The advantages of an oil-based cake are that it is light, moist, easy to make, and delicious. Oil is cheaper than butter and you can make this cake for those with milk sensitives or allergies. What’s not to love?
I’ve been watching a lot of “The Great British Bake Off” while sitting around injured. And I have to be thankful as it’s what got me started baking again. I saw Mary Berry making amazing deserts with her hand and I realized that maybe I could make stuff with only one good shoulder.
One recipe they kept having bakers make was a “classic sponge.” It’s basically like a pound cake, but smaller increments. It’s equal parts eggs, fat, sugar and flour. I decided to try and make one today. It was amazing how easy and will now be how I make cakes to decorate with from now on. But then I decided to make another one with oil instead. Both were fabulous.
First, weigh the eggs. Then, weigh equal amounts of fat, sugar and flour. You are supposed to use butter, but I prefer oil-based cakes. They have a better crumb and keep longer. They also hold up to icing, freezing, refrigeration and layering well. Plus, I like to always tweak recipes just to see what happens.
I like this recipe as you can make a small cake as easily as much larger one. I put it in a loaf tin, well because I try nearly all my recipes in a loaf tin. It gives room for error (it’s taller) and I’m less likely to have cake spilling out into the bottom of the oven. This made about a 1 1/2″ tall cake. Perfect for a small group.
As you can see, there are advantages of an oil-based cake. They are cost-effective, great at learning new flavors and allow most everyone to enjoy that slice of cake. Try one out today and see what you think.
Want to try some dairy free frosting to compliment this recipe? You can make icing with shortening or margarine to top your cake.
This brief video will show you how to bake this cake using 6″ (15cm) cake pans. You can seriously make this cake in any form. It’s all a matter of learning your oven and also baking to the appropriate temperature. There will be general baking times in the recipe notes below, so get baking!
Oil-Based Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150g) flour
- ¾ cup (150g) sugar
- ⅔ cup (150g) oil
- 3 large (150g) eggs
- 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla
- 1 tsp (4g) baking powder
- ½ tsp (2.5g) salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C.)
- Greased and flour or line one 9×5" (23×13 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sugar. Add flour mixture and beat until you no longer see lumps, about 1 minute. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake 45 – 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Center should read between 200F (93C) and 210F (99C.)
- Cool in pan for 5 – 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
For a 9″ (23cm) cake pan, bake approximately 25-30 minutes. This will be a thin cake.
For cupcakes, bake 15 – 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted in center should out clean. Center temperature should read between 200F (93C) and 210F (99C) when cake is fully cooked.
Very nice and easy to follow
Thanks for sharing
You are very welcome, Nanajee! I hope you enjoyed the cake!
Any suggestion for substituting baking powder with baking soda (it’s all I have).
Found this on Google: to replace 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of baking powder, use 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) lemon juice
Would that be ok for this recipe?
Hello J,
If I didn’t have any baking powder, I would use 1 teaspoon (5mL) of baking soda and 1 teaspoon (5mL) of white vinegar or lemon juice. You have to do it rather quickly and get it into the oven right away. If you let the batter sit, it will fizz up and then flatten as it sits and then and not rise in the oven. So you would want your oven to be preheated and put the vinegar or lemon juice in at the very last moment and then stir together quickly and pour into the pan. That way, the crumb will set before the combination fizzles out. I hope this helps!
Still wondering on the baking temperature is it typo error or baking at 93 -99 C. Kindly clarify once again.
Hello again, Bertha!
At the beginning of most of my recipes, I will tell you what temperature to heat the oven to for baking. This is often referred to as “preheat oven to” followed by the temperature. For this recipe, you will want to preheat the oven or bake the batter at 350°F or 180°C. At the end of the recipes, I try to give an internal temperature of the baked goods when they are completely baked. In this recipe, the center internal temperature should reach between 200°F (93°C) and 210°F (99°C) when it is finished baking. I hope this helps clarify!
