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.
FREE GRAMS TO CUPS CONVERSION CHARTS
Subscribe to the Charlotte's Lively Kitchen mailing list to get your FREE printable grams to cups and cups to grams conversion charts for twelve popular baking ingredients
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.
Yuan yi says
Hi charlotte!!I rlly love ur cakes n ur cakes looks amazin!!May i noe how long can the cake last?n also if i leave the baked cake in the fridge from today till sunday ,will it harden?
Charlotte Oates says
It should be absolutely fine in the fridge for a couple of days. I usually bake my cakes a couple of days before the party to give me time to decorate them and they’re still good to eat for a few days afterwards. Make sure you pop it into an airtight or wrap it in cling film to help keep it fresh.
Yuan yi says
Thank u soo much for the tip!!Hopefully the bakin of this birthday cake will be a success!!
Claire says
Hi I am trying to make my daughters birthday cake. The first attempt sunk in the middle. I am using 9 inch cake pans. Not sure where I went wrong.
Charlotte Oates says
Hi Claire, Was the cake cooked in the middle when yo checked it? If it’s not done in the middle and you put it back in then it may end up sinking.
Charlotte Oates says
Hi Claire, Was the cake cooked in the middle when you checked it? If it’s not done in the middle and you put it back in then it may end up sinking.
Sarah says
Is the recipe for medium or large eggs?
I’m attempting an octonauts cake for my son’s birthday. All of your cakes look fabulous. I’m hoping I can make something that resembles what my 5 year old wants!
Thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
I usually use medium eggs but I tend to go for whatever I have in the fridge and it’s worked fine with large too. Good luck with the Octonauts cake, I’m sure you son will love it xx
Jelena says
Hi Charlotte, just forgot to put milk… 🙁 also, can use butter instead of margarine? Many thanks
Charlotte Oates says
Forgetting this milk isn’t a huge problem it just means you cake won’t be quite a fluffy. You can substitute butter for margarine, just make sure it’s soft before you try and use it or you won’t be able to mix it in.
Nathan says
I’ve just used this recipe to do my daughters birthday cake who’s 2 tomorrow cannot wait to try some
Charlotte Oates says
Aww, I hope she has a really lovely day and you all enjoy the cake.
Eddy says
Thanks a lot, I will definitely give it a try this weekend.
Charlotte Oates says
Great, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Eddy says
Hi Charlotte,
According to your cake process explained, Does it mean I do not have to go through the process of creaming the butter and sugar before adding other ingredients? Because you said *Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder into a large bowl.
* Add the remaining ingredients (eggs,soft margarine,caster sugar,vanilla extract and milk) and beat until thoroughly mixed.
If i do not need to cream my butter and sugar first, how long do I need to mix so as to avoid over-mixing?
Charlotte Oates says
Hi Eddy,
No need to cream the butter and sugar together first, just mix it all together in one go. It only needs to be mixed until the ingredients are combined so doesn’t need mixing for long at all. If you’re using an electric mixer keep the speed low and keep an eye on it.
I hope that helps.
Hannah says
Lovely recipe!
I was wondering if you can use oil instead of butter? If so, how much do I use?
Thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
I;ve never tried substituting oil for butter but in other cake recipes I’ve made using oil I’ve found they have quite a different texture so I’m not convinced it would work as a simple swap. Is there any particular reason you want to switch out the butter? If it’s to avoid dairy then a dairy-free spread such as vitalite should work OK.
Ormah says
Please I need recipe for a rectangular cake of 14″x12″ that is 4″deep.
Charlotte Oates says
You can get the quantities you need from my calculator. For a deep cake simply use the quantities for 2 layers in one tin. A deep cake will take longer to cook so I’d suggest checking it after 45 minutes rather than the 30 recommended in the recipe.
Emma says
Hi Charlotte,
I also use this recipe to bake with, however I’m doing it in one 8″ but deep tin. Last time I tried it I googled and it said to cook for longer on a lower heat. Is this correct? It seemed to take ages ( maybe over an hour ) and I’m not sure it was 100% done even then! Should the oven be on the same temperature as cooking in 2 tins?
Thanks!
Charlotte Oates says
This cake is already made at a pretty low temperature so if I’m using a deep tin I still keep it the same. It will take a lot longer to cook though, I’d test it after 45 minutes rather than the 30 minutes suggested when it’s split between two tins.
