One Bowl Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Updated: Feb 23, 2026 by christina.marsigliese · 69 Comments

If you're looking for the best and EASIEST vanilla cake recipe, then look no further... THIS IS IT! My one-bowl Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting as easy as a box mix, except even BETTER because it is homemade with real ingredients. The texture is velvety soft and it has the rich flavor of buttery yellow cake. This is the perfect birthday cake paired with my popular BEST Ever Fudgy Chocolate Frosting or my Best Chocolate Buttercream. Sprinkles are optional (but are they, really?).

one bowl vanilla cake with chocolate frosting sliced on cooling rack

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Tender soft texture - this recipe uses the reverse creaming method which creates a very soft texture since fat coats the flour particles which forms a physical barrier to moisture and prevents gluten formation. The result is a very soft, tight and velvety crumb.
Moist vanilla cake - the cake is super moist! It has a soft texture, it's not crumbly and it stays moist for days without drying out.
Fudgy chocolate frosting - I use a rich chocolate ganache made with sour cream for the frosting. It is so easy to make and you don't need softened butter nor icing sugar. It's simple and so decadent and fudgy! Many people have told me this is the best frosting they've ever made.
Small batch - this recipe makes just 1 layer 9x9-inch cake so you only need one pan and it serves 9-12 people.

one bowl vanilla cake with chocolate frosting slice on parchment

INGREDIENTS FOR VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Unsalted butter - this recipe requires very soft butter that gets partially blended into the dry ingredients first. This coats the flour particles with fat to make a barrier that hinders rapid moisture absorption by wheat proteins, thus preventing too much gluten formation that can cause the texture to be tough.
Oil - using some oil makes this cake feel extra moist since it is liquid at room temperature. Just be sure to use fresh oil and not one that sits on your counter for cooking (it's likely it has been exposed to more oxygen and light which can affect the flavor).
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is the main flavor in this cake so use your best one. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Milk - I prefer whole milk for this recipe and it is important that is at room temperature or even slightly warm. Do not use cold milk or else it will not blend into the batter smoothly.

one bowl vanilla cake with chocolate frosting ingredients

one bowl vanilla cake with chocolate frosting on cooling rack

Eggs - two whole eggs will provide structure and also the golden yellow hue to this cake. Make sure they are at room temperature, which means you should take them out of the fridge 2 hours before baking or let them sit in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.
All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour is best for this recipe. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly since adding too much flour can lead to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off. This batter is meant to be on the runny side so refrain from adding more flour to make it thicker.
Corn starch - a bit of corn starch dilutes the overall protein content of the flour and interferes with gluten development. It also swells and provides structure without the strong texture that flour typically provides.

What is the reverse creaming method?

This recipe partially uses the reverse creaming method. This refers to a method where the fat is blended with dry ingredients (ex. flour and sugar) as opposed to the creaming method where fat is combined with sugar and eggs first. This recipe requires blending soft butter with the dry ingredients thoroughly until it resembles fine crumbs and then mixing in the rest of the fat (oil) and other liquid ingredients. It results is a very soft, fine-textured crumb since the gluten-forming proteins in wheat flour are coated in the butter during the initial step which prevents it from absorbing moisture too quickly so that gluten formation is limited. Minimal gluten formation means that the cake structure will be tight instead of open so the texture is very delicate.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, corn starch, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend well.
STEP 2). Blend in soft butter. Add the soft butter to the dry ingredients and blend with the mixer on low speed until it looks clumpy.
STEP 3). Combine wet ingredients. Combine eggs, oil, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl or measuring jug and whisk to blend well.
STEP 4). Mix wet and dry ingredients. Gradually add half of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients while mixing on low speed. Once the mixture starts to look smooth, begin pouring in the rest of the wet ingredients while mixing until the batter is evenly combined.
STEP 5). Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake is golden around the edges and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto the rack to cool completely.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Use a blend of butter and oil. The key to a quick and easy yet tasty vanilla cake recipe is to use oil AND butter. Butter is superior for its flavor, and oil will make cakes softer and come across as being more moist. It's the simple science behind the type of fat. Oil is made up of mostly unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature, whereas butter contains more saturated fats that are solid at room temperature. As a result, the texture of a butter cake will be more crumbly and firm.
Use a neutral tasting oil like pure sunflower oil for the cleanest flavor to let the vanilla taste stand out.
Use FRESH oil. If oil is not fresh then even the slightest rancid note will be exacerbated after you bake it into a cake.
Do not reduce the sugar - the right amount of sugar will make cake moist because it binds water so that it stays tightly in the batter and doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.
Keep an eye on the baking time. Set a timer for the first time stated in the recipe and check with a skewer -- it should come out clean.

one bowl vanilla cake with chocolate frosting slice with bite on parchment

RECIPE FAQ

What type of oil is best for vanilla cake?

Firstly - use a fresh oil! Do not use anything that's been opened for a long time and when you store oil, it should be in a cool dark place. Light and heat accelerate oxidation reactions that can make the flavor turn rancid. My oil of choice for baking is sunflower oil for its clean and neutral taste, but any other oil such as canola or safflower will do. You can even use olive oil, but keep in mind that it will add the taste of olive oil to the cake.

What is a substitute for corn starch?

If corn starch is not available, you can also use potato starch or tapioca starch. Corn starch is also called "cornflour" in some countries such as in the UK and Australia.

Why is my cake not fluffy?

If your cake turns out dense, then it could be a couple of things: there is too much flour or the raising agents are not active. Make sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda. Use a kitchens scale to measure flour accurately.

What causes cake to be dry and dense?

Too much flour and not enough sugar is the main reason why cake can turn out dry and dense. It is important to have the right proportions of liquid to dry ingredients in a one bowl cake recipe.

What is a substitute for sour cream in the chocolate frosting?

You can also make the frosting using an equal amount of full fat Greek yogurt or crème fraîche -- a type of fermented dairy product somewhere between yogurt and sour cream.

Can I make this in a round cake pan?

Yes, you can make this in an 8 or 9-inch round pan. If you use an 8-inch pan, you will need to add at least 5 minutes to the baking time.

What makes this cake so moist?

This cake is moist because of the amount of liquid and sugar, so do not reduce the sugar or else the texture will not be as nice. Liquid oil will also make the texture very soft, which often gives the perception of "moistness".

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHOCOLATE FROSTING

This frosting is INCREDIBLE. It is also made with sour cream and it is rich and delicious without using any butter at all! Here is my recipe for the BEST Chocolate Frosting.

Happy Baking!

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