Everyone needs to know how to make an instant cake – trust me, spur of the moment is often the name of the game. Now believe me I have made my fair share of birthday cakes, and you could use this as a birthday cake when you have left things to the last minute. And believe me I have made my fair share of box/mix cakes, but why buy a box of cake mix when you have this recipe? Really it is so easy that you will never need to buy a cake-mix again and you will never have to worry about what is lurking in those fine print ingredients again.
So here we go with the quickest, easiest cake recipe in the world. This is what you are aiming for:
Now you could sift your flour, you could cream your butter and sugar together until it is extra light and fluffy, you could add your eggs one at a time and blend until they are incorporated, you could add vanilla or cocoa. You could do all that, but this is not that kind of cake.
This is a “we have built a house in the tree and can we take a cake up for tea?” Generally they don’t mean in twenty minutes – they mean now… but I can’t do it faster than twenty minutes. I am still working on my speed and precision!
So Let’s Meet the Players:
- 2 cups of self raising flour
- 1 cup of castor sugar
- 1 cup of softened butter
- 4 eggs
Let’s Play the Game:
Step 1: Pop all your ingredients into the mixing bowl.
Step 2: Mix away… mix, mix, mix.
Step 3: Pour your mixture into the greased baking pans. And bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes.
Step 4: When your cake is ready the knife will come out clean. Leave your cake to cool in the pan for a few minutes and then cool it on a cake rack till it is completely cooled (else the icing will slide off!).
Step 5: While your cake is cooling make some butter cream icing. You will need a lump of butter, icing sugar, a dash of hot water and food coloring. This is not a precise science!
Pop the sugar and butter into the microwave and melt the butter. Then stir it together. Add a dash of boiling water – this smoothes it out. And add drop of food coloring in your favorite color.
Step 6: By now your cake should have cooled and you can pour the icing onto it…
Step 7: Decorate away with sprinkles or sweeties.
That’s it, get it up that tree and eat it!!!
This was so great! I am quite cooking/baking challenged and it worked…even for me! I am always looking for mixes that don’t have all the high-fructose and hydrogenated stuff in them, but they are usually really expensive. So, anyhow, this cake was easy, it worked, and it was yummy. Thank you!!
Hi K, Brilliant! I am so glad it worked out for you, that just made my day!
That looks so easy. I really would like to try it, but we can’t get self-rising flour here in Japan. Any suggestions?
Hi S – all the way in Japan! To make self-raising flour you just add baking powder to your regular baking flour – here we call it cake flour. So for this recipe, which requires 2 cups of flour – I would add two teaspoons of baking powder to two cups of cake flour. Hope this helps!
That sounds easy enough! I’ll give it a try. Thanks!
Hope it turns out great!
YOU ARE SIMPLY AN AMAZING MUM. YOU INSPIRE ME EVERYDAY. METHODS OF BAKING I THOUGHT THAT WRE SO DIFFICULT, ARE NOW SO EASY. GOD BLESS YOU.
Hi S, I am so glad you are enjoying the baking!!! Take care and have a great week!
hello. i tried the above cake recipe. it came out quite nice. tell me is there any way we could get a lighter texture with this cake?
Hi S, I toss all the ingredients in the mixer and beat it like crazy and generally it works for us… If I don’t have self-raising flour then I just add a teaspoon of baking powder for each cup of regular flour. Hope this helps!
Hi, I have tried the cake 21/07/09 for the first time,it was for our church and they loved it. I made another today 4 my family because my kids tasted it so i made 2 cakes today but i added some fresh orange juice + the zest. the cake came out lovely. Thankyou i will try your other recipes. God Bless you + your family.
Hi T, I make this cake all the time – quick and easy and great for adding things to… lemon cake, chocolate cake, whatever cake! Glad you found it! Have a Great Week!
Do you do this in two pans? I cooked it in one and it needed a lot longer.
Hi P, I am sorry it took longer than expected! I cook it in two pans or a big flat pan or a loaf pan… whatever shape cake I need and then only take it out when it’s done. I stick a skinny knife into the cake and if it comes out clean then it is done. Hope you have a good weekend!
hi, i’d like to know the recipe to make the icing. thanks!
Hi L, I usually use about a cup of icing sugar and two tablespoons of butter, a dash of boiling water and a drop of food coloring… the directions are in step 5 of the recipe. You take care.
Hey, if possible, could you give me the directions and proper recipe for this, because this is my first time baking and I don’t know what would be the right amount.
Hi L, Just follow the steps you will be fine… let me know how it goes!!!
Managed to fail first at my first attempt – dont ask! Cracked it second time around. Thank you for sharing this recipe, much appreciated!
Hi Shawn… Glad you managed!!! Have a good day!!!
Wow! This recipe is fantastic! I couldnt believe I actually made a good cake… and it wasnt just good it was a PERFECT cake!! Thank you so very much I will never forget the day I FINALLY learned to make a cake!!!! ^.^
Great Ronak… So glad to help!!! To many more cakes then – have a good week!!!
Hi. Can you tell us the british equivalents please. We use ounces (oz) and pounds (lbs) still in our house as we are very old school. thanx
Oh Dawn… Honestly, I have no idea!!! Will have to look it up… I take a standard cup, which is about 250 ml and use that, I will look it up, when I am at my lap top, for you!!!
Oh this is great! I’ve never baked before but this looks easy enough 🙂 Thanks.
Easiest cake I’ve ever made is using an angel food cake mix and a big can of crushed pineapple, mix together (it foams up in the bowl) and pour into an oiled & floured 9 x 13 cake mix and bake. Very moist and great flavor.
Thank you Pat, That does look quick and easy!!! Have a great week!!!
I’m a 40 year old man – first time I ever baked a cake – thanks for the recipe – shocked at how well it came out for a first attempt. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Brilliant Pat, I am so glad that it turned out well… onwards and upwards to some fab baking days!!!
Hello from Australia,
Was looking for a simple recipe for my 9yr old daughter and her friend to make (with my supervision) and this was perfect.
…..and they thought it was yummy too!
That’s great Marc, Glad you all had fun!!!
Hi I used milk instead of butter and it came out really light fluffy and creamy yum my lil bro loves it
Great Ellena, so glad it turned out well!!!
best cake i ever made havent tried it yet but am literally eating the leftover batter
Hay toochoo, Hope your cake turned out really well, have a fab day!!!