Baking is not frightening or complicated. It is a common belief that cake making needs years of experience and fancy appliances – that is just not the case. It is possible to make tasty homemade cakes that will impress family and friends with the right recipes and several basic tips.
These seven cake recipes are made foolproof whether you are a complete beginner or you have already had a couple of kitchen disasters in the past. All of them have easy ingredients that you likely have in your pantry and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. No complicated methods, no miraculous ingredients, and stress-free.
Browse classic vanilla to rich chocolate, and fruity treats to decadent ones – all the favorites are covered by these recipes. Cakes can be prepared within two hours (or less) each, and a lot of the preparation will be finished in less than 30 minutes. The rest can only wait to have the oven do the magic.
Why These Recipes Are Always Successful
It would be a good idea to discuss some of the virtues of these specific cakes before we get to the recipes. All recipes are selected as they all employ the dump and mix approach – no creaming butter over 10 minutes, no egg separation and no elaborate folding. You simply pour the ingredients in a bowl, blend it and bake.
The ingredients of these cakes are also forgiving. Adding a bit of flour too much makes your cake still turn out to be great, and forgetting to add the vanilla till the end is still going to make your cake great. They are constructed to withstand minor errors and still not break up.
Recipe 1: Super Simple Vanilla Cake
New bakers should start with this vanilla cake. It is moist, fluffy and very tasty with vanilla that matches any frosting or can be eaten in its purest form.
Ingredients You’ll Need
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 2 cups | Level, not packed |
| Sugar | 1½ cups | Granulated sugar, regular |
| Vegetable oil | ½ cup | Can replace with melted butter |
| Eggs | 3 large | Room temperature is best |
| Milk | 1 cup | Any fat level is okay |
| Vanilla extract | 2 teaspoons | Use pure vanilla which is better |
| Baking powder | 2 teaspoons | Check expiry date |
| Salt | ½ teaspoon | Table salt |
Step-by-Step Instructions
Ready Your Pan and Oven: Turn your oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat the pan (9×13 inch) with butter or cooking spray, then dust with flour. This prevents sticking.
Batter Preparation – Combine all Dry Stuff: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk. Make sure there are no lumps.
Add the Wet Ingredients: Add the oil, milk, eggs and vanilla. Blend with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. The batter should be smooth.
Bake to Perfection: Add the batter to your prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes, or till a toothpick put in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool and Enjoy: Once the cake is fully baked, allow it to cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cake to a wire rack to allow it to cool.
Pro Tips for Success
- Don’t overmix the batter. When you are no longer able to see streaks of flour, mix no more.
- When your cake top is browning too fast, then cover with foil in the remaining 10 minutes of baking.
- When covered tightly, this cake will remain moist for 3 days.
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Recipe 2: One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
This is a chocolate connoisseur’s delight. The recipe is a pantry staple-based rich, moist chocolate cake, which is made in a single bowl. The secret ingredient? Hot coffee makes even more intense flavor of the chocolate.
What You’ll Need
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk (may also be regular milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar)
- 1 cup hot coffee (or hot water)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make Your Chocolate Masterpiece
Get Ready: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Oil two 9-inch round or one 9×13 inch pan.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add Wet Ingredients: Form a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla. Mix until just combined.
The Secret Step: Stir the hot coffee very gradually. The batter is going to be thin – it is normal and forms the moist texture.
Bake Away: Pour batter into ready pans. Round pans bake 30-35 minutes and a 9×13 pan bakes 35-40 minutes.
Why This Recipe Never Fails
The combination of baking soda and buttermilk produces a chemical reaction that ensures fluffy cake. The cocoa powder is bloomed by the hot coffee and this chocolate flavor becomes much richer. The cake still will be very tasty even in case you happen to add more coffee than usual – the cake will be simply moister.
Recipe 3: Lemon Sunshine Cake
This citrusy sunshine cake is one that brings sunshine to any day. It is very moist because it has lemon pudding mix added to it and the lemon flavor is not at all overpowering but refreshing.
