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Cakes

Vanilla pan cake

A single-layer vanilla cake with no special equipment—mix, pour, bake and slice.

Based on King Arthur Test Kitchen’s King Arthur Baking recipe ↗

Time
50 minutes
Makes
One 23 cm square cake
Oven, conventional
175°C / 350°F

Before you begin

Read the whole recipe, then get these ready.

  • 23 cm square tin
  • Baking paper
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk

Use a light-coloured metal tin if possible; dark tins brown the edges quickly.

Ingredients

Original recipe weights. Small quantities stay in measuring spoons; eggs stay as counts. 1 kg = 1,000 g.

Let’s bake

  1. 1

    Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line the tin.

  2. 2

    Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk butter, milk, eggs and vanilla in another bowl.

  3. 3

    Fold wet into dry just until smooth. Spread into the tin.

  4. 4

    Bake 30–35 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool before frosting.

Your baking notes

Notes stay on this device.