I usually frost the cake right in the pan but you can double this recipe using two cake pans for a double-layer cake. Only line the pan with parchment if you plan to remove the cake from the pan. It’s best to have all your ingredients at room temperature and I highly recommend using a cake strip. Be sure to aerate your flour before measuring.- Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup sugar (the recipe also works using 2/3 cup sugar)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup milk (low fat or whole milk)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Grease an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan.
- With an electric mixer on high, beat sugar, eggs, & vanilla for one minute to thicken.
- On low speed add remaining ingredients (in the order listed) but do not over-mix. This should take less than a minute.
- Pour into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I like to frost it with my 2-minute chocolate frosting.
Salt: Based on some comments, I added salt (optional) to my recipe. Use a pinch up to 1/4 teaspoon although I make mine without salt.
A cake strip will keep the edges from over baking and will keep the cake from being domed or rounded in the center. For info on cake strips click here.
For more on this recipe in my blog click here.
Thanks for the excellent instructions! This is an easy cake to make. I made it in a 9 inch round metal pan and followed the directions carefully. I made two layers and mixed the ingrédients twice. I was surprised to see that the second layer rose higher than the first. It made a slightly bigger loaf. Maybe the two eggs in that batter were just a bit bigger???
Anyway, I’m making this cake to turn it into an Easter Bunny Cake. I’m happy with the way it turned out but I haven’t tasted it yet. I hope it will be moist!
I used this cake recipe to make pineapple upside down cake because I didn’t have a Jiffy mix. It is a great recipe fast to mix up and the results are top notch. Thank you for the recipe
Do you need to refrigerate if not serving til next day? Without butter thought would be ok kept room temp.
Very easy recipe, I added 1/4 cup Banana Pudding mix and 1 whole Banana. Love this simple base cake recipe very versatile to use, to add in other flavors
Thank you
This was such an easy cake to make. Only a few ingredients. I especially like that they use oil as the fat instead of butter. The price of butter is rediculous!
I’ll be using this one a lot.
This is the absolute the best recipe I have found for a base with fresh strawberriesand whipped cream. It also is just delightful with a lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar glaze. This simple base cake re ipe works in a million ways foe me. Jenny, very grateful I found your recipe.. I did add one half a stick of melted butter to my butter just for the richness butterbrings to cakes.
To what did you add the butter? The cake mix? Did you substitute it for the vegetable oil? Thanks!
I made the cake today with butter instead of the oil. You can substitute butter 1 for 1 ratio. It turned out beautiful. I am going to serve it as a breakfast cake with fresh blueberries & honey vanilla yogurt on Easter Sunday.
My 9 year old granddaughter and I used this recipe to make mini bunt cakes in a mini bunt cake maker. I only jumbo sized eggs so we just used 1. And used butter and heavy cream because that is what I had on hand. The cakes tasted great but a bit dry. Next time I will make sure to have oil instead or use more butter.
I will keep this recipe, as my granddaughter loves to bake with me. And this is just the right amount for baking projects. Maybe I will try almond flavor or buttermilk because it’s fun to try something new or different .
I made this cake and followed directions to the max! The cake tasted fine, but it had the texture of corn bread. I wasn’t expecting that.
A nice,easy cake. All I added was some ground nutmeg.
I’ve baked for many years. This is one of the easiest, most versatile cake I’ve ever made. Followed directions precisely the first time, second time added 3 TB of malted milk powder and baked it in a stainless steel bowl. Topped it with milk chocolate glaze and Whoppers (malted milk balls coated in milk chocolate). Fabulous. Today I doubled the recipe and made 2 9” cakes to later fill and cover with a rich buttercream frosting. The texture of this cake is almost sponge cake like. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
How can I infuse coffee flavor into this recipe?
Add 1Tb or 2 Tbsp of INSTANT COFFEE CRYSTALS ( depending on how strong of a coffee taste you won’t your cake to be) to room temperature milk (1/2 cup MILK).
Let sit to dissolve. Add the sugar called for in your recipe ..stir…Then add to your other ingredients.
Remember: YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD MORE OR LESS COFFE CRYSTALS..
BUT YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE OTHER INGREDIENT AMOUNTS FROM YOUR RECIPE. So that being said… it might take a couple of times to get the right flavor you want. You have a wonderful idea! Coffee Flavored Cake YUM!
May use instant coffee in the milk but may need to warm the milk so it dissolves.
Bakers and non-bakers alike can do wonders with this versatile recipe! I lowered the fat by using Greek yogurt and added strawberry purée and whipped topping. Positively Perfect!
Did you replace the oil with Greek yogurt?
