A good snacking cake earns its place on the counter. It mixes in one bowl, bakes in about half an hour, and cools fast enough to slice before the craving passes. This vanilla version is built from plain pantry items and everyday dairy or non dairy milk. It stays tender for days, works with a quick glaze or a dusting of sugar, and does not ask for a stand mixer or fancy tools.
The payoff is simple. You get a soft, fine crumb with true vanilla aroma, light sweetness, and a clean edge that holds its shape when cut. It is the kind of cake that fits weeknights, lunchboxes, and small gatherings. It is also easy to scale, easy to freeze, and easy to adapt for seasons and tastes. The method below uses a dependable blend of baking powder and baking soda for lift, a touch of vinegar for structure, and neutral oil for moisture that lasts.
If you keep flour, sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla on hand, you can make this cake. If you are out of milk, water works. If you bake dairy free, use your usual plant milk. If you need to serve more people, the recipe doubles cleanly for a 9×13 pan. The details that follow aim to give you a reliable base recipe with the kind of small guardrails that help at home. Measurements are listed in both US and metric units. Steps are clear and short. Troubleshooting notes are practical and honest. Nothing here depends on special brands or hard to find ingredients.
What makes a dependable snacking cake
A snacking cake should be tender, slice cleanly, and stay moist without feeling greasy. To get there, a few choices matter.
First, oil instead of solid fat keeps the crumb soft at room temperature. Butter brings flavor, but oil brings consistent moisture and a lighter bite. You can add butter flavor back through a quick glaze, a simple frosting, or a little vanilla and salt in the batter.
Second, using both baking powder and a small amount of baking soda gives controlled lift. Baking powder carries its own acid. Baking soda reacts with a small dose of vinegar in the batter to set the crumb and keep it from sinking. This two leavening approach is common in reliable home cakes because it forgives small measuring slips.
Third, a thin pourable batter helps the cake level itself in the pan. That means less tunneling and a smoother top. Mixing should be brief. Over mixing develops gluten and makes a tough slice. Proper oven heat and pan size finish the job.
Ingredient notes that help
All purpose flour supplies structure. Weighing flour improves accuracy. If you measure by volume, fluff the flour, spoon it into the cup, and level.
Sugar sweetens and tenderizes. Granulated sugar works best here. Brown sugar can be swapped in for part of the total if you want a hint of molasses, but the crumb will darken.
Leavening comes from baking powder and baking soda. Both must be fresh. If your cake does not rise as expected and you followed the steps, check the date on these two.
Salt balances sweetness. Fine sea salt or table salt disperses evenly.
Neutral oil gives lasting moisture. Canola, sunflower, grapeseed, or a mild olive oil are all fine. Strongly flavored oils will show up in the final taste.
Milk or water hydrates the batter. Whole milk gives a richer crumb. Plant milks work well. Water is fine in a pinch. The vinegar will handle the reaction with baking soda even if you use water.
Vinegar sets the crumb. White vinegar works best because it tastes neutral. Apple cider vinegar also works.
Vanilla is the main flavor. Use extract or paste. If you enjoy almond, a small splash can sit beside the vanilla, but keeping it simple lets the vanilla shine.
Hot water at the end loosens the batter and gives a smooth texture. It also helps dissolve sugar. The batter will look thin. That is what you want.
Equipment
You do not need special tools. A bowl, a whisk, and an 8 inch square metal pan will carry you. Metal pans bake more evenly and give better browning than glass. If you use glass, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees and watch the bake time. A digital scale helps, but the recipe includes cups for convenience.
Classic Vanilla Snacking Cake Recipe
Required equipment
8 inch square metal cake pan
Large mixing bowl
Medium whisk or spoon
Flexible spatula
Measuring cups and spoons or a digital scale
Cooling rack and small offset spatula or butter knife
Time
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 28 to 34 minutes
Cool time before slicing: 45 to 60 minutes
Total time: about 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield
9 to 12 squares, depending on cut size
Ingredients
Dry
- All purpose flour: 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (190 g)
- Granulated sugar: 1 cup (200 g)
- Baking powder: 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g)
- Baking soda: 1/2 teaspoon (3 g)
- Fine salt: 1/2 teaspoon (3 g)
Wet
- Whole milk or plant milk: 3/4 cup (180 ml). Water works if needed.
