One Layer Vanilla Cake (8-Inch Round)
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This One Layer Vanilla Cake (8-Inch Round) is incredibly soft, buttery, and full of classic vanilla flavor. Whether you’re looking for an 8-inch cake recipe for a birthday, afternoon tea, or just because, you’ll love how simple and foolproof this recipe is. With just one bowl and a few pantry staples, this single-layer vanilla cake comes together effortlessly!
Want to make it your own? Dress it up with your favorite frosting or serve it as is for a perfectly simple treat.
What Readers Are Saying
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“I’ve been baking for over 10 years and can truly say it is the best cake I’ve ever made! I baked it for the full 35 minutes and it came out so dang fluffy! The only thing I did different was add cacao powder to the buttercream frosting as I was craving vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Thank you for this recipe! So delicious!” – Janey C
Why This Vanilla Cake is a Go-To Favorite
This vanilla cake? A true classic. It’s light, fluffy, and packed with rich vanilla flavor, just the way a perfect cake should be.
Whether I’m baking for a special occasion or just craving a slice with my afternoon tea, this recipe delivers every time. Simple ingredients, easy steps, and guaranteed results, what more could you ask for?
It’s incredibly easy to make, yet tastes like something straight from a bakery. Whether you frost it, layer it, or enjoy it as is, this is one vanilla cake you’ll want to bake again and again.
Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Cake Recipe
✔️ One-Bowl Recipe – Quick prep and minimal cleanup.
✔️ Soft & Fluffy Texture – Perfectly light with a tender crumb.
✔️ 8-Inch Cake Size – The ideal single-layer cake for small gatherings.
✔️ Customizable – Pair with vanilla buttercream, chocolate frosting, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Ingredients to make an 8-Inch Vanilla Cake
This one-layer vanilla cake and vanilla buttercream frosting recipe uses simple pantry staples:
- Flour & Leavening: All-purpose flour (scooped & leveled) + baking powder for the perfect rise.
- Butter & Oil: A combination of unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil keeps the cake soft and flavorful.
- Sugar & Eggs: Golden or white caster sugar for sweetness and two large eggs to bind everything together.
- Milk & Vanilla: Whole milk and a generous amount of vanilla extract enhance the flavor and texture.
- Butter & Sugar: Unsalted butter + powdered sugar for a smooth, creamy buttercream frosting.
- Milk & Vanilla: A splash of whole milk and vanilla extract bring everything together for your frosting.
How many people does an 8 inch cake feed?
An 8-inch round vanilla cake typically serves 8-10 people, but this can vary based on how the cake is sliced. For larger party-style servings, you can cut it into 6-8 generous slices, while for smaller portions, such as at weddings or events, you can get up to 12-14 slices by cutting them more thinly.
This cake size is perfect for small gatherings, birthdays, or family desserts without needing a multi-layer cake. If serving with frosting and fillings, it can feel more substantial, making smaller slices just as satisfying.
For two-layer cakes, serving sizes can increase slightly since each slice will be more filling. If you need more servings, consider making a double batch or pairing it with other desserts.
How much frosting for one layer cake?
For an 8-inch cake, you’ll typically need about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of frosting to generously cover the top and around 2 cups if you want to frost the sides as well. If you prefer a thinner layer, you can adjust the amount slightly. A buttercream or cream cheese frosting works beautifully with this cake, adding both flavor and a smooth finish. If decorating with piping, plan for extra frosting to achieve defined swirls or patterns.
How long to bake an 8 inch round cake?
An 8-inch round cake typically bakes for 25-35 minutes at 350°F (180°C). However, baking times can vary based on your oven, altitude, and whether you’re using a metal or glass pan. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready. The top should also be lightly golden and spring back when gently pressed. If unsure, bake for an additional 2-3 minutes, checking frequently to avoid overbaking.
How to store vanilla cake
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If the weather is warm or humid, refrigerate sooner to maintain freshness.
Freeze the completely cooled cake by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap, then foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw the wrapped cake in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours before frosting and serving.
Best vanilla cake recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️ star rating and a comment review below. I love to hear what you think and it’s much appreciated. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. Sam x
One Layer Vanilla Cake (8-Inch Round)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat Oven & Prep Pan: Preheat oven to 180ºC (356ºF). Line a round 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, set aside. NOTE: Alternatively, if you have a non-stick pan, liberally grease it with melted butter and dust it with a light layer of flour. This will leave your finished cake with smooth sides.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium-size mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Beat Butter & Sugar: In a large mixing bowl using electric hand beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until pale and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Incorporate Eggs: Add eggs one at a time, beating for 10 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add Liquids: Pour in milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat for 15 seconds until well combined. Scrape down the sides again.
- Combine with Dry Ingredients: Add half of the dry flour mixture and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides and add the remaining flour. Beat until incorporated, ensuring not to over-beat, just until the flour has combined then turn off the beater. If some excess flour is still visible around the sides of the bowl, gently fold it in with a spatula. Over-beating can make the cake tough and dense after baking.
- Pour and Smooth: Pour the batter into the lined pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
- Bake: Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and it’s golden all over.
- Cool: Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to Cool: Carefully remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat Butter & Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, using either electric hand beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attached, beat the softened butter and one cup of the powdered sugar on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides.
