A 1234 Vanilla Cake is one of the simplest and most delicious cakes you can make. This classic recipe was found in virtually every kitchen of grandmothers across the country. Similar to a pound cake, it is made of four basic ingredients: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, plus 4 eggs.
Today’s cake recipe is made with just 8 ingredients which you likely already have in your pantry and refrigerator. It comes together quickly with no fussy methods to follow. The longest wait is for the cake layers to cool!
Thanks to the 4 eggs, this is a rich cake that is a true delight. Absolutely satisfying and delicious.
When you make layer cakes, it is important to thoroughly butter your cake pans and line them with parchment if directed to do so. The last thing you want is for one of your layers to stick to the pan! Take the time up front so you will be happy with the end results.
My cake took 30 minutes in my oven, yours may vary. They came out of the oven slightly domed but flattened after a few minutes. Then turning them out onto a wire cooling rack makes sure they are even!
Today I paired this 1234 vanilla cake with a beautiful chocolate frosting. This creates the classic birthday cake that children all over this nation request every year. You can combine this cake with just about any frosting you love and have a drool-worthy dessert.
This recipe makes enough frosting to completely cover a 9-inch (23cm) two layer cake but if you want more, you can double the recipe. This will give you plenty to decorate the top any way you want and do piping if desired.
If you like, you can decorate the cake with fun sprinkles or jimmies like I did, changing them to suit the occasion. I love how festive they make everything look!
One trick to keep your serving plate clean while you frost the cake is to slide strips of parchment or waxed paper under the edge of the cake. Frost the cake and when done, slip the strips of paper out and you’ll have a beautifully frosted cake and clean plate.
I hope you will make this 1234 Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting soon. It makes a beautiful birthday cake or special occasion dessert. A lovely rich cake slathered with an irresistible frosting will earn you a round of applause!!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a star rating, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day. I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for 1234 Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting:
- Cake: Butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, milk, vanilla
- Frosting: Butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, salt
PRO Tip:
If you want to guarantee perfectly even cake layers, you can weigh the batter and then add half to each prepared pan. If you don’t already have a kitchen scale, I strongly urge you to get one. It will improve your baking, making it easier to do your ingredient measuring, and give you much more consistent results.
PRO Tip – How to make your own cake flour:
Cake flour has less gluten/protein in it, giving you the lightest and softest texture to your cakes. For each cup of cake flour, measure 14 tbsp (110g) of sifted all-purpose flour and add 2 tbsp (16g) of cornstarch. Sift together twice or whisk thoroughly to combine and lighten the mixture. You will need 3 cups of this cake flour to make this recipe. You do not have to do this if you are using a gluten-free flour blend!
How to make 1234 Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting:
- For the Cake: Cream the butter and sugar until light then add the eggs one at a time.
- Stir together the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture in three additions alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, beating until incorporated after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the batter evenly into two 9-inch round cake pans that have been buttered and parchment lined. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 25 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans 10 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: Beat the butter until creamy then add the powdered sugar, cocoa, milk, vanilla, and salt and beat on low speed until combined. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Assemble the Cake: Place on layer, rounded side down, on a plate and spread about 1 cup of the frosting over the top. Place the second cake layer on top, rounded side up. Spread remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. You can create swirls for an easy decoration.
- Store the cake loosely covered, in the refrigerator up to two days.
PRO Tip:
Using an offset spatula to spread the frosting gives you a smooth surface and keeps your knuckles out of the frosting!
PRO Tip:
If you want a perfectly frosted cake with no cake crumbs in it, use what is called a crumb coat. Assemble the cake with frosting between the layers, then use a very thin layer of frosting all over the cake. You will be able to see the cake through it. Refrigerate for about an hour to set it. Then pull it out and use the rest of the frosting to cover the sides and top of the cake. Voila! A beautiful, crumb-free cake!
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- 9-inch round cake pans
- 9-inch parchment circles
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Offset spatula
Gluten-Free Tips:
*You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
1234 Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting (Gluten Free)
Today’s 1234 vanilla cake recipe is made with just eight ingredients (14 if you include the frosting) which you likely already have in your pantry and refrigerator. It comes together quickly with no fussy methods to follow. The longest wait is for the cake layers to cool!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup (227g; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (396g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs (200g)
- 3 cups (360g)* gluten-free flour blend, cake flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum, only if your GF blend doesn’t already contain it
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup (226g) whole milk (do not use non-fat)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 cup (227g; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3-1/2 cups (398g; about 14 oz) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (42g) unsweetened cocoa powder (half regular, half dark)
- 3 to 4 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Coat 2 (9-inch; 23cm) round cake pans with butter, and line the bottom of each with a circle of parchment paper. Be sure the pans are at least 2-inches (5cm) high or you will have trouble fitting all the batter.
- Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl if using a hand mixer, on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until just incorporated after each addition. Scrape the bowl and beater.
- Whisk together the flour, xanthan, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating on low until blended after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Turn the mixer up to medium for 30 seconds to lighten the batter slightly. Scrape the bowl and beater again.
- Divide the batter in half, scooping half into each of the two prepared pans. Do not fill pans more than 1/2 full. Spread the batter in the pans, pushing it to nearly the edges of the pan. If you have leftover batter, make a few cupcakes! ** Place the pans on a baking sheet covered with a sheet of parchment to protect your oven in case of spillover.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. They will be firm to the touch and a lovely golden brown on top. Cool the cake layers in pans 10 minutes. The tops will collapse slightly, flattening out as they cool. If they don’t, you can trim off the rounded portions if you prefer a completely flat cake. Then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove the parchment paper.
- Prepare the Frosting: Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or mixing bowl and hand mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa, milk, vanilla, and salt, and carefully beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beater as needed.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate and spread the top with about 1 cup (237 ml) of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake using an offset spatula. Store the cake, covered, at room temperature up to 5 days.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
Make Ahead: Cool the cake layers completely, wrap tightly in heavy-duty plastic then a layer of foil, and refrigerate or freeze. If you are freezing, wrap in plastic and then two layers of foil. Label the cake layers with a use-by date (within 3 months for freezing). The day before assembling, pull them from the freezer and place in the refrigerator still wrapped. Return to room temperature before making the frosting and assembling the cake.
How to Make Cake Flour: Cake flour has less gluten/protein in it, giving you the lightest and softest texture to your cakes. For each cup of cake flour, measure 14 tbsp (110g) of sifted all-purpose flour and add 2 tbsp (16g)
of cornstarch. Sift together twice or whisk thoroughly to combine and lighten the mixture. You will need 3 cups of this cake flour to make this cake recipe. Note: You don’t need to worry about this if you are baking gluten-free because there is no issue with gluten in your baked goods!
*You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you
are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
** If after filling the cake pans half full, you still have leftover batter, you can use it to make cupcakes. Pour into lined cupcake pans and bake at 350°F (177°C) until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a recipe by Southern Living.com
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 335mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 9g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
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