- Neutral oil: 1/3 cup (80 ml)
- Vanilla extract: 2 teaspoons (10 ml)
- White vinegar: 1 tablespoon (15 ml)
- Hot water, just off a simmer: 1/4 cup (60 ml)
Preparation instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F or 175°C. Lightly grease the 8 inch square pan and line the bottom with parchment. Greasing keeps the corners from sticking. Parchment helps the cake release cleanly.
- In a large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Break up any lumps. Even mixing at this stage prevents streaks later.
- Add the milk, oil, and vanilla to the bowl. Whisk only until no dry pockets remain. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. The batter will be thick and smooth.
- Whisk in the vinegar. The batter will loosen slightly.
- Pour in the hot water and whisk until the batter is glossy and pourable. It will look thin. This is correct. Do not over mix. Ten to fifteen seconds after the water goes in is enough.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan once on the counter to pop large bubbles.
- Bake on the middle rack for 28 to 34 minutes. The cake is done when the top springs back lightly, the edges pull just a touch from the pan, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Loosen edges with a butter knife. Lift the cake out by the parchment or invert it onto the rack, then turn it upright. Cool at least 30 minutes more before glazing or slicing. Warm slices can crumble. Cool slices cut clean.
Nutrition information per serving
Based on 9 servings without glaze
Calories: about 260
Total fat: about 12 g
Saturated fat: about 1.5 g
Carbohydrates: about 36 g
Sugars: about 21 g
Protein: about 3 g
Fiber: about 0.5 g
Sodium: about 230 mg
Values are estimates from standard databases and common household brands.
Quick finishes that work
You do not need frosting, though a simple finish can add contrast and keep the crumb from drying on day two. Here are two easy options with proportions sized for an 8 inch square.
Thin vanilla glaze
Powdered sugar 1 cup or 120 g
Pinch of fine salt
Milk 2 to 3 tablespoons or 30 to 45 ml
Vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 ml
Whisk the sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla until smooth and just pourable. Adjust with a few drops of milk if needed. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Let it set 20 minutes before cutting.
Cocoa stovetop frosting
Powdered sugar 1 1/4 cups or 150 g
Unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons or 12 g
Pinch of salt
Milk 3 tablespoons or 45 ml
Neutral oil 1 tablespoon or 15 ml
Vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 ml
Warm the milk and oil in a small saucepan until hot to the touch. Off the heat whisk in cocoa, sugar, salt, and vanilla until glossy. Spread over the warm cake. It will set as it cools.
Step by step cues to watch
Good home baking leans on simple visual cues. Use these to steer.
The dry mix should look even and slightly fluffy. If you see streaks of sugar or pockets of flour after the wet ingredients go in, keep whisking gently until everything looks uniform.
When you add vinegar, a few small bubbles may appear. That is normal. It is the baking soda reacting.
After you pour in hot water, the batter should thin to a smooth ribbon. If it looks lumpy, keep whisking for a few seconds more. If it looks as thin as milk, double check your measurements next time, but you can still bake it. The cake will be flatter and very tender.
In the oven, the edges set first. The middle domes, then levels. The top should be pale gold. If the cake rises fast and then sinks, the oven may be too hot or the batter may be under mixed. Check with an oven thermometer if this happens often.
Flavor variations that stay balanced
These changes keep the batter in the same range of moisture and lift, so the crumb holds up.
Citrus zest. Rub the finely grated zest of one lemon or one small orange into the sugar with your fingertips before you add the rest of the dry ingredients. This captures oils and pushes aroma forward without changing moisture.
Spice. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom with the dry ingredients. Warm spices pair well with vanilla.
Almond. Swap 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for part of the vanilla. Do not exceed this amount or the flavor will dominate.
Funfetti. Fold 3 tablespoons of rainbow sprinkles into the batter at the very end. Choose sprinkles that do not bleed color.
Berry ripple. Spoon half the batter into the pan. Dot with 1/3 cup of thick berry jam. Top with the remaining batter and swirl lightly with a knife. Bake as directed.
