdays with Honest Mum.
Ciara Clarke says
I made this cake last month for my sisters 30th and it was a huge hit! I am making it for my brothers 21st this week but my problem is I will have to make and decorate the cake Tuesday as I am working Wednesday, but it isn’t needed till Thursday! Any tips on what I can do to keep the cake nice and fresh once decorated and made? Thanks in advance ☺️
Charlotte Oates says
That’ll be fine. I usually bake my cakes two days before they’re needed and they’re still good to eat for several days afterwards. If you’re covering it in fondant then that’ll protect it so you could just cover it in clingfilm. If it’s just buttercream then store it in an airtight container.
Ideally, in this warm weather we’re having at the moment you should keep it refrigerated (if you can’t then store it somewhere as cool as you can). Make sure you give it time to come up to room temperature before you serve it as it tastes better that way.
Sarah says
Made this for my sons 1st birthday cake and family have been asking for it ever since!
Carla says
Can the sponges be made in advance and frozen?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, just wrap them in clingfilm to protect them.
Gabrielle Wood says
Making this for my daughter’s birthday at the weekend. Can I ask, how do you stick fondant icing shapes on to the fondant icing covering? I’ve read not to use water as it can leave streaks?
Charlotte Oates says
I use water. I have a very small brush that I use to apply a tiny amount (smaller than the size of the piece I want to stick on). If you let it drip it will streak, but if you just slightly wet the surface (not enough to drip) it’ll be fine.
Gabrielle Wood says
The cake was a big hit, thanks!
Anita says
Hi , I am looking forward to trying this recipe for my son’s birthday. Have you ever tried to make a gluten free version of it please ?
Also I am in admiration with your decoration, would you have a frosting recipe by any chance please ?
Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t made this with gluten-free flour, but I’ve had messages from others who have successfully.
I have lots of different buttercream recipes. This cake was decorated with my vanilla buttercream and then fondant icing, but if you take a look at my icing index you’ll find all of my other flavours. I use ready-made fondant icing from the supermarket.
Charlotte says
Hello. I am planning to use this recipe for a birthday and will be practising. I only have an 8 inch deep cake tin instead of 2 8 inch sandwich tins. I’ve read in the comments that for those using the deep tin, the cake comes out undercooked in the middle. Since I only have 1 tin, could I use it as I would use 2 tins, by putting half the batter in and letting it bake then repeating with the rest of the batter? Or should I take the risk and just fill the tin and bake with the whole batter? Please let me know what you think.
Thanks (from another Charlotte)
Charlotte Oates says
I would make a half batch, bake that and then make a second batch and bake that. I find people get mixed results with a deep tin, it works just fine for some, but others find that it dips in the middle.
Sam says
Made this for my 4yr olds birthday cake and it turned out absolutely perfect!! Definitely my go to cake mix now!!
Nida says
How do you make the buttercream not taste like butter so much? I really struggle with this. I do the exact measurements but it always taste too much of just butter?
Charlotte Oates says
This is the recipe I use https://charlotteslivelykitchen.com/easy-vanilla-buttercream/, make sure you use unsalted butter and beat it well to ensure there are no lumps of butter. The ratios in the recipe are quite classic (2x more icing sugar than butter) so it should taste as buttery as other buttercreams. If you are finding it too buttery, you could try adding more icing sugar (although this would make it sweeter). You could also add more vanilla extract.
Alternatively, you could try my white chocolate buttercream which as the name suggests has the flavour of white chocolate and so tastes less buttery.
Caz says
What is 6 drops of vanilla extract in teaspoons??
Charlotte Oates says
About 1/8 tsp
Shaz says
So I made this cake (and your buttercream) for my sons 5th birthday. Covered it with fondant and also included pinàta style sweets inside.
It was so yummy and a roaring success! This will be my go to recipe for the rest of my life now!
Absolutely perfect cake. People thought I’d bought it!
Thank you!