Thanks for this receipe, it turned out very well, except the sides & bottom seemed a little overcooked. Overall result good.. Yes I had applied butter at base and sides before putting in parchment paper.
Hi Bertha, Adding the butter to the sides and bottom of the pan is likely the culprit. The oil in the cake created a type of “seal” and trapped the butter on the pan itself which lead to it over-browning. You can combat this by dropping the temperature to 325F (160C) and adding just a few minutes baking time. I hope this helps!
This is the best cake recipe I’ve ever used, I still can’t believe how good the cake turned out and my husband is STILL complimenting me on it! Firstly, I was delighted that the metric measurements were in brackets which saved me time having to calculate and secondly, I had tripled the measurements as I needed to make 36 buns/cupcakes and still had enough left over to make a small lemon cake by adding some lemon juice. I was delighted with the way they turned out, keeping their firm shape but so delicate and light. This will be my go-to recipe forever more and I look forward to trying out different flavours/variations etc…thankyou so much!
Deirdre, I am so happy to hear you are enjoying the cake! This is my favorite recipe as well and lemon is my preferred flavor. If you like spices, try adding some to the flour next time. I’ve added several types up to 5 grams or a couple teaspoons worth and have come up with some great combinations over the years.
This was a fantastic and easy cake to make for a beginner like me – im almost addicted! Thank you so much for sharing.
A quick question, how can I turn this into a chocolate cake? I’m unsure of how much coco powder to add in the flour mixture.
Hello Mary, I must apologize for my delayed response. I’ve been under the weather. Thank you so much for commenting as I do love hearing feedback on the recipes! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed this cake! I use this often to make all kinds of various flavored cakes and cupcakes. As far as the cocoa powder, it depends on how much chocolate of a flavor you are going for. In general, for every 2 tbs (10g) of cocoa powder added to a recipe, I remove 3 tbs (28g) of flour. I would try adding 1/3 cup (26g) cocoa powder and removing 1/2 cup (75g) of flour for starters and adjust as you see fit. It’s a very forgiving recipe to tinker around to suit your taste. I also have a recipe that I use that is nearly as easy as this one and is my most popular chocolate cake. You can substitute the buttermilk for regular milk (fat-free to whole): https://jacksonsjob.com/chocolate-cake-recipe/
Have just made this as a trial run for my friends wedding cake. It cooked in 35 minutes as an 8”. Doubled recipe up to make a reasonably sized cake for her to try.
Loving the idea of a cherry/almond flavoured one.
A lemon drizzle sponge would be great too, with lots of crunchy sugar!
Thank you.
That’s so thoughtful of you, Jenn! Great idea on doubling the recipe. If you plan to stack this cake for a wedding, I’d make as many layers as you plan to make and do a trial of stacking them with the frosting and supports you plan to use. Oil-based cakes can sometimes collapse when stacked too high, so I don’t want this to happen to you all on her big day!
Best recipe ever I’ve used it 4 times now and perfect every time.
Light and non greasy.
So glad to hear this, Mary! It is one of my favorite recipes. 🙂
Great recipe, so quick and easy and so adaptable. Much prefer cakes made with oil & I use a low calorie sugar too. Cherries & almond essence in place of the vanilla and the smell is divine. I used a loaf pan and it did need a little longer cooking time but could be my ancient oven too! Thank you for this.
Hello Elly! Almond and cherry sounds like an amazing flavor combination! You were not wrong to increase your baking time to compensate for the loaf pan. That’s how I usually make this and other oil cake recipes as I like the convenience of it. It can take anywhere from 40 – 60 minutes to bake in these pans, depending on the size, material of the pan and oven variations. I typically find 50 – 55 minutes is great for my oven.
Finally, a great, easy to make cake that didn’t go flat after baking. I did use self raising flour though, should I have used plain?