Crumb top. Stir 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and 3 tablespoons oil with 1 teaspoon vanilla until clumpy. Scatter over the batter before baking. Add two extra minutes in the oven if needed.
Maple. Replace 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar with real maple syrup and reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon. The crumb will be slightly denser and very moist.
Texture tuning for altitude and humidity
If you bake at higher elevation, cakes can over expand and collapse. Simple changes help. Increase the oven temperature to 360°F or 182°C. Reduce both baking powder and baking soda by a small pinch. Add two tablespoons or about 15 g of extra flour. Bake toward the shorter end of the time range and test early. In very humid weather, flour can carry a bit more moisture. If the batter looks looser than usual, add one tablespoon of flour to bring it back to the usual ribbon.
Make ahead, storage, and freezing
This cake stays soft at room temperature for up to three days if covered. Store it under a cake dome or wrap the pan well. If you glaze it, let the glaze set before covering so the surface does not stick.
For longer storage, wrap the cooled unglazed cake tightly in two layers of plastic or place it in a sealed container. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature in the wrapper. Glaze after thawing. You can also freeze cut squares. Wrap each piece, then place them in a freezer bag. This helps with portion control and quick snacks.
If you need to bake ahead for a gathering, bake, cool, and freeze the cake two weeks ahead. Move it to the refrigerator the night before serving, then let it come to room temperature and glaze it that morning.
Scaling for different pans and cupcakes
9×13 pan. Double all ingredients. Bake at 350°F or 175°C for 32 to 40 minutes. Start checking at 30 minutes. A metal pan gives the best rise and browning. A glass pan bakes slower. If you use glass, lower the temperature to 325°F or 163°C and extend time as needed.
Round pans. For a single 9 inch round, use the recipe as written, but bake 2 to 4 minutes longer because the batter sits a bit deeper. For a layer cake, double the recipe and divide between two 9 inch rounds. Bake 23 to 28 minutes. Cool fully before stacking.
Cupcakes. The base recipe yields about 12 standard cupcakes. Line a muffin pan, fill each cup two thirds full, and bake 18 to 22 minutes at 350°F or 175°C. This batter stays moist in cupcake form and takes buttercream or whipped cream well.
Troubleshooting with causes and fixes
Cake sinks in the middle. Common causes are over mixing, old leavening, or an oven that runs cool. Mix only until the batter looks glossy and even. Check the dates on baking powder and baking soda. Use an oven thermometer to verify heat. Cooling the cake too fast can also cause sinking. Let it rest in the pan for 15 minutes before moving it.
Rubbery or dense crumb. Over mixing or too much liquid can lead to this. Next time whisk more gently and measure liquids carefully. If you want a richer crumb, use milk rather than water.
Dry edges. Over baking or a dark thin pan can dry the edges. Pull the cake as soon as a toothpick shows moist crumbs. If your pan is very dark, check a few minutes early. Glaze helps soften edges on day two.
Soapy taste. This points to too much baking soda or not enough acid to match it. Keep the soda at 1/2 teaspoon and the vinegar at 1 tablespoon. If you swapped vinegars, stay with white or cider. Do not add extra soda to chase a taller rise.
Uneven holes or tunnels. This comes from over mixing after the leaveners begin to react. Mix just to combine. Tap the pan gently before baking to release large bubbles.
Sticky top after cooling. Humidity draws moisture to the surface of high sugar batters. Dust with powdered sugar or glaze lightly. Store the cake uncovered for the first hour, then cover loosely.
Why the vinegar matters here
A small amount of vinegar reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide gas and salts. This action helps set the crumb early, which supports the rise that baking powder continues through the bake. The balance here is small on purpose. Too much acid dulls the vanilla and can tighten the crumb. Too little acid leaves soda unreacted and gives an off taste. The ratios in the recipe are set to prevent both.
Choosing vanilla for the flavor you want
Vanilla extract carries most of the aroma in this cake. Vanilla paste has specks and a deeper profile. Both work. If you prefer a softer vanilla note, keep the extract at 2 teaspoons. If you want a stronger aroma, increase to 2 1/2 teaspoons. Do not push beyond that or the alcohol in extract can show in the bake. For a budget option, pure extract and good imitation extract blend well and smell pleasant in baked goods. Use what you have and what you like.