Juliet says
Hello I was just wondering what the recipe is for the buttercream and jam and icing on top in the picture.
Looks lovely for my daughter
Charlotte Oates says
The buttercream is my vanilla buttercream.
Both the raspberry jam and fondant icing are shop bought. If you’d like to make your own jam you could try my homemade strawberry jam.
Lisa says
Hi, I made this recipe the other day and it was amazing! I am making it again today for my granddaughter’s birthday and she would like lemon flavoured, could you please tell me how to achieve this? Thanks Lisa
Charlotte Oates says
I shared a lemon version of the cake last month (as I’ve had lots of requests to adapt it). You can find it here.
Hazel O'DONNELL says
Hi. Can I make this cake using a square 20 cm cake tin
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. Put your tin size into the calculator linked beneath the recipe and it’ll tell you the ingredients you need.
Lucy says
Hello
I am making a cake for a friend but want 3 layers instead of 2 do I just half the recipe?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. If you take a look under the recipe there’s a link to my calculator where it’ll work the ingredients you need out for you.
Dulcie says
Hi, can the undecorated cake be made in advance and frozen until nearer the day it is needed?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, just wrap it in clingfilm to protect it in the freezer.
Christine says
Hi
How far in advance could you make this cake?
Charlotte Oates says
I usually make mine a couple of days in advance and then I find it’s still fine to eat up to 5 days later if it’s stored in an airtight container.
Helen says
Can I substitute oil for the margarine in this recipe? Also, can I add chocolate? Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
You could substitute butter (soft, at room temperature), but I wouldn’t substitute oil.
If you’d like a chocolate version of this cake then I have two chocolate versions of this recipe you can try, here and here.
Michelle Jones says
Hi Charlotte
I’ve used your recipe loads and it makes an amazing cake! However set to make a cake this morning for a party and realised half way through cooking I forgot the milk it seems to be rising? Is this a major problem?
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
No, it probably will be a little denser (only slightly), but you shouldn’t notice a big difference.
Louise says
Hi Charlotte. Is that jam you’ve used along with the buttercream as a filling in the top picture? If so what do you recommend – raspberry or strawberry? Many thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
It was raspberry jam in that picture (I think raspberry goes best with the vanilla sponge and buttercream). I don’t always use jam though, I used it for that particular cake as the person I made it for likes a bit in the middle.
Louise says
Thank you Charlotte, I’ll try raspberry!
Kin says
Hi
I’ve made this cake three times and every time comes out perfect. However, I always find my cake doesn’t rise in the middle – what am I doing wrong?
Charlotte Oates says
Do you mean that cake is flat rather than peaked, or that the cake dips in the middle?
The cake is designed to be quite flat (as it means it can be stacked into layers rather without having to trim it). It shouldn’t dip in the middle though.
A couple of ideas…
* Are you baking in sandwich tins or one deep tin? I find the cake rises more evenly in sandwich tins and is less likely to dip.
* How are you measuring your baking powder? If you add a little too much then this can cause the cake to dip a little in the middle (as it rises too quickly and then doesn’t have the structure to support the top properly). It could also be that the brand of self-raising flour you’re using has a little more raising agent than some others (as annoyingly the can vary) and so it might be worth cutting the amount of baking powder a little.
* It could also be the type of tin you’re using as some cook cakes more evenly than others. If you have an different type of tin then maybe give that a go to see if it makes a difference.
katy Edgar says
Hi Charlotte I’m making a dinosaur cake topper for my son’s birthday and just wondered whether you have any tutorials at all. thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I don’t have a specific dinosaur cake topper tutorials, but I do have a tutorial which talks through my general approach to making a cake topper which you might find useful. You can take a look here.
katy says
Thankyou.
Becky says
I decided to make my first ever cake for my daughter’s first birthday a few weeks ago. I used your recipe and oh my goodness it tasted amazing! SO easy to make too. A big BIG thank you!!