Hello Zed, Self-raising flour is completely fine to use. You can use either plain or self-raising. The extra leaveners in the self-raising in combination to the baking powder can make it taste a little metallic to a few individuals, can lead to a darker crumb and it will cause the sodium levels to increase. Otherwise, it wouldn’t hurt the cake’s outcome.
So, if you use self rising flour you don’t need to add baking powder? X
Hi Joanna, that is correct. You can omit the baking powder when using self-rising flour.
Wondering if you have tried this recipe with fresh blackberries?
Hello, Sarah! Whereas you could use this recipe with fresh blackberries and it would taste amazing, the issue is the blackberries will all mostly sink to the bottom due the batter itself being very thin. You’d need to up the flour to around 1 1/2 cups (225g) at least and then coat the berries in a bit of flour before adding them in to minimize the sinking. The cake will still taste great, but will be a more dense texture with cracks on the top similar to Madeira cake.
One thing you could do is top the cake with berries or make a compote after it has baked. Or work with the batter and place the berries on the bottom of the pan in a decorative manner and have your very own “blackberry upside down cake!”
Thank you! I made a blackberry and apple compote and put it in the bottom of a 10” springform cake tin and poured a 5 egg portion of the vanilla cake batter over the top. A delicious upside down cake! Perfect for using wild blackberries from the garden!
That sounds absolutely perfect, Sarah. We could be the best of neighbors with your flavor combinations. I’m going to try this as soon as I can find some blackberries. I miss being able to pick them wild at my grandparents!
Made this Cake double the ingredients to make 2 8ins tins. the family loved it. I’m gluten intolerant could I use gluten free flour instead.
Hello Mrs. Wildman, I am so happy to hear your family loved the cakes!
You can use this recipe and substitute the flour for a gluten-free flour. If it doesn’t already have xanthan gum in the ingredients, it is recommended to add 1/4 tsp per cup of gluten-free flour to improve the texture of the cakes.
Since xanthan gum is somewhat pricey, I always recommend placing a small piece of parchment, wax paper or napkin underneath the container prior to scooping. That way, if you spill any as it is prone to doing so, you can pour it back into the container.
After you mix the cake batter, you want to let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes prior to baking to allow the starches and xanthan gum to fully hydrate. This rest is to ensure that you’ll have a good texture and moistness to the cake without making it too dense.
Hope that helps.
Did you try making this gluten free? if so, how did it compare to the original, and what type flour did you use?
I have made this with cornmeal and rice flour, but not a special blend of GF flour. With cornmeal, it takes on a sweetened cornbread type taste and texture. It isn’t bad, but it is a bit different. With rice flour, it can be a bit too wet and gummy tasting. If I were to try it again, I would use GF flour as it has xantham gum in it which would help combat these issues. I would use equal amounts. Unfortunately, I have not tried this so I can’t tell you the outcome. If you do make it, please let me know how it turns out.
Just made this using canola oil & it turned out beautifully. I used a round tin. 35 mins in the oven was enough
I’m already thinking of variations on this.
Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed the cake, Mala! It’s a very fun cake to make a ton of variations on. I just made and orange and cinnamon cake with the recipe last night by using the zest of half of an orange, a couple tbs (30mL) of the juice and one teaspoon (2g) of ground cinnamon. I then glazed it by mixing up 1 cup powdered sugar (125g) and two tablespoons of the juice (30mL) with just a dusting of cinnamon on top. It was wonderful! The possibilities are limitless with this recipe. Just using a different flavored extract will make an entirely different cake! Enjoy!
Excellent.Had run out of butter.
So glad you enjoyed the cake, Gwen! It’s one of our favorites. 🙂
I made this cake and doubled the ingredients. It make 2 8″ layers very nicely
Hi Linda, so glad to hear the recipe worked well for you! This is the cake I make for myself and family as I love the recipe. It’s a great one to tinker around with different flavorings as well.