I made this cake today ,I do a lot of baking , but wanted a quick small cake for two. The only change I made was a pecan crumb topping , and so glad I did otherwise this would have been a nothing cake , very bland
leaves me wondering about all the positive comments ?
Perhaps your taste buds prefer something more rich. Personally, I liked this cake because of its simplicity and topped it with sliced strawberries.
I’ve never baked a cake or really any kind of pastry in my life so I used this recipe because it looked easy and didn’t call for copious amounts of butter. It really was easy! I didn’t have a mixer so I used my magic bullet smoothie blender for step 1. I baked it for my mom and she loved it! The cake was soft, not too sweet, and not at all dense! I made a quick caramel glaze for it and it came out beautifully, thank you so much!
Hi jenny
Thank you for your recipes I have used most of them when i bake it’s my passion as well and i love cooking real foods i admire you and all you do.hope everything is well with you just wanted you to know how much your recipes have added me personally i have ibd and cooking using your recepies have helped me which u can only imagine again thank you God bless
Thank you!
This is the perfect recipe for a simple yellow cake -or- as a base cake for many other creations!!
It has become my favorite. I can use GF flour with great success. I have shared this recipe.
I follow your directions exactly to get amazing results!
I made this (after dinner dessert), used 1/2 cup Splenda, Lemon flavor and home made frosting (cocoa powder & heavy whipping cream) plus blackberries/blueberries on the side…. So Easy So Good!!
Great recipe. I used 2/3 cup Stevia and skim milk and it is light and moist. I made the mistake of turning it out on a plate with the soft side up and frosting it with a premade frosting. Didn’t work very well. So recommend frosting it in the pan. Will try some of the other suggestions with fruit.
This is my go-to recipe for an iron skillet pineapple upside down cake. Thanks for the recipe.
Do you use pineapple juice instead of the milk? Thank you 😊
Just made it. Very happy with it. I live at high altitude. The only thing I subbed was melted butter for the canola. Rose perfectly, nice moist crumb, rich flavor. Easy and great if you need something quick to go with berries. Very versatile. A new go to. Thanks!
Sounds like you used artificially flavored vanilla. Did you sub in margarine or use some
different type of oil?
Just made this. Will definitely be my go to recipe. Added cinnamon and sugar to the top. So good. Not to crumbly, not dry. Amazing. 🤗
Used Almond Milk and the 2/3 cup sugar no salt Iced with PB Frosting was deliciouz and so easy to make
This cake is amazing! I used almond milk instead of regular milk and oh my it didn’t last long in our home. Thank you!!!
This is disgusting. Somehow it turns out both too spongey yet too crumbly at the same time. Batter has the taste of wallpaper paste. It’s just terrible.
I just got done making this cake to use for strawberry shortcake. It is the first “from scratch” yellow cake that I have made that actually turns out! The flavor is great, the texture wonderful! I put it in a 9″ round metal pan and only had to bake it for 25 minutes. I omitted the oil and used applesauce instead, as I have to watch my fat intake. Sometimes that can make a cake more heavy – not this time! This recipe is a keeper.
Please share your measurements for applesauce sub, I plan on making as a stawberry shortcake and would like to use stevia to sub for the sugar aswell.
This a great tip. will tty next round.
Nice little cake. Swirled some leftover apple pie filling through so had to add about 10 minutes to baking time, otherwise everything else the same. Will use this recipe again!
Absolutely love, love,love. I swirl jam through it before baking or add other flavoring such as lemon, orange, or maple. Great with whip cream and berries.
I love the simplicity of this recipe. So delicious I paired it with berries and cream.
This recipe came out wonderfully. I used the 2/3 c sugar w/o salt adaptation. Then I topped it with coffee icing! Yummy!
Coffee icing. What is that?! 😃✍🤓☕️
Yes, do tell… How do u make it, the icing w the coffee? Please 😊😁
When I make coffee frosting, I make a basic butter cream and add some coffee crystals. I won’t drink instant coffee, but it can’t be beat in things like frosting when you don’t want the extra liquid.
How much regular coffee do you add? Thanks Kathie
You have to use the dry instant or the amount of coffee needed to achieve that flavor you’ll end up with coffee soup!
I have made this,but did it as an orange poke jello cake,with homemade butter cream
I love this cake. I’ve made it plain. I’ve made pineapple upside down with it. I’ve made banana upside down cake .I’ve made a berry upside down cake and they were all delicious thank you for the recipe
My mother made a delicious peach upside-down cake with a one egg recipe. Hers is lost and this looks like a good substitute.
