rVanilla sprinkles cake
Hannah wanted to bake a cake for her Daddy’s birthday so I let her choose exactly what make. She requested a vanilla cake, with icing and sprinkles so I got out our bundt tin because I think it makes cakes look a bit more special and we made this vanilla sprinkles cake together.
It’s a deliciously moist cake thanks to the buttermilk, yet it’s simple enough for kids to make with you. It’s also a very fun looking cake, and if your kids like decorating with sprinkles as much as mine, they should enjoy making it!
We never have buttermilk in the house and I don’t tend to buy it especially for baking. You can make your own buttermilk if you add 1 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup and top it up with milk. If you do that at the start of your baking by the time you need to use it, it will be ready.
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 30 minutes plus 34 minutes baking
Serves: 12-15
Ingredients
For the cake:
200g (1 cup) granulated sugar
115g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract
210g plain flour + 40g cornflour
( or 2 cups cake flour)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
For the icing:
250g (2 cups) icing sugar / confectioners’ sugar
3-4 tbsp milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Sprinkles
how to make a vanilla sprinkles cake
Preheat oven to 180C/170C Fan/350F
Grease your bundt pan
Get your kids to help you butter a bundt pan, making sure to get in all the nooks and crannies. We normally rip of a bit of the butter packet or use some greaseproof paper with a bit of butter on it and rub it in. You chould also use some melted butter and brush it on. Sprinkle it with flour covering all the surfaces, pour out the excess and set aside.
Beat the sugar and butter together
Measure the butter (115g) and pop it in the microwave to melt. Add to a large mixing bowl or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment fitted. Add the sugar (200g).
Beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until the mixture is well combined and fluffy.
Add the eggs
Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl. Add them into your mixture, beating well in between each addition.
Add the vanilla and buttermilk
If you’re using a vanilla bean, cut it in half length ways and scrape out the seeds. Add these to the mixture. If you don’t have a vanilla bean you can use 2 tsp of vanilla extract instead.
Add the buttermilk (3/4 cup) in the mixing bowl.
Add the remaining dry ingredients
Measure out the flour (210g), cornflour (40g), baking powder (2 tsp) and salt (1/2 tsp) and add them to the bowl. (If you have cake flour you can use 2 cups and miss out the cornflour).
Turn the speed of the mixer down and beat everything until you have a nice smooth cake batter.
Bake the vanilla sprinkles cake
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt tin. Bake for 35-45 minutes. It’s ready when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven to cool. After 5 minutes, loosen the cake from the pan with a blunt knife and turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t worry if a few bits stick to the pan – the icing will cover them up.
Make your icing
In a small bowl or measuring cup, measure out the icing sugar (250g). Add a few tablespoons of milk and the vanilla extract (1 ½ tsp). Mix until it is all combined. Add another spoon of milk and keep stirring. Keep adding the milk a dribble at a time until the thin enough to pour but thick enough that it holds its shape. If it’s too thin, add a little more icing until you have a good consistency.
Decorate your vanilla sprinkles cake
Pour the icing over the top of the cooled cake letting it drip down the sides, and then add sprinkles. I’d put them in small bowls to make it easier for the kids to then sprinkle nicely on top. It worked for Hannah, but Lewis just poured his bowl out all over one spot (as you can see in the pictures).
Vanilla sprinkles cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 200 g 1 cup) granulated sugar
- 115 g 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 210 g plain flour + 40g cornflour or 2 cups cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
For the icing:
- 250 g (2 cups) icing sugar / confectioners' sugar
- 3-4 tbsp milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180C/170C Fan/350F and grease and flour your bundt pan
Beat the sugar and butter together
- Measure the butter and pop it in the microwave to melt. Add to a large mixing bowl or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment fitted. Add the sugar.
- Beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until the mixture is well combined and fluffy.
Add the eggs
- Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl. Add them into your mixture, beating well in between each addition.
Add the vanilla and buttermilk
- If you’re using a vanilla bean, cut it in half length ways and scrape out the seeds. Add these to the mixture. If you don’t have a vanilla bean you can use 2 tsp of vanilla extract instead.
- Pour in the buttermilk and mix it all together.
Add the remaining dry ingredients
- Measure out the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt and add them to the bowl. (If you have cake flour you can use 2 cups and miss out the cornflour).
- Turn the speed of the mixer down and beat everything until you have a nice smooth cake batter.
Bake the vanilla sprinkles cake
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt tin. Bake for 35-45 minutes. It’s ready when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven to cool. After 5 minutes, loosen the cake from the pan with a blunt knife and turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make your icing
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, measure out the icing sugar. Add a few tablespoons of milk and the vanilla extract. Mix until it is all combined. Add another spoon of milk and keep stirring. Keep adding the milk a dribble at a time until the thin enough to pour but thick enough that it holds its shape. If it’s too thin, add a little more icing until you have a good consistency.
Decorate your vanilla sprinkles cake
- Pour the icing over the top of the cooled cake and then add sprinkles.
If you liked this vanilla sprinkles cake, you’ll love our Victoria sponge recipe or our colourful rainbow cake.
Talya says
My daughter is obsessed with sprinkles so would absolutely love to make this with me. One I’m pinning for later thanks for linking up to #coolmumclub x
cookingwithmykids says
My kids also love anything with sprinkles!
charlotte stein says
This looks delicious and will give me a recipe to put my unused bundt tin to good use! x #coolmumclub
cookingwithmykids says
Thanks! I always forget about my bundt tin, but I love that it makes cakes look a bit more special without any extra effort!