Nicole says
If I put all of the mixture into a 10″ round tin rather than 2 sandwich tins how much longer would it need? Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
It will take quite a bit longer to cook in a single tin, I’d put it in for 45 minutes before testing to see if it’s done.
Nicole says
Hi Charlotte
I am making an 8″ and 10″ tier cake for my sons birthday. If I use round tins rather than 2 sandwich tins for both what would the measurements and cooking times be? Or should I stick to sandwich tins? Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
Personally I’ve always used sandwich tins but you can use single round tins instead if that’s what you have. If you use my calculator (link below the recipe) then simply put in 2 layers and that will give you the right quantities for a single tin. Using single tins will take longer to cook, I’d check it after 45 minutes and then pop it back in for a bit longer if needed. If you check it after the 30 minutes recommended in the recipe for sandwich tins then it won’t be nearly set enough in the centre and is therefore quite likely to collapse when you take it out of the oven.
Danielle says
Hi,
Its a very nice recipe, but just now my cake collapsed 🙁
Is it maybe because I have buttered the sides??
Regards Danielle
Charlotte Oates says
Hmm, I’m not too sure why that would have happened. Usually it happens if the cake is checked too early and not set enough in the centre, I’ve not known it to happen from buttering the tin.
Sharmi says
Hi there
I am using a 20cm tin and have put all the mixture in it. Was this wrong? I have cooked for 35 mins on 140c as fan oven but its very wobbly and runny when i skewered it! What have i done wrong?
Charlotte Oates says
I usually split the mixture between two sandwich tins so it cooks in 30-35 minutes. You can make it in one deep tin but the extra depth means that it’ll take a lot longer. I’d check it after 45 minutes instead. If you try texting it too early them it may end up sinking in the middle.
Sharmi says
Thanks! Trying again today with 2 layers 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
Great, I hope it works x
Anita says
Hi Charlotte
I’m making my daughter a barbie cake and am using a 24cm bundt pan – could u please help me with quantities Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried this particular cake in a bundt tin so I’m not sure how well it will come out (give then unusual shape of the tin). If you give it a go then make sure your tin is well greased before you add the cake mixture. When would you need quantities by, I’m happy to try and work them. Out for you but won’t be able to do it for a few days.
Sara french says
Hi charlotte
I’m making a 8inch all in one cake and and 12inch all in one cake and I confused to how much ingredients to use for each cake could you help me please?
Charlotte Oates says
Hi Sara, Have you tried using my calculator? You can find it here https://charlotteslivelykitchen.com/birthday-cake-faqs/. You’ll need to enter the dimensions of the two cakes in separately and then add them together to get the total amount of ingredients needed.
Claudia says
Thank you so much Charlotte!!!
I tested this recipe before my sons actual birthday and everyone loved it! Best sponge ever! I’m now going to make a four tier cake using your recipe, just wanted to say thank you so much! This recipe will be in my folder until I die!
Charlotte Oates says
That’s brilliant Claudia, I hope the 4-tier cake goes well.
Michelle says
I have baked this cake three times now. It’s most definitely my go to birthday cake! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
That’s brilliant Michelle, thanks for letting me know.
Dollacha says
Thank you for the recipe Charlotte! I baked it for my son’s 1st birthday and it became a hit that my husband wants me to bake for him a week after.. Look like I’ll be using this recipe for years.. It’s easy to follow and definitely turns out to be one of my best
Charlotte Oates says
Thanks Dollacha, I’m so glad you all enjoyed it x
Caroline says
Hi Charlotte, I have tried making a square cake which is 14″ x 14″ (which is massive!) and used your calculator to work out the quantities. I was unclear though whether I should lower the temperature and increase the baking time (I have an electric fan oven). The edges of the cake seemed good but the middle seems to have sunk. Is there a maximum size where this recipes doesn’t work so well? Could you let me know what temperature and how long I should bake the cake for?
Charlotte Oates says
Hi Caroline. That’s quite a bit bigger than the largest size I’ve attempted with this recipe so I’m not 100% sure. What cakes of that size are cooked they are usually cooked at a lower temperature for longer (to stop the edges burning before the centre is cooked). You could try cooking it at 130C fan and check it after about 45 minutes.