Vanilla loaf cake

Vanilla loaf cake is a deliciously light buttery cake topped with a simple icing. It’s a really easy recipe, making it perfect for kids and beginner bakers alike.

Vanilla loaf cake is a deliciously simple recipe which is perfect for kids to try. It’s a lovely moist and light loaf cake, similar in some ways to a basic vanilla cupcake, but even easier to bake making it perfect for kids and beginner bakers to try.

Loaf cakes are great bakes that I love to make, partly because they’re so simple, but also because they’re made with mostly store cupboard ingredients. They’re quick to rustle up, and versatile so you can add different elements to it or make them really simple with just a little icing like we have here.

A slice of a loaf cake is perfect if you want a little treat to go with your afternoon tea.

Loaf cakes are also a great simple alternative to more complicated, decorative layer cakes. There’s no fancy decoration or piping which makes them great for kids to try. But that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious.

How can kids help make a vanilla loaf cake?

This vanilla loaf cake is a great, fun bake for kids. It’s really simple and with no fancy decorations like you might find with a layer cake it’s easy enough for kids and beginner bakers to make.

The loaf cake is easy to make but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t lots of things for your kids to get involved in. They can start by measuring and mixing everything together, as well as having a go at cracking the eggs (which is a crucial baking skill for anyone to master).

We’ve kept the decoration very simple meaning your kids can take charge of it, spreading the icing with a palette knife and adding some sprinkles. Having said that, you could choose to use a piping bag to add the icing, taking it to the next level!

How long does a vanilla loaf cake keep?

This loaf cake will keep in an air tight container for a few days.

If you want to keep the loaf cake for longer, you can freeze it for up to three months. To freeze it, wrap it well in cling film before you ice it and pop it in a freezer bag. Make sure you defrost it fully at room temperature, then add the buttercream before you serve it.

What is baking spread / margarine?

Baking spread or baking margarine, (Stork is a well known example you can easily find in the supermarket in the UK), is just a non-dairy margarine. It’s perfect for baking as it generally makes cakes and cupcakes lighter and fluffier than if you use butter, which means it’s a great, cheaper alternative. It’s also often suitable for vegans, although you should check the label.

For the icing, I prefer the taste of regular butter so wouldn’t use baking spread for that.

What can I use instead of self raising flour?

Self raising flour should be easy to find in any UK supermarket but if you don’t have any you can swap it for an equal amount of plain or all purpose flour and add 1 ½ tea spoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt.

What size is a 2lb loaf tin?

Dimensions of a 2lb or 900g loaf tin will vary slightly, but are roughly about 24 x 14 x 6.5cm (9.5 x 5.5 x 2.5 inches). If you want to check the size of your tin, but don’t have a ruler you can fill it with water then pour the water into a measuring jug. A 2lb tin should hold at least 1.2 litres.

If you only have smaller tins, for this recipe, you’re best to fill each tin with half the mixture and adjust the baking time down.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Please refer to my Privacy Policy Page for more details.

Can I make this in a cake tin rather than a loaf tin?

Yes, this recipe is very similar to a classic Victoria sponge so if you’d like a round cake that would be a great recipe to follow.

Similar recipes

If you liked this vanilla loaf cake you might also want to try one of these delicious classic bakes:

Ginger loaf cake
Treacle sponge
Lemon and blueberry loaf
Fruit loaf
Caramel and apple loaf
Lemon drizzle cake
Raspberry and white chocolate loaf cake
Madeira cake
Victoria sponge
Vanilla cupcakes
Marble loaf cake

Useful equipment

You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this vanilla loaf cake

Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
2 lb loaf tin
Wire rack

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Please refer to my Privacy Policy Page for more details.

Ingredients

200g (1 cup) caster sugar
200g (1 3/4 cups) self raising flour *
1 teaspoon baking powder
200g (1 cup) butter or baking spread
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the decoration
300g (3 cups) icing / confectioners sugar
150g (2/3 cup) butter
1-2 tablespoon milk
Sprinkles

If you don’t have self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain/all-purpose flour and add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.

How to make a vanilla loaf cake

Preheat your oven to 170C / 160C Fan / 340F then grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin with baking or parchment paper.

Don’t skip the greasing step as it will make sure your baking paper sticks to the tin when you add your batter. If you don’t have any purpose made loaf tin liners, we find the easiest way of lining our tins is to cut a strip of baking paper to fit the width of the tin then place it in. Repeat this step with a strip going in the other direction. If you leave a bit hanging over the edge you’ll find it easier to remove the loaf cake from the tin once it’s baked.

Measure all the loaf cake ingredients out

Get your kids to measure all the cake ingredients out and then either add them to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your free-standing mixer.

It doesn’t matter what order you add the ingredients as everything just gets mixed together in one bowl, but if you stick to the order they’ve been listed your kids will be less likely to miss anything out.

Add the dry ingredients

Start with the easiest part – measuring out the dry ingredients (the flour, and sugar). Add them to your mixing bowl.

Next, get your kids to add the baking powder. Make sure they use their finger to level the teaspoon before adding it so that you add just the right amount.

Add the wet ingredients

Now, get your kids to measure out the butter, or baking spread if you’re using it and add that to your mixing bowl. If you’re using butter it needs to be soft enough so that it’ll mix in so if yours is still too hard from being in the fridge cut it into a few pieces and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it. Don’t heat it for so long that it starts to melt though.

If, like us, you’re using baking spread, it’s already soft so you can just add it straight in.

Add the vanilla extract. If your children are quite young, they might need you to hold the teaspoon steady while they pour in the vanilla or vice versa.

Finally, get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl before adding them to your mixing bowl. We generally don’t add the eggs straight in just in case any shell goes in. If/when you do get some rogue shell simply fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a teaspoon.

Mix the vanilla loaf cake batter

Beat everything together with a hand held mixer, the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer or even wooden spoons until the batter is nice and smooth. Don’t mix it for too long, just long enough for there to be no lumps or visible clumps of flour showing.

Get your kids to scrape down the side of your mixing bowl with a spatula to make sure there are no unmixed ingredients left hiding at the bottom.

Bake the vanilla loaf cake

Get your kids to spoon or help pour the batter into your prepared baking tin. Spread the batter into the corners and level the top with your spatula or an offset palette knife.

Bake the loaf cake for 50-60 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it has risen nicely and turned a golden brown colour. To double check it’s ready you can insert a skewer or something else sharp into the middle of the loaf and if it comes out clean it’s ready. If there’s batter still sticking to it pop the cake back into the the oven for a few more minutes.

If you find your loaf is browning too quickly on top before the middle is ready cover it with some foil for the last part of the bake.

Remove your loaf cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for a few minutes before taking it out the tin and popping it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate the vanilla loaf cake

Get your kids to measure out the icing sugar and add it to your mixing bowl. Add the butter. As before, the butter needs to be soft so that it mixes is so if it’s not soften it a little in the microwave before you add it to your bowl.

Add a few tablespoons of milk.

Cover your bowl and mix the icing together with your k-paddle or hand held mixer. Start slowly until it has all come together then turn the speed up. Leave it for five minutes or so until the icing is lovely and soft. The longer you leave it, the nicer and softer it will become.

Get your kids to spread the icing on to the top of your loaf cake making sure they get the icing all the way to the edges.

Then add the sprinkles on top. You could choose to pipe the icing on, but with kids you’ll probably find it easier just to use a palette knife or spatula.

Serve and enjoy.