Looking for a simple cake recipe that’s hard to get wrong? This vanilla cake recipe is perfect made as a tray bake. It slices neatly into bars, travels well, and is just as happy turning up at a bake sale as it is on your own kitchen table.
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You can top it with icing or frosting (coloured with a little food dye if you like a splash of colour), spread on some jam, or simply eat it slightly warm from the oven with nothing on it at all – it’s good enough to stand on its own.
It’s not a fancy recipe – it’s essentially a madeira cake, baked in a deep roasting dish (around 20 x 26cm). Baking it in a deep dish means you can pile the top with icing, sprinkles or whatever decoration you fancy, then cover it with cling film when you’re transporting it, without disturbing what’s underneath.
Vanilla Cake Tray Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 150g butter
- 150g caster sugar
- 3 medium free-range eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Method
1. Preheat your (fan) oven to 170°C. Line your baking tray with greaseproof baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition so they’re fully combined. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a tablespoon of flour.
3. Pour in the vanilla extract and beat for a minute until it’s mixed through the batter. Add the flour and baking powder, then beat lightly until the mixture is pale and smooth. Pour into the lined baking tray – there’s no need to smooth out the edges, as this happens naturally during baking. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing and transporting.
A Few Tips
- If you’re icing the cake for transport, let it cool fully first so the icing doesn’t slide.
- Colouring your icing with a drop of food dye is a nice way to make the same simple recipe feel different for a birthday, a bake sale, or just a Tuesday.
- Because it’s baked in a deep tray, this cake is forgiving – it doesn’t need to look perfect before it’s iced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this vanilla cake without a deep roasting dish?
Yes – any similarly sized rectangular tin will work. A deep dish simply gives you more room to pile on icing without it spilling over the edges, which is handy if you’re transporting the cake afterwards.
Can I freeze this tray bake?
The un-iced sponge freezes well. Wrap it tightly once fully cooled, and ice it after defrosting for the best finish.
What can I use instead of icing?
A layer of jam works nicely, or you can simply serve it plain, slightly warm from the oven.
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This recipe, and more, is available on Wholesome Ireland.
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