Simple cakes are often the best, and this Vanilla Tray Bake recipe is the perfect easy vanilla tray bake for birthdays and celebrations. This vanilla tray bake cake is soft, fluffy, and covered in creamy vanilla buttercream, making it the ultimate vanilla sheet cake recipe for home bakers.
If you are looking for the perfect cupcakes to accompany this cake, try these Vanilla Cupcakes without Butter.
Why This Vanilla Tray Bake Recipe Works
- Recipe name: Vanilla Tray Bake
- Ready in: 2hrs (plus 3hrs cooling time)
- Serves: 20 slices
- Main ingredients: Flour, eggs, oil, butter, milk, vanilla, icing sugar, and sugar.
- Perfect for: An easy single-layer rectangular birthday cake that can be customised using food colouring, sprinkles, and cake toppers! This easy vanilla tray bake recipe is perfect for birthdays, parties, and beginner bakers looking for a simple vanilla sheet cake.
- Why I love it: This cake is baked in a single rectangular cake tin, so there is no need to worry about chilling, stacking, and filling, making it the perfect cake recipe for new bakers!
- Calories: 391kcal
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
This easy vanilla tray bake cake is baked in a single rectangular tin, making it the perfect vanilla sheet cake recipe for birthdays and celebrations. If you'd like to see more birthday cake recipe ideas, this collection of Easy Homemade Birthday Cake Recipes for Beginners. And don't miss out on this Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting, it is my favourite!
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Key Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - Use room temperature butter for the cake batter and frosting.
- Sunflower oil - This recipe uses a combination of oil and butter for extra moistness and flavour! Use a neutral-tasting oil, such as sunflower or canola.
- Vanilla extract - Choose a quality vanilla extract rather than essence for this recipe. You can also use vanilla bean paste.
- Sprinkles - You can decorate this cake with all sorts of toppings, like fruit, chocolates, sprinkles, or sweets.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
This is the perfect simple vanilla cake recipe to get creative with. Take a look at my collection of Simple Buttercream Frostings for Homemade Cakes for frosting flavour ideas. Be sure not to miss some of my favourites like this Strawberry Frosting, this Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, or this Biscoff Buttecream Frosting.
If you like to make a simple layer cake, try this Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
How to Make a Vanilla Tray Bake Cake (Easy Vanilla Sheet Cake Recipe)
Single Layer Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), then oil and line a rectangular cake tin, 35x28x7cm (14x11x3 inches), with parchment paper. Add the butter, oil, and sugar to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Step 2: Add the eggs to the sugar and butter mixture one at a time. Beat well between each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
- Step 3: In a large bowl, sift together the self-raising flour and salt. In a jug, mix together the milk and vanilla. With the mixer's motor running at medium-low speed, add the wet ingredients and the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Do this by alternating between the two. Starting with the flour and ending with the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and remix the cake batter. Ensuring it is well mixed and lump-free.
- Step 4: Pour the vanilla cake batter into the prepared tin and bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in its tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Step 1: In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and icing sugar. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Step 2: In a jug, combine the milk and vanilla. With the mixer running at low speed, slowly add the milk mixture to the icing sugar and butter. Once added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often.
- Step 3: Place the cooled cake onto a large serving plate.
- Step 4: Spread the frosting over the top of the cake using an offset spatula. Top with lots of sprinkles, slice, and enjoy!
Why Is My Vanilla Cake Not Fluffy
When made correctly, this recipe yields a delicious, super fluffy, moist vanilla sheet cake. If this isn't the case after you have baked it, something has gone wrong. I recommend using an accurate kitchen scale to at least eliminate one issue. You must also use room-temperature ingredients and avoid overmixing the cake batter. Lastly, ensure the oven is set correctly; you can only know this by using an oven thermometer.
Storage
Store any leftover vanilla sheet cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If it is very hot, store this cake in the fridge, especially if you have added fruit to the top.
Expert Tips
- Always check the true temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer.
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature: the butter, milk, and eggs.
- Only add the frosting to your cake once it has cooled completely.
- Make sure you have beaten the frosting for long enough; the buttercream consistency must be light and fluffy.
Vanilla Tray Bake Cake FAQs
Yes, you can make this recipe in two round cake pans instead of a rectangular tin. You may need to adjust the baking time depending on the size of your tins. I wrote a post, "How to Tell if a Cake is Done Baking," that will help with any questions you may have! Don't choose a very small tin that would bake a very deep cake, as this may prevent the cake from rising properly.
When it comes to failed bakes, you need to get critical of what could have gone wrong. This recipe starts by beating the oil, butter, and sugar. Before adding the eggs, make sure your mixture looks like the photos in this post. Also, be sure the self-raising flour hasn't expired, that your oven temperature is accurate, that you have used a similar-sized baking tin, and that you have only removed the cake from the oven once a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
To freeze this cake, cut it into individual slices and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake in the fridge overnight, then let the slices come to room temperature before eating.
More Easy Homemade Birthday Cake Recipes
This moist vanilla tray bake cake comes together in about two hours and is the perfect vanilla sheet cake recipe for birthdays and celebrations. If you are looking for recipes to serve alongside this vanilla birthday tray bake, you have to make these Smarties Cookies, these Condensed Milk Chocolate Truffles, and these Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting!
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this vanilla sheet cake recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at this Mini Chocolate Cake!
📖 Recipe
Vanilla Tray Bake
Equipment
- 1x rectangular cake tin 35x28x7cm (14x11x3 inches)
Ingredients
Vanilla Sheet Cake
- 100 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 100 ml sunflower oil
- 340 g sugar
- 4 eggs extra-large
- 380 g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 400 ml milk whole
Vanilla Frosting
- 500 g powdered sugar
- 150 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 70 ml milk whole
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), then oil and line a rectangular cake tin 35x28x7cm (14x11x3 inches) with parchment paper.
- Add the butter, oil, and sugar to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs to the sugar and butter mixture one at a time. Beat well between each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
- In a large bowl, sift together the self-raising flour and salt.
- In a jug, mix together the milk and vanilla.
- With the mixer's motor running at medium-low speed, add the wet ingredients and the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Do this by alternating between the two. Starting with the flour and ending with the wet ingredients.
- Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and remix the cake batter. Ensuring that it is well-mixed and lump-free.
- Pour the vanilla cake batter into the prepared tin and bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in its tin for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and icing sugar. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- In a jug, combine the milk and vanilla, with the mixer's motor running at low speed slowly add the milk mixture. Continue until it has all been added. Then increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often.
- Place the cooled cake onto a large plate and spread the frosting over the top using an offset spatula. Top with lots of sprinkles, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients.
- Set the oven to conventional settings, not fan-forced.
- Only decorate the cake with the forsting once it has cooled completely.
Debbie says
The perfect vanilla cake to make for a birthday! It was so soft and delicious, also this is such an easy recipe! My new favourite vanilla cake recipe