- Add Sugar & Liquids: Add the remaining sugar along with the milk and vanilla and beat until well combined, creamy and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Apply Frosting: Spread the frosting over cooled cake. Set aside and allow to set for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve: Slice into triangles and enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Ensure your cold ingredients come to room temperature before making your cake and frosting. The butter, eggs, and milk. Using cold ingredients in cakes will not emulsify and blend appropriately with the rest of the ingredients, which results in problems with the final product.
- Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If the weather is warm or humid, refrigerate sooner to maintain freshness.
- Freeze the completely cooled cake by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap, then foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw the wrapped cake in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours before frosting and serving.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
I was curious if the extra virgin olive oil gives any significant flavor. Has anyone used a more mild oil like vegetable or canola?
Hi Carly! Great question. I personally don’t find that the extra virgin olive oil gives a strong or overpowering flavor in this vanilla cake. It blends in well and helps create a beautifully moist texture. That said, if you’re sensitive to olive oil taste or prefer something more neutral, feel free to use a mild olive oil, light olive oil, or swap it out for vegetable or canola oil. All of those will work well in this recipe too. Hope you enjoy the vanilla cake! Sam
Hello!
I am excited to attempt this as my first cake made from scratch. I do not have caster sugar, would granulated sugar be okay in the cake?
Hi Am, yes, granulated sugar is fine to use! The crumb might be slightly less tender than with caster sugar, but if you cream it well with the butter until light and fluffy, your vanilla cake will still turn out soft and delicious. Great pick for your first cake! Let me know how you go! Sam
Thank you! I am very excited to try it out!
made this as the base for an ice cream cake, came out perfect! the directions are super clear and easy to follow. thank you!
Hi Nikki, so happy to hear that, using it as the base for an ice cream cake is such a great idea! I’m really glad the instructions were helpful and that it turned out perfectly. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! Kindest, Sam 🙂
I’ve been baking for over 10 years and can truly say it is the best cake I’ve ever made! I baked it for the full 35 minutes and it came out so dang fluffy! The only thing I did different was add cacao powder to the buttercream frosting as I was craving vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Thank you for this recipe! So delicious!
Hi Janey, thank you so much for the amazing feedback! I’m thrilled it turned out so fluffy and that you loved it! It’s funny you mention the chocolate frosting twist, i actually just made this vanilla cake with a chocolate buttercream frosting to share on my blog soon! Great minds think alike. So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for your kind words! Sam 🙂
I baked this cake & it was perfect !!
I am going to bake another one
Could you put the buttercream on top of this cake & bake another 1 of these cakes & sandwhich this cake on top ?
Hi Ana-Maria, thank you for your comment! I’m so glad the cake turned out perfect for you. If you’d like to make a two-layer cake, you can double the recipe and bake it in two separate pans to ensure both layers cook evenly. Be sure to double the frosting recipe as well so you have enough to spread between the layers and on top. Let me know how it turns out, I’d love to hear how your layered cake goes! Kindest, Sam 🙂
Great vanilla cake! I did bake this recipe twice, since the first time, the skewer test did not work, and so, my cake collapsed in the middle as it cooled. The second time though, I increased the baking time and used the spring test. I also checked the centre with a paring knife and made sure it was a golden brown color. it was perfect!
it’s good with cakes to do more than one test.
could you convert the grams of butter to tablespoons, please?
Hi Beth, in this cake recipe, 125 grams of butter is approximately 9 tablespoons of butter.
The cake was very tasty however, the skewer test did not work. It indicated that the cake was done but after cooling the center collapsed. Also, there is a math error in the frosting recipe. 2 cups of frosting sugar (at least the brand I used) was only 240 g, not 300. If you are measuring by weight be sure to check your package and verify the weight per cup. I will definitely make this again but be sure to let it bake a little longer.
Hi Lynette, thanks for trying the vanilla cake and sharing your feedback. I’m sorry it collapsed after cooling—it likely needed more oven time. For future attempts, press the cake’s middle before removing it; it should spring back slightly to indicate doneness. Regarding the powdered sugar weight, I always specify grams for accuracy. I recommend adhering to the weights provided in the recipe (including any other recipe), as they may differ from familiar measurements. Good luck on your next attempt, and I hope this helps! Kindest, Sam
Can you confirm the 125 grams of butter, thats almost one stick and seems a lot for a single layer cake? It seems one stick is used in many 2 layer cakes. Just don’t want to have it fail on me, thanks.
Hi Jennifer, yes that is correct, 125 grams of butter. I found this to be the perfect quantity during testing. The volume of batter is just right for an 8-inch cake tin. Hope that helps and you give this recipe a try! Sam 🙂
Loved this recipe. So simple and the batter was absolutely creamy. The layers of cake were beautiful right out of the oven. This will be a fave cake recipe in our house. Thank you sooooo much! xox
Hi Xavierism! So happy to hear you made and enjoyed this vanilla cake recipe. It’s a staple cake recipe for the family! Thanks for sharing, Sam x
Amazing how spongy and light it is. I loved how precise the directions were. This will be a keeper? Thanks for sharing this perfect cake recipe!
I made this cake today, and it was absolutely delicious. My husband and I recently moved into an 800sf home, and we have countertop appliances to cook with. This was my first try at a small batch recipe, and I will make this again and again. The cake is moist and the icing is super flavorful. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.