Vanilla Snack Cake with Chocolate Frosting
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This homemade Vanilla Snack Cake with Chocolate Frosting is super fluffy, easy to make and perfect for any occasion!
This Vanilla Snack Cake with Chocolate Frosting is such a simple and easy cake to make for any occasion! It’s super fluffy, baked in an 8×8 inch pan, covered with homemade chocolate cream cheese frosting and topped with plenty of rainbow sprinkles. It’s the best cake to make if you don’t want to assemble an entire layer cake or decorate dozens of individual cupcakes!
Looking for more homemade cake recipes? Try my Chocolate Brownie Mousse Cake, 4-Ingredient Sponge Cake or Banana Crumb Cake!
Ingredient Breakdown
All-purpose flour – this gives the cake structure.
Baking powder and baking soda – both are necessary to help the cake rise.
Butter – provides flavor and structure. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Do not use cold or melted butter.
Granulated sugar – provides sweetness and texture.
Vegetable oil – adds moisture and tenderizes the cake.
Eggs – binds the ingredients and provides structure.
Vanilla extract and salt – enhances flavor. Always use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation for best flavor.
Buttermilk – adds flavor and moisture.
How To Make Vanilla Snack Cake with Chocolate Frosting
1. Make the Vanilla Cake: In a small bowl combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
2. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy then add the vegetable oil. Mix in the egg then add the vanilla extract.
3. Fold in half of the dry ingredients then add all of the buttermilk. Fold in the remaining half of the dry ingredients until just combined.
4. Pour the cake batter into a parchment lined 8×8 inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Make the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer cream the butter and cream cheese. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Add salt to taste. Decorate cooled cake as desired. Store Vanilla Snack Cake with Chocolate Frosting in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Pro Tips For Vanilla Snack Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Don’t over mix the cake batter otherwise it will develop too much gluten and be dense/gummy.
- Wait until the cake is COMPLETELY COOLED before frosting otherwise the frosting will melt and slide off.
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Vanilla Snack Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
- 8×8 inch pan
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 150 g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 150 g (3/4 cups) granulated sugar
- 56 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 30 g (2 tbsp) vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 120 g (1/2 cup) buttermilk
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 56 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 180 g (1 1/2 cups) confectioners' sugar
- 20 g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
- ½ tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Vanilla Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy then add the vegetable oil. Mix in the egg then add the vanilla extract.
- Fold in half of the dry ingredients then add all of the buttermilk. Fold in the remaining half of the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer cream the butter and cream cheese. Mix in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Add salt to taste. Decorate cooled cake as desired.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Store Vanilla Snack Cake with Chocolate Frosting in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Nutrition: the provided nutritional information is an estimate for the entire cake. Please read my Nutrition Disclaimer for more information.