A note on milk choices
Whole dairy milk delivers the most tender crumb and fuller flavor. Low fat milk works and gives a slightly lighter bite. Plant milks vary. Unsweetened soy and oat behave most like dairy in this recipe. Almond milk bakes clean and light. Coconut milk from a carton works, but full fat canned coconut milk is too rich for this ratio. If you use water, the cake will still rise and hold. The crumb will be slightly springier and a glaze will make up for the leaner base.
Serving ideas that fit weeknight life
This cake tastes best the day it is baked, once it has cooled to room temperature. It pairs well with fresh berries in summer and with cinnamon sugar in cooler months. For a gentle lift, brush the warm cake with 1 tablespoon milk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla. Let it soak for a minute, then cool and glaze. If you want a cleaner finish for lunchboxes, skip glaze and sift a light coat of powdered sugar over the top right before serving. The sugar melts as the cake sits, so dust again just before you plate.
Cleaning and storage tips for the pan and leftovers
Line only the bottom of the pan with parchment and grease the sides. This keeps the corners neat and saves you from chasing tiny parchment flaps when you pour. When the cake is cool, slide a knife around the sides, lift by the parchment, and set on a rack to finish cooling. Leftover slices keep best if you wrap each piece. A wrapped slice stays soft and packs easily.
If you baked in a metal pan, wash it by hand once it cools. Harsh scrubbers can chill the finish and encourage sticking later. Dry the pan right away and store it inside a larger sheet pan to save space. Small habits like that make baking on a busy day simpler.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use butter instead of oil. Yes. Melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter and let it cool until warm, not hot. Swap it for the oil. The crumb will be a little tighter and the cake may stale slightly faster. If you plan to serve it the same day, butter is a pleasant choice.
Can I cut the sugar. You can reduce sugar to 3/4 cup or 150 g without hurting structure. The cake will be less tender and taste less sweet. Do not reduce sugar further unless you plan to serve with a sweet glaze.
Can I add chocolate chips. Yes. Fold in 1/2 cup or 85 g of small chips after the hot water step. Dust them lightly with a teaspoon of flour to help suspend them in the batter.
How do I keep the top flat. Bake in the center of the oven, avoid opening the door early, and use a metal pan. If your oven runs hot, the edges set too quickly and the center domes. Lower the rack by one notch and check your thermometer.
Is this cake egg free. Yes. The structure comes from a balanced leavening system and proper mixing. The crumb is soft and tender without eggs.
Practical checklist for success
Measure leaveners with a level hand.
Use fresh baking powder and baking soda.
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly before adding wet.
Whisk only until smooth after liquid goes in.
Bake in the center of the oven.
Test doneness with a toothpick and a light press.
Cool long enough for clean slices.
These quiet steps are the small difference between a cake that is fine and a cake that people want again. They take no extra gear and only a little attention.
Final notes for the home baker
This recipe is here to be used, not admired. Keep it on a card in the drawer. Bake it when you need a small dessert without planning. Treat the base as stable, then adjust flavor to suit the week. If you stay close to the ratios, the cake will be kind and steady. If something goes sideways, look at the troubleshooting list and try again. Cakes like this teach by doing. The method is short, the ingredients are ordinary, and the result is better than the effort. That is the point.
Quick summary of the core recipe, for the fridge door
8 inch square pan. Oven at 350°F or 175°C.
Dry: flour 190 g, sugar 200 g, baking powder 1 1/2 tsp, baking soda 1/2 tsp, salt 1/2 tsp.
Wet: milk 180 ml, oil 80 ml, vanilla 2 tsp, vinegar 1 tbsp, hot water 60 ml.
Whisk dry. Add milk, oil, vanilla. Whisk smooth. Add vinegar. Add hot water. Pour. Bake 28 to 34 minutes. Cool. Glaze if you want. Slice and keep covered.
That is all you need most days. The rest of this guide is here when you want to nudge flavor, change pans, or fix a texture. Keep it simple. Bake often. Enjoy the cake while it is fresh.
