Mini Vanilla Sheet Cake

This is the first cake in my “Mini Cake” series. I was inspired to make these cakes after going to an antique shop and finding two small 8” x 4” metal loaf pans. They make the perfect 1/8 sheet cakes! Any 8” x 4” loaf pan works well with this recipe.

Some of my favorite cakes to bake are 1/8 sheet cakes because they are easy to prepare and serve 4 to 6 people. This mini vanilla buttercream cake might be a classic flavor, but it is made with generous amounts of butter and vanilla extract.

The buttercream is a simple mixture of butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Use good quality butter and real vanilla for tastier frosting! However, generic butter and artificial vanilla still tastes wonderful.

Decorate the cake with your favorite sprinkles. For this recipe, I used DecoPac Quins, but I also love to use sprinkles from Sprinkle Pop and India Tree.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Easy to make
• Simple ingredients
• Natural, buttery flavor with a splash of vanilla
• Small serving sizes

MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS

Best Yellow Cake

Berry Chantilly Cake

Vanilla Buttercream

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Candy Apple Cupcakes

TAG US! Let us know if you try it! Comment and rate! We love seeing your dishes, so tag your photo with #homestylealchemy on Instagram!

TOOLS

8″ x 4″ loaf pan

Large mixing bowl

Stand mixer or hand mixer

Silicone spatula

Print

Mini Vanilla Cake

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 People

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 extra large egg
• 1/3 cup (85ml) whole milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup (100g) cake flour
• 1/2 cup (100g) cane sugar
• 1 tsp (5g) baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• simple syrup for brushing
• optional: sprinkles

For the frosting

• 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp (100g) unsalted butter room temperature
• 3/4 cup (75g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and the vanilla extract.
3. In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 30 to 60 seconds.
5. While the mixer is still running, add the egg and milk mixture to the dry ingredients and butter and mix for 30 seconds.
6. When fully incorporated, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, and mix again on high speed for 40 seconds to aerate the batter.
7. Spray the inside of an 8” x 4” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
8. Pour the batter inside and smooth out the top.
9. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick runs clean when probed into the middle of the cake.
10. Brush a thin layer of simple syrup or honey over the cake and allow the cake to cool completely before serving or frosting.

Make the frosting and decorate the cake

1. In a clean mixing bowl, blend together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend on high speed for 5 minutes or until the frosting is white in color and fluffy.

2. Once the cake has cooled completely, smooth the frosting onto the cake with a spatula.
3. Top the cake with your favorite sprinkles.