Small 6-Inch Vanilla Cake Recipe

Pretty slices of a small vanilla cake topped with strawberry frosting fanned out on a plate.

5 from 6 reviews

Small 6-Inch Vanilla Cake Recipe

A small vanilla cake made with butter, oil, and buttermilk for a soft and tender crumb that stays moist for days. Baked in a 6-inch pan, ready in under an hour, and sized for smaller celebrations.

Prep Time15

Cook Time34

Total Time49

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 192kcal

Author: Erin Cernich

Equipment

Ingredients

Small Vanilla Cake

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup organic cane sugar or granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cold pressed refined coconut oil, melted or any neutral oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Lightly grease a 6-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit.
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to just combine. Note - If using a stand mixer, I recommend the 3-quart mixing bowl (link above) for the small batch batter. Otherwise, you can use a hand mixer and medium mixing bowl.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
Add the butter cubes to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed until the mix resembles sand. This can take 1 to 2 minutes.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the buttermilk. Add the egg, vanilla, and oil. Mix until fully combined and smooth.
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature, 1 large egg, room temperature, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons cold pressed refined coconut oil, melted

If you do not have buttermilk, you can make your own. Add 1½ teaspoons of vinegar to the measuring cup, add milk to the 1/2 cup mark, and let it sit for 5 minutes. It will start to look curdled.

With the mixer on medium speed, slowly drizzle the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until smooth - about 60 to 90 seconds. Scrape down the bowl as needed to make sure no ingredients are stuck on the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be thin, and if there are a couple lumpy bits, that's ok.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Bake for 30 to 34 minutes, or until the middle of the cake is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
Cool the cake in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then, flip the pan over onto the wire rack to remove the cake and let it cool completely. If needed, run an offset spatula or sharp knife around the edge of the cake to release it from the pan.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. The cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. If using the strawberry whipped cream as pictured, I recommend refrigerating the cake.

Notes

Serving Size - The 6-inch cake will yield 4 to 6 slices. The recipe can be doubled and baked in an 8-inch pan. Start checking at 30 minutes.
Reverse Creaming Method - The butter is mixed into the dry ingredients first, before any liquid is added. This coats the flour in fat, limits gluten development, and is what gives the cake its cotton-like crumb — especially important when working with a small amount of butter.
Room Temperature Ingredients - For the cake to bake soft and fluffy, it is important that the refrigerated ingredients are at room temp. - between 65F to 72F degrees. If the butter is too cold, the cake may be more spongy and dense.
Oil - I have tested the cake with coconut oil and canola oil, and both work great.
Freezing - The baked, unfrosted cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator.

Nutrition