Making a cake doesn’t have to be complicated or take forever. Here’s a vanilla cake (or cupcake) recipe that you can throw together in no time at all. And you don’t need a box mix!

Vanilla Cake

Here’s a one-bowl all-purpose vanilla cake from scratch instead of using a boxed mix. Quick and easy and makes either a dozen cupcakes or one 9″ cake.

  • 1½ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Optional icing

  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)

Baking preparation

  1. Grease and flour a 9″ square cake pan or put 12 cupcake wrappers in cupcake pan.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix batter

  1. Put flour, sugar, and baking powder in large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

  2. Add egg, vanilla, and milk and beat one minute (by hand or mixer).

  3. Add oil and beat one more minute.

Baking method – choose one

  1. For cake: bake for 30 minutes or until cake tester (e.g. toothpick) comes out clean.

  2. For cupcakes: bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Optional icing

  1. After removing from the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over cake or cupcakes

  2. Let sit about 10 minutes to melt

  3. Spread over cake with small metal spatula

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