I’m not much of a baker but I love this recipe it came out wonderful thank you
it looked so good
I made this recipe this morning. It was quick, easy and delicious. I did include the salt as it enhances the taste of the cake, especially being a plain yellow one. I also used a baking strip as this enables cake to be even, uncracked and not burnt around the edges.
Thanks for a great recipe🙂🙂
Yum! Today I made a half recipe with the reduced sugar and included the salt. I got six delicious cupcakes (took 15 mins to bake). Thanks for sharing this recipe, it’s a keeper!
I would like to let you know that I have tried this recipe with your two minute chocolate frosting, and I must say that it pairs up perfectly. The cake is very delicious. Thank you. This will be one of my quick cake go to recipe. Thanks again for making it available to me.
Can you use half oil and half apple sauce!
I’ve made this cake a few times now and it’s always great. Very forgiving of the type of oil/fat used. Thanks for the recipe! The only think I would note is that I use much more vanilla extract (double) and sometimes a bit of cinnamon to liven it up based on what is being served with. I also do add the salt.
I use cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice mix! This is my first time making it so fingers crossed!
I love this cake and have made it many times. I top it the inverted cake with homemade jam (just enough to coat) while the cake is still a little warm, then add shredded coconut.
Topped it with diced walnuts and cinnamon sugar before baking. Yum!
Sorry to say it wasn’t anything to write home about. Came out dry. The flavor was like a pancake.
I have made this cake many times. It is a winner.
Can butter be used instead of oil?
I’m baking it now. My husband diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I can save money by baking this rather than buying mix. I substituted Stevia in place of the sugar. If this works I see me making lemon and other flavors.
How did it turn out with the Stevia? Did you keep everything else the same?
did the cake turn out made with stevia,
Can I bake this in a 6 cup Nordic bundt cake pan?
made a single layer yellow cake, it was very dense too solid, did not care for recipe.
Hello do you know what you can do the one and a quarter cup of flour measure it into grams and it will be much less flour it will make a difference One cup of flour is not the same in cup and in grams I now learn to measure flour in grams
If dense and heavy would be perfect to add glace cherries and almond flavoring and turn it into a cherry Madeira cake!
This is still my go-to cake. So easy and simple. Jenny, hope you and yours are safe and well.
Love this recipe, I keep coming back to it. I find it perfect for when we need a quick snack or a great birthday cake. Perfect recipe thank you so much😊
It worked!! Coconut Oil does work. After it slightly cooled I took it out of the cake pan and it will be a go for me if I don’t have any oil.
I took mine hot and ready out of the oven just now!! Once it slightly cools I will take it out of the pan and see if it falls apart. ( Second time using coconut oil!!)
I have made this cake so many times my family loved it!! Almost every time I bake they ask if I could make it. It is amazing and in my family it is gone in JUST one day. This recipe is a family treat and is most recommend to make. Round of applause for Jenny. It is very fresh, and wonderful! I recommend for you guys not to put frosting on the cake because it is perfectly fine how it is but its totally up to you right? If I don’t have vegetable oil I use butter, melted and cooled completely. I have tried coconut oil but it did not work as good your cake will fall apart. But I am going to make it again today and try coconut oil again to see how it turns out on my second try with coconut oil. Again this recipe is fantastic and you should definitely give it a try!!
Thanks Jenny.
Thanks for a great recipe! I followed the directions exactly and, while I was surprised there was no butter, it turned out to be perfect. Serving with strawberries tonight!
Made this today to serve with fresh strawberries for dessert tonight and only put in 1/2 c of sugar and 1/4 c of oil ( extra light olive oil). No salt. So pleased, as not only is the cake tender and moist, but delicious as well. It will be my ‘go to’ cake recipe from now own. I followed the rest of the instructions exactly. Thank you Jenny.
Just made this to eat with fresh strawberries. Definitely will be making again. So good
Thanks for such an easy homemade cake recipe
GREAT RECIPE! YUMMMMY! EASY. Made lemon icing using Country Time Lemonade with cool whip. Perfect for after dinner cupcakes.
Thank you Jenny! This is the best cake for us. No frosting needed. Made this countless times. Even with getting distracted and adding ingredients out of order, this cake delights.
Thanks for leaving the website up. Many happy and blessed years to you and yours!
YES!! No frosting needed and is a very tasty recipe!
Just pulled it out of the oven and it is gorgeous. It is cooling and I’m going to do my own chocolate whipped frosting. This cake is for my S/O.
Made this at Easter to use up some frosting. It is delicious. Highly recommend it.
Also makes a dozen cupcakes! Reduce baking time to 16-18 minutes, yum!
Im going to make this right when i get back from school I love to bake.
