I had a sort of epiphany when I wrote the recipe for this small batch chocolate cake: I think every cake recipe should be available in this tiny size. There are just so many occasions that call for less cake – date night, first birthday smash cakes, small gatherings of 2-4 people, and so on. So I moved right along to testing the most popular cake flavor of all: vanilla. I’m so happy to say that this recipe yields the perfect portion, is extra soft and moist, and is really easy to throw together!
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This small batch vanilla cake is basically a mini version of my favorite vanilla cake recipe. It can be made into three 4-inch layers or one 6-inch layer. The layer cake version is so cute and if you don’t already have 4-inch cake pans, here are the ones I used. But be warned, once you make a tiny layer cake, you’ll probably come up with every excuse to make more of them because they’re so cute!
These mini vanilla cake layers are extra soft and moist for a few reasons. The softness has a lot to do with the cake flour in this recipe, which produces a much fluffier cake than all-purpose (or plain) flour due to its lower protein content (the more protein in your flour the stiffer the dough and less ability to maintain moisture). You can find cake flour in the baking aisle at most grocery stores, but if all you’ve got is all-purpose flour in your pantry, here are instructions for how to make your own cake flour in a pinch.
The sour cream in this recipe is the other key ingredient that locks in the moisture and gives this cake amazing texture. It might seem extra, but don’t skip it! I am a firm believer that it makes all the difference in the final cake.
I paired this vanilla cake with my favorite vanilla buttercream recipe, dyed light pink to make it extra cute. That’s an optional step and you can feel free to pair this cake with pretty much any buttercream or frosting flavor imaginable. It’s vanilla. It goes with everything. Here are some alternative ideas:
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Strawberry Buttercream
- Raspberry Buttercream
- Lavender Buttercream
- Brown Butter Frosting
- Funfetti Buttercream
- Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Salted Caramel Buttercream
Small Batch Vanilla Cake
Equipment
- 3 4-inch cake pans OR
Ingredients
Small Batch Vanilla Cake
- 3/4 Cups (79g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp (30g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 Cup (80ml) whole milk, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups (180g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp whole milk or heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Instructions
Make the Small Batch Vanilla Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 4-inch or one 6-inch cake pan by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottom(s) with a wax paper or parchment paper cake circle.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg, mixing until just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vanilla and sour cream, turn the mixer to high, and beat for one full minute. It may look a little curdled at this point, but don’t worry – it will become smooth cake batter by the end.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients all at once. Mix until just combined, then slowly pour in the milk. Continue to mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thin.
- Pour the batter evenly between the prepared 4-inch cake pans (or all into one 6-inch cake pan). If using 4-inch cake pans, bake for 18-22 minutes. If using a 6-inch cake pan bake for 24-28 minutes. The cake is done when it springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before assembling and decorating.
Make the Vanilla Buttercream
- With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 5 minutes.
- With the mixer in the off position, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix until fully combined and uniform, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed, 2-3 minutes.
Assembly
- Once the vanilla cake is completely cooled, frost and decorate with the vanilla buttercream. To create the mini layer cake pictured, level the cake layers to your desired height. Add a swipe of vanilla buttercream onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Fill and stack the cake with vanilla buttercream, then crumb coat the cake with vanilla buttercream. Place the crumb coated cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the buttercream set firm.
- Use the remaining frosting to create a smooth buttercream finish and pipe a star border on top using Wilton Tip 4B. Decorate with sprinkles (I used these rainbow sprinkles).
Notes
- The small batch vanilla cake layer(s) can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature.
- The vanilla buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and rewhip with your stand mixer to bring back to frosting consistency.
I hope you love making this small batch vanilla cake recipe! Let me know who you made it for in the comments below + be sure to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!
I only have a 4 inch cake pan, can I bake just one cake no layers with a 4 inch pan? If so, how long to bake for ?
Hi Olivia! You can bake one cake layer, but you’ll only use 1/3 of the batter. If you fill the pan more than 1/2 full it will overflow in the baking process. You can either bake one layer at a time, or fill one 4-inch cake pan 1/2 full with the batter and bake the rest as cupcakes. If you want to make the extra batter as cupcakes, fill the tins 2/3 full and bake at 350F for 14-18 minutes. Hope that helps!
Hello!
I’ve tried this recipe and it was delicious. I was wondering if I wanted to make an almond flavored cake, how much almond extract would be recommended to add? Or if you have a recipe for a small batch almond cake already?
Thank you!
Hello! I made this cake the other day, and it turned out perfect. I made it again but with two tablespoons of Christmas colored sprinkles, and something went wrong. It was dense, super gummy, and it looked really greasy and oily! I double checked all the ingredients, I remember putting them all in, and the amounts too. I don’t know what I did wrong!
Hi there! I’m so sorry the sprinkles ended up changing the texture of the cake! What kind of sprinkles did you use? Some sprinkles can end up melting in the baking process and making it more gummy. I recommend finding sprinkles that have “carnauba wax” and “confectioner’s glaze” in the ingredients list for best results. I also wonder if 1 Tbsp of sprinkles will be better than 2, I know my small batch funfetti cake currently includes 2 Tbsp of sprinkles but I think 1 Tbsp will be better for this amount of batter.
Thanks so much for the help! The sprinkles i have do contain carnuba wax and confectioners glaze. I ended up making this again with 1 tbsp of sprinkles, and turned out wonderfully!
This was just an excellent cake for the two of us (served it for our anniversary). I did substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream, as it was handier, and (force of habit) about a tablespoon of coconut oil for the same amount of butter. I baked my cake in a loaf pan, filled it with a small batch of pastry cream that I had prepared earlier, and topped it with chocolate ganache, since my husband’s favorite dessert is Boston cream pie. I will use this same recipe in the future for any other occasion that requires vanilla cake, as we enjoyed the finished product immensely over a couple of days and didn’t need to worry about having more leftovers than we could eat or store.