It’s currently in the oven but 5 star rating for the simplicity of the instructions that don’t leave my kitchen looking like a nuclear flour bomb went off and left every dish I own dirty. I have a tiny kitchen and this was very easy to put together. Batter tasted wonderful. Can’t wait to taste results!
Hi Jojo, You made me chuckle of the nuclear flour comment. I totally know what you mean by those types of cake recipes! I hope you enjoyed your cake! It’s a great little recipe that is easy to modify for all kinds of flavor combinations, too.
I’ve just doctored the recipe to make a coffee and walnut cake. Added 2 tsp instant coffee with biking water and a handful of chopped walnuts. I plan to slice it when cold and sandwich it together with coffee butter cream.
Hi Anna! That sounds like a great and tasty way to spruce up this recipe. Love the flavor combination. Send a slice over when it’s ready!
Great recipe good taste . Mine wasn’t as runny do I added a dash of milk to add some moisture but it tasted great. Oh and I added orange essence
Hellow Sharifa, Depending on the type of oil you use and flour, the batter will very slightly in thinness. Some flour brands will absorb the oil more readily and cause a little thicker batter. There is no need to add any more liquid such as milk, but it will give it a pleasant taste. Orange essence sounds like a lovely addition! I bet it tasted wonderful.
Great cake!! I used almond instead of vanilla and yum! Wasn’t sure on type of oil so used olive oil. Very pleased!
Liz, I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the cake recipe. Almond extract sounds amazing. Any type of cooking oil works with this cake and most of the recipes on my website, so I leave it as oil so you the baker can chose the type you like best. I really love olive oil in cakes when I’m looking to add a nice subtle flavor. Great choice!
Switched from infusing butter to infusing oil. Can’t wait to try infused oil with this recipe
Good idea, Ben! Let me know how it turns out. I bet it will work really well.
Any quick/easy way to adapt this cake for other flavours? Namely lemon, or chocolate
Was considering adding lemon juice but thought the acidity may disrupt the recipe..
You have a couple options for the lemon cake. You can replace the vanilla extract with lemon flavoring. Or you can zest on fresh lemon and add 1/2 the juice and all the zest to the cake batter. I usually do that and use the rest of the the lemon and add it to a bit of powdered sugar for a glaze on top.
For chocolate, remove 1/4 cup (38g) of flour from the recipe and add in 1/4 cup (20g) cocoa powder. If you want it a more dark chocolate, go up to 1/3 cup swap. But I recommend starting with the 1/4 cup and see how you like it first. When it comes to baking the chocolate, you really want to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t over-bake.
Thank you hope to try my luck with oil
Good luck, Patience!
Try adding juice from 1 x 🍋 &1 x🍊 to the batter & give a good stir before putting into baking tray.Great mixture to have as buns/ muffins/ cupcakes (depends on where you live)too,with lemon or orange icing.In a plain sponge mix,I also like to throw in quarters or eighths of glacé cherries and sultanas with currants and raisins.*Tip*soak dried fruits in your favourite fruit tea 🫖leave to go cold,then pour over fruit leave overnight,in a tupperware tub close lid,add to fresh batter mixture,this is what makes it plump and pops with flavour when eaten.Enjoy!!
Thank you, Belinda! That sounds absolutely fabulous and I will try your idea with both the citrus and soaking dried fruit ahead of time. Did you know it was illegal to grow currants in the United States and still is in many areas for over a hundred years now? I’ve only seen them and sultanas on television. I wonder what they are like.
D
I have left a reply to your question below using (🍋&🍊)(also dried fruits & cold fruit tea 🫖 and glacé cherries) not sure if you will get this reply as im in the UK and not signed up subscribed or anything here.Scroll down 4 x messages to read my reply.😀👋PS hope you find my suggestions tasty and enjoyable to make.