Shopping List
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| White cake mix | 1 box | Can be yellow cake mix |
| Instant lemon pudding mix | 1 small box (3.4 oz) | Vanilla pudding will also do |
| Vegetable oil | ¾ cup | Melted butter or applesauce |
| Water | ¾ cup | Milk to make it creamier |
| Eggs | 4 large | 3 extra-large eggs |
| Fresh lemon juice | 2 tablespoons | Bottled lemon juice is alright |
| Lemon zest | 1 tablespoon | Optional, but suggested |
Creating Your Lemon Delight
Preparation Phase: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a bundt pan well – these cakes have a habit of sticking.
Combine Cake and Pudding Mix: Place pudding mix and cake mix into a large bowl. Add oil, water, eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat with an electric mixer for 4 minutes.
Into the Oven: Add batter to bundt pan. Bake 45-50 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and springs back when touched.
The Waiting Game: Cool 15 minutes in pan, then turn out onto a serving plate. Allow to cool completely before glazing.
Simple Lemon Glaze
As the cake cools, prepare this simple glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Whisk ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Recipe 4: Apple Cinnamon Comfort Cake
This cake is fall in each bite. Stuffed with fresh apple pieces and warm cinnamon spice. The best part? In fact, it improves after overnight, so it works well to prepare meals ahead or to prepare beforehand to serve guests.
Ingredient Assembly
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups apples, peeled, chopped (approximately 3 medium apples)
- ½ cup toasted walnuts (optional)
Baking Your Apple Creation
Prep Work: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Dice your apples into small, uniform pieces.
Prepare Dry Mix: Flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt should be combined in a large bowl.
Add Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, mix the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and combine until mixed.
Add the Good Stuff: Add apples and nuts (optional): Add the diced apples and nuts gently. The batter will be chunky and lumpy.
Bake to Golden Perfection: Place batter into prepared pan. Bake between 40-45 minutes until it is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Apple Selection Tips
The most appropriate apple varieties to bake do not get mushy and preserve their form. Try these varieties:
- Granny Smith (tart and firm)
- Honeycrisp (sweet and crisp)
- Braeburn (sweet-tart taste)
- Jonagold (mild and sweet)
Red Delicious and Gala apples are to be avoided because of their tendency to get too soft during baking.
Recipe 5: Strawberry Dream Cake
This fluffy, pink cake is like consuming a cloud of strawberry flavor. It works with frozen strawberries, thus you can make it any time of the year, and the texture is so light and moist.
Strawberry Bliss Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 small box (3 oz) strawberry Jell-O
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed, chopped
- ½ cup strawberry juice (use juice from the thawed berries)
- ½ cup water
Creating Your Pink Paradise
Setup: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Oil two 9-inch round or one 9×13 inch pan.
Berry Prep: Completely thaw frozen strawberries. Cut them in small pieces and preserve the juices that develop.
Mix the Base: Add a large bowl of the cake mix with Jell-O powder. Put in eggs, oil, strawberry juice, water. Beat for 2 minutes.
Add the Stars: Fold in the chopped strawberries gently. Do not overmix – you want to see pieces of berries.
Bake Your Dream: Pour into prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes for rounds, or 30-35 minutes for a 9×13 pan.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
This cake is best topped by cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons strawberry juice
- Pink food coloring (optional)
Beat cream cheese and butter till light. Add powdered sugar, then strawberry juice, gradually. Add a drop of food coloring to make the pink more pretty.
Recipe 6: Banana Bread Cake
This recipe will make traditional banana bread tender and moist like a cake. It is the ideal manner to utilize over-ripe bananas and the taste is further enhanced the following day.
What Makes This Special
This cake is much lighter and fluffier compared to traditional banana bread but with that same favorite banana flavor. It is not as dense as bread but more solid than a basic cake.