What is a cake stripper?
Please use the link I provided.
I want to bake this cake tonight for supper, but have never heard of a cake-
Stripper , could you please explain, dear?
Thank you so much.
Please use the link in the recipe about cake strips.
This cake was so easy and so yummy. I only used 2/3 cup sugar as I was using the cake for strawberry shortcake. I did have to bake it for more like 35 minutes but it turned out perfect. Definitely a keeper!
My daughter had to make a dessert for a school project. This was the perfect difficulty for her. I didn’t have any milk though so we used coconut milk. Also, she put sprinkles inside the batter. The cake is soooo delicious. I will be using this recipe again. Thank you!!!
Hi all,
Needed a quick cake for just the two of us and thought this would be the perfect size. My cake has been in the over for over an hour! The outside is beautifully browned, sort of crunchy like the top of an angel food cake, but the inside is still runny. What in the heck did I do? I thought I had followed the directions very carefully. And no, it’s not my oven. I have calibrated the temperature earlier and it is accurate.
Thanks!
i miss read the baking powder and did 1 and 1\4 cup my cake exploded in the oven. not a good start to my baking skills
It’s okay. We all make mistakes. I once thought a container of salt was sugar . . . It was the saltiest cake ever.
Me too. Salt and sugar look the same. In my cake it said to add two cups of sugar. I forgot to add labels to my salt and sugar and my cupcakes were sooooooo salty!! I did not know until I offered my friend one and she said that she would eat it later but when she took a bite her face was saying it was bad from what I could see. I took a bite of a cookie and said to her ” No need to eat it later I will get something else” . And it was her Birthday so I called someone to make a special cake and I went to pick it up. The rest of the day was amazing.
As fast/easy as it is delicious – I’m a pretty seasoned baker and this cake is a winner. Can be easily dolled up, too – I use both almond and vanilla extract, pull out some leftover icing from the freezer or slice it in half and spread the middle with lemon curd. And the size is perfect for a small family (sometimes a double layer cake is just too much). Thank you Jenny!
ALL I CAN SAY IS MMMMMMM‼️
For the naysayers: I am no baker. I read the good and bad reviews. The bad reviewers are doing something wrong! I followed the recipe as written, I even made the mistake of accidentally adding the vanilla to the dry ingredients instead of the wet. I made sure I did not beat the cake mix over 1 min. I greased the pan with coconut oil. I did take the advice of one writer and added an extra tablespoon of vanilla. It cooked exactly 30 min. In a round glass cake pan. It is perfect! The texture is like my Bundt cake I make when I add a pudding mix to it. It’s firm but soft. And very sweet and it tastes like actual cake! I’m going to try adding other flavors besides vanilla in the future. Like lemon or almond, or butterscotch, just for fun. Maybe I’ll even add butter! But I did not have butter today so I went looking for an easy recipe for cake from scratch without butter. So, whoever you are…. those that are saying it came out wrong….. I don’t know what you’re doing, but you are definitely not going by the directions. Or, as one person said, maybe your baking powder is old and not working. Also, you do know if you use baking powder, you have to bake whatever it is you’re baking right away otherwise the powder loses its efficacy. Anyway…. I just had to respond. I don’t know Jenny…. and never have been on her site until yesterday. I was concerned because of the few negative reviews, but I took the chance and followed the directions specifically…. do NOT overbeat the cake batter!!! I made a great little quick homemade desert, without butter!
I followed the directions and it was perfect. My husband is temporarily on a low salt diet so I used no salt. He still loved it!
This recipe is the best. I used buttermilk though and that cake is out of this world!! Oh my!!!!!
I hate baking, but need something sweet and easy now and then. This was perfect, and came out great!! Thank you so much!!
Made this lovely cake…again…but this time added the seat of one lemon and a cup of blueberries. Frosted with a cream cheese and lemon buttercream. Oh my goodness! It is wonderful!
can you use a normal rectangle pan for this rescipe
yes, but make sure it is the same size
Just used a rectangle 8 in pan. Worked just fine, cake really good, made the chocolate icing, very good.
Absolutely delicious cake! Super quick and easy….and it turns out perfectly every time.
Yes it does!! Just maybe not with coconut oil I will try doing it again with coconut oil tonight!!
The cake came out wonderfully very nice recipe
First time I made the cake it turned out heavy and dense. I bought new baking powder, remade it and it turned out perfectly! I’m not a big baker so my baking powder must sit around for a while… I wasn’t even aware baking powder had an expiry date. If yours doesn’t turn out perfectly may I suggest checking your baking powder expiry date?
This was super helpful. Thank you 😊