You don’t have to sign up to comment or email me, but because of my spam filter, comments sometimes get stuck until I log on to the website and approve them. I can’t wait to try your ideas! I love lemon and orange anything. Our wedding cake was a combination of orange, vanilla and chocolate. 🙂
I love the fact that this cake recipe is a oil base cake. I will be making this cake with my Granddaughters very soon. Thank you for this beautiful recipe.❤️
That will be fun making the recipe with your granddaughters! I truly hope you enjoy the cake and day with them. 😊
What a great recipe! With the price of butter being a small fortune these days this will be my new go to vanilla cake recipe. Made cupcakes and they were light, airy and moist. Thank you for sharing
Julia,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! It’s really a lovely cake recipe. You can swap out some of the flour (1/4-1/3 cup) for cocoa powder to make chocolate version and add a tsp of cinnamon to get a spiced cake or swap out the flavoring for others like orange or strawberry. It’s a pretty good recipe to tinker around with flavors. You aren’t kidding about butter prices these days. All the recipes made with butter I’ve personally been using margarine or oil these days as it’s just so expensive now!
I plan to make a sheet cake how long will a half sheet and whole sheet take to cook? should I lower the oven temp?
If it is a 12×18, it will take around 20-30 minutes. If you are using 9×13 pan, bake it for approximately 35-45 minutes at 325°F. I uhaven’t personally made above the 9×13, so if you are using the 12×18, watch the cake closely.
Can this be made with self-raising flour and leave out the baking powder?
Danni, yes you can use self-raising flour. Cut out the baking powder and reduce the salt to half or omit it entirely if your brand of flour contains salt.
This is an excellent recipie. Can you tell me how much butter or what can be substituted for the oi.
You can use melted butter if you whisk it. You would use 2/3 cup before melting it and then add it to the batter. Or you could use 2/3 cup (150g) softened butter and beat it with a handheld mixer on low speed for two minutes with the sugar and then add the remaining ingredients and beat it until smooth. Shortening or flavorless lard can also be used. Same amount, 2/3 cup and softened or melted. Coconut oil also works as well, but it gives a coconut flavor to the cake.
Just made this after promising 3yo we’d make cupcakes only to discover we’d no butter!
We added almond essence and cocoa powder and will probably add unicorn sprinkles afterwards!
Disaster adverted! 😁 So glad you were able to find a recipe to make for your little one. Great modifications, too! Unicorn sprinkles sound like so much fun!
This was an easy and delicious cake. I added a few chocolate chips and it was gobbled up in no time at all.
Ooh, chocolate chips sounds absolutely wonderful with this cake! I may have to try that out soon. I’m glad you enjoyed the cake, Mona!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. Would you have recipe for oil based eggless cake… one of my family member is allergic to eggs. warm regards. Priya.
Hello, Priya! I have a chocolate eggless and oil based cake here: https://jacksonsjob.com/wartime-chocolate-cake-no-eggs-or-dairy-no-problem/
The chocolate cake above has been well liked when I’ve taken it to people that can’t eat dairy or eggs. I really like it. I am currently working on a vanilla and citrus cake but it’s going slow. I’m hoping to have something within the next month.
I made this today and I testify that it is the most delicious, moist cake I have made to date. The cake was bouncy/spongy, not crumbly and easier on my arm muscles than creaming sugar and butter (the process I hated the most about making a cake using butter). Thank you!!!!
Mojisola, I am so happy you enjoyed the cake! What I love about it is the fact you can add in different flavorings and spices and end up with so many variations. For example, try adding 1-2 tsp of cinnamon and get a nice light cinnamon spice cake. It also freezes very well so I like to slice up a cake and store it in the freezer for a quick snack.
Would use suggest using cake flour or all purpose flour?
Hi, Joe! I have designed most of the recipes on this website to use all-purpose flour for the majority of recipes in order to make them more affordable for the baker. Cake flour can be substituted and will give a slightly lighter texture, but it’s not really that noticeable for this recipe. Hope this helps!
Looks great can not wait to try it
It’s a very pleasant tasting cake. I like to personally add a teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of mixed or allspice to the batter.