Vanilla Loaf Cake

22/05/2020 by thebakingexplorer 43 Comments

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Sometimes you just want a no frills and fuss free cake that's simply delicious, and this Vanilla Loaf Cake fits the bill perfectly. It's a light vanilla sponge, topped with creamy vanilla buttercream and sprinkles. Loaf cakes are also known as pound cakes, this is because they were traditionally made with 1lb (one pound) of each ingredient - butter, eggs, flour and sugar. This cake is made with five ingredients, as I've added some vanilla extract for wonderful flavour. It's a great cake to make if you're new to baking! This was actually a reader requested recipe - don't forget to let me know if you have any recipe requests! The best way is either in the comments or via my Instagram profile.

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
For the best flavour, make sure to use a good quality vanilla extract and not an essence. You can also use a vanilla bean paste.
I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe (you can test the size of your loaf tin by seeing how much water the tin can hold, 2lb will hold about 2 pints/1100ml of water). If you have a 1lb loaf tin, simply halve the ingredient amounts.
For easy lining of the tin, use a loaf cake tin liner*.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make a Vanilla Loaf Cake

To make the cake, mix the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.

Gently whisk in the self raising flour, then pour the mixture into the tin.

Bake for an hour until golden, then make a vanilla buttercream by mixing butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract together.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How long does the loaf cake last for and can it be frozen?

The loaf cake will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze both the cake and the buttercream. To freeze them separately, wrap the cake well in cling film or put it in an airtight container. The buttercream can be frozen in a sealed tub. To freeze the loaf cake decorated, freeze on a plate until frozen solid, then carefully wrap in cling film. Remove the clingfilm when you take the loaf cake out of the freezer to defrost, as if it defrosts with it still on it could damage the buttercream.

Can you make this loaf cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this loaf cake be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with). You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread for the cake and a dairy free block butter alternative (I like Flora Plant) for the buttercream, and a dairy free milk for the buttercream. Please do check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can this cake be made into cupcakes or mini loaf cakes?

If you'd like to make cupcakes, check out my Vanilla Cupcakes recipe for the details. For mini lof cakes, I would recommend using two mini loaf tins as this recipe will make around 16-18 of them. Or you can halve this recipe to make less. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden, risen and a thin skewer or cocktail stick inserted in the centre of one of the mini loaf cakes comes out clean.

A slice of Vanilla Loaf Cake on a small plate

What size tin do you need for this recipe?

You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe (you can test the size of your loaf tin by seeing how much water the tin can hold, 2lb will hold about 2 pints/1100mls of water). If you have a 1lb loaf tin, simply halve the ingredient amounts. I have a few different 2lb loaf tins, that all have slightly different measurements. The one I used for this recipe has internal measurements of 22cm x 11cm x 6cm. If your 2lb loaf tin is slightly narrower, your cake may need slightly longer to bake.

What is the best way to line a loaf tin?

For easy and quick lining of the tin, use a loaf cake tin liner*, however if you don't have any of these you can use baking paper instead. Cut two pieces of baking paper, one wider piece and one longer and thinner piece. The wider piece will cover the two longer sides of the tin and the base, then place the longer thinner piece over the top of the first piece and cover the base again, and the smaller sides. Making a cross shape with the baking paper. I always grease the tin lightly before adding the liner or baking paper, as this helps to keep the paper in place and stop it from moving around when you add the batter.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cake will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. The buttercream will also be smoother. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!

Should a loaf cake have a crack on top?

Yes! A slight crack down the middle of a loaf cake is totally normal. Some people even encourage a crack to happen by adding a line of melted butter or oil down the centre of the batter! If your loaf cake has a very large crack, it could be that it was baked on too high a temperature (or that your oven runs hotter inside than the dial says).

More tips for making the Vanilla Loaf Cake:

I decorated the cake with vanilla buttercream, but you could make some icing with icing sugar and vanilla extract and/or water, and drizzle it over instead for an even simpler decoration.
It's really important to use good quality vanilla extract for the perfect natural vanilla flavour. Avoid using essence as it's a sythentic flavour and personally I don't think it tastes as good.
I used a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle to pipe the buttercream onto the cake.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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