Ingredient List
| Component | Amount | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Ripe bananas | 3 large | Black spots are good |
| All-purpose flour | 2 cups | Not necessary to pack the flour |
| Sugar | 1½ cups | Brown sugar adds more flavor |
| Vegetable oil | ⅓ cup | Or melted butter |
| Eggs | 2 large | Room temperature is desired |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon | Pure vanilla is preferred |
| Baking soda | 1 teaspoon | Check expiry date |
| Salt | ½ teaspoon | Salt enhances banana taste |
| Buttermilk | ⅓ cup | Makes it even softer |
Step-by-Step Success
Oven Ready: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan or two 8-inch round pans.
Mash Those Bananas: In a large bowl, mash bananas until they are smooth with a few minor lumps which adds texture.
Wet Ingredients: Stir oil, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk with the mashed bananas. Mix well.
Dry Team: In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
Gentle Combining: Combine wet with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined – too much can make cake tough.
Bake to Perfection: Add to prepared pan(s). A 9×13 pan should be baked 30-35 minutes, or round pans 25-30 minutes.
Banana Ripeness Guide
Very ripe bananas are the best used in this cake, with brown spots scattered throughout the peel and easy to squeeze. These bananas are sweeter and more full-bodied. When your bananas are not ripe enough, you can make them ripen faster by putting them in a paper bag with an apple and leave them there 24-48 hours.
Recipe 7: Funfetti Birthday Cake
All parties require cake and this homemade funfetti cake is better than any boxed cake. It is fluffy and vanilla scented and full of colorful sprinkles that make each bite a party.
Party Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups sugar
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1¼ cups milk
- 3½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles (use additional to decorate)
Creating the Celebration
Party Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Oil and flour two 9-inch round pans.
Base: Cream in a large bowl softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes using an electric mixer).
Add Eggs One at a Time: Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract.
Alternate Additions: In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture alternating with milk – flour mixture, milk, flour mixture and so on.
Sprinkle Magic: Add ½ cup sprinkles and gently fold them in. Mix gently or the colors will bleed.
Bake the Celebration: Fill pans with batter. Bake 25-30 minutes, till toothpick comes out clean.
Sprinkle Selection Tips
Not every sprinkle is created equal for baking:
- Jimmies (the rod-shaped) are the best at preserving their color during baking
- Tiny round nonpareils are more likely to bleed but produce a confetti effect
- Do not put chocolate sprinkles in vanilla cake – they will muddy the color
- You can also use natural food coloring sprinkles if you prefer to avoid artificial dyes
7 Easy Cake Recipes You Can Bake Without Stress
Essential Baking Tips That Ensure Success
With your seven incredible recipes prepared now, it is time to discuss the tricks that will help you get the perfect cake every time.
You Need Ingredients at Room Temperature
Room temperature ingredients blend far easier than cold ingredients. Remove your eggs and milk from the fridge 30-60 minutes prior to baking. In case you forget, put eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes and heat the milk in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
The Right Pan Makes a Difference
- Light-colored pans bake more evenly than dark pans
- Glass pans conduct heat differently – decrease the oven temperature by 25°F
- Always grease and flour your pans even when they are non-stick
- Size matters – the wrong pan size may lead to overflow or uneven baking
Measuring Ingredients Correctly
Baking is a science rather than an art, and therefore precise measurements are important:
- Flour: Spoon it into measuring cup, and level it with a knife
- Sugar: Scoop and level granulated, pack firmly for brown sugar
- Liquids: Check at eye level, using a clear measuring cup
- Small amounts: Use measuring spoons, not regular cutlery
For more detailed baking tips and techniques, check out our comprehensive recipe collection at Home Tasty Recipes, where you’ll find expert guidance for all your baking adventures.
