A very easy to make Vanilla Loaf Cake that is simply decorated with rosettes of Vanilla Buttercream and a liberal amount of coloured sprinkles.
I make a lot of my cakes in 1lb loaf tins, adapting this basic Easy Victoria Sponge Cake recipe. These small loaf tins use fewer quantities, the cakes are easy to slice and bake a lot quicker than a cake baked in a 2lb loaf tin.
I don't often bake cakes with buttercream because I find them a little too sweet for my taste, but adding a little on the top of a vanilla loaf cake like this one is just perfect.
The sponge is firm and moist like most pound cakes with a buttery vanilla taste. If you can get hold of some Vanilla Pods, here's how to make Vanilla Extract.
How to make a Vanilla Loaf Cake
To make a very simple Vanilla Loaf Cake you only need 4 basic ingredients and they are...
- Butter - At room temperature
- Flour - Self-raising as this contains a raising agent
- Sugar - Caster sugar or granulated sugar is fine
- Eggs - Medium unless otherwise stated in the recipe
When the cake is baked, you can decorate it how you like. Buttercream topped with colourful sprinkles are so much fun.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 170 deg Fan assisted. Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin with baking parchment or a cake tin liner.
Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go along.
Mix in the eggs, one at a time, adding a little flour in between each one to help prevent curdling. Add the Vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
Add the remaining flour and mix until well combined.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 35 – 40 mins or until baked, testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.
Leave in the tin to cool a little before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream
Using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, vanilla extract, and icing sugar together until light and fluffy with a thick piping or spreadable consistency.
Add the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with your favourite rosette nozzle. Pipe rosettes over the top of the cake, decorate with a good scattering of colourful sprinkles.
More Loaf Cake Recipes to Try
- Marmalade Cake
- Orange Madeira Cake
- Cherry and Coconut Cake
- Lemon and Yogurt Loaf Cake
- Coconut and Lime Cakes
Tips and FAQ's when making a Vanilla Loaf Cake
- Vanilla Extract - I made a batch of Vanilla Extract some time ago, it's so worth making your own. Here's how to make Vanilla Extract.
- Loaf Tins - I love using 1lb loaf tins for making cakes, they bake beautifully and are so easy to slice in nice square portions.
- Colour Sprinkles - Not all Sprinkles are Colour fast. If you are making this loaf cake for a special occasion, bake the cake and prepare the buttercream a few hours earlier. Once you have decorated with the Vanilla Buttercream, add the sprinkles just before serving.
As the name implies, a loaf cake is a cake that is made in a loaf tin or loaf pan. The sizes range between 1lb and 2lb loaf tins.
Buttercream will Freeze for up to a couple of months. Make sure that you wrap it properly in either baking parchment or a suitable freezer-bag squashing out all the air to help prevent freezer burn. Or store in an airtight container. Remember to label it. Leave to thaw slowly in the fridge overnight before using it again. If needed, re mix back to a spreadable consistency.
A pound cake is made up of the four basic ingredients butter, flour, sugar and eggs. Pound cakes can be baked in most kinds of cake tins ranging from round, square or loaf tins. When baked in a loaf tin, they are often called Loaf Cakes, because of the type of tin it is baked in.
The buttercream will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge when kept in an airtight container. Because of the butter content, which will harden in the fridge, you will need to bring it back up to room temperature before using it again. If needed you can give it a good mix to help bring it back to a piping/spreadable consistency.
Vanilla Loaf Cake
Equipment
- 1lb Loaf Tin
- 1lb Cake Liner or Baking Parchment
- Baking Parchment
- Cake Skewer
INGREDIENTS
- 120 g Butter room temperature
- 120 g caster sugar or grnulated sugar
- 2 eggs medium sized
- 120 g Self Raising Flour
- ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Topping
- 110 g Butter softened
- 220 g Icing sugar
- ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 deg Fan assisted. Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin with baking parchment or a cake tin liner.
- Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go along.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, adding a little flour in between each one to help prevent curdling. Add the Vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining flour and mix until well combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 35 – 40 mins or until baked, testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.
- Leave in the tin to cool a little before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Buttercream Topping.
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, vanilla extract and icing sugar together until light and fluffy to a thick piping or spreadable consistency.
- Add the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with your favourite rosette nozzle. Pipe rosettes over the top of the cake, decorate with a good scattering of colourful sprinkles.
Notes
TIPS AND FAQ’S
- Vanilla Extract – I made a batch of Vanilla Extract some time ago, it’s so worth making your own. Here’s how to make Vanilla Extract.
- Loaf Tins – I love using 1lb loaf tins for making cakes, they bake beautifully and are so easy to slice in nice square portions.
- Colour Sprinkles – Not all Sprinkles are Colour fast. If you are making this loaf cake for a special occasion, bake the cake and prepare the buttercream a few hours earlier. Once you have decorated with the Vanilla Buttercream, add the sprinkles just before serving.
Natty
I really want to try this but I have no self raising flour. Can I substitute all purpose and add baking powder?
Lynn
Yes you can replace the self raising flour with Plain (all purpose) flour and add baking powder.