Testing for Doneness
A toothpick test is very nice, but here are some other ways of knowing your cake is cooked:
- When touched in the center, the cake has a springy feel
- It should begin pulling away from the sides of the pan slightly
- The surface on the top must be golden brown (except for chocolate cake)
- The cake should smell done – you will have that sweet, baked smell
Cooling and Storage Secrets
Correct cooling will keep bottoms from getting soggy and tops firm:
- Allow to cool in the pan 10-15 minutes first
- Run a knife around the edges and turn out
- Allow to cool completely on wire racks prior to frosting
- Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days
- Freeze unfrosted cakes for up to 3 months
Troubleshooting Common Cake Problems
Even foolproof recipes don’t work out sometimes. Here are the most frequent problems and how to fix them:
My Cake Sank in the Middle
Causes:
- Oven temperature too high
- Opening the oven door too early
- Insufficient flour or excess liquid
- Expired baking powder
Prevention:
- Check temperature with an oven thermometer
- Do not open oven door in the initial 25 minutes
- Measure ingredients carefully
- Replace baking powder every 6 months
My Cake Is Too Dry
Causes:
- Too much flour
- Overbaking
- Oven temperature too high
- Not enough fat or liquid
Solutions for Next Time:
- Spoon flour into measuring cup rather than scooping
- Set a timer and check 5 minutes before the recipe time
- Check oven temperature with a thermometer
- Follow the recipe exactly
My Cake Stuck to the Pan
Prevention:
- Grease the pan well with butter or cooking spray
- Dust greased pans with flour, tap off excess
- Allow cake to cool 10 minutes before turning out
- Run a knife around edges before turning out
For additional troubleshooting tips and baking science explanations, the King Arthur Baking website offers extensive resources for both beginner and advanced bakers.
Frequently Asked Questions
May I substitute ingredients in these recipes?
Yes, but some substitutions work better than others. You can substitute vegetable oil with melted butter (use ¾ of the amount), regular milk with buttermilk or almond milk, and half the oil with applesauce to lower calories. However, do not change flour types or amounts of baking powder or soda since they influence the structure of cakes.
How do I know if my baking powder is still fresh?
Combine 1 teaspoon baking powder and ⅓ cup hot water. If it foams vigorously, then it is fresh. If it barely bubbles or doesn’t bubble, replace it. In a cool, dry environment, baking powder usually lasts 12-18 months.
Can these cakes be prepared in advance?
Absolutely! These cakes are in fact better the next day. They can be baked 1-2 days in advance and kept covered at room temperature. To store longer, wrap cooled cakes tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature before serving.
How should these cakes be frosted?
Allow the cake to cool completely – frosting will melt on warm cake. For layer cakes, place the bottom layer on your serving plate, frost the top, add the second layer and then frost sides and top. Apply a thin crumb coat first to seal in crumbs, then add the final layer of frosting.
Can I double these recipes?
Yes, all these recipes can be successfully doubled. When doubling, mix in two bowls – do not attempt to get all the mixture into one bowl. Depending on your oven, the baking time might change, so begin checking for doneness at the original time, then continue baking until ready.
Why do chocolate cake recipes require hot coffee?
Hot coffee (or hot water) enhances the chocolate taste without making the cake taste like coffee. Heat helps bloom the cocoa powder, releasing more flavor compounds. If you don’t drink coffee, hot water works nearly as well.
Can I use a different pan size than the one listed?
Yes, though you will have to adjust baking times. Smaller, deeper pans bake more slowly. Larger, shallower pans finish earlier. For best results, the batter should fill the pan ½ to ⅔ full.
How do I prevent my cake from sticking without using flour?
Cocoa powder works well for dusting chocolate cake pans. You may also use parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of your pan – grease the pan, place the parchment, and grease the top of the parchment.
Your Road to Stress-Free Baking
Baking does not need to be an intense or stressful task. These seven tested recipes will give you all the tools to make great homemade cakes that your guests will love. Every recipe is forgiving and foolproof, suitable for novices and tasty enough to please expert cooks.
The first rule of baking is to stick to the recipe the first time, and afterwards adjust ingredients according to your taste and preferences. The next thing is not to be afraid of experimentation after you are comfortable with the fundamental practices.
These cakes are a sure success no matter the occasion, whether you’re celebrating a birthday, bringing dessert to a potluck, or you just need something sweet to share with your family. Begin with the recipe that sounds most appetizing to you, and before long you will become the person who bakes amazing homemade cakes.
The best part about homemade cake is not only the taste but also the pride you will have when you make something delicious on your own and the happiness you will see on people’s faces when they take the first bite. Get your oven ready, assemble your supplies and prepare to find out how simple and enjoyable making a cake can be.