Make these Vanilla Cake Squares with Whipped Frosting for a holiday soon. A light and spongy cake square topped with a light and airy frosting and topped with your favourite sprinkles.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, why not make these delicious Vanilla Cake Squares with Whipped Frosting. These cake squares are the ultimate treat for the special day. They are great for parties, as a dessert to bring to a potluck or just to enjoy at home by yourself!

What Are These Cake Squares Like

• Difficulty – This is a two part recipe consisting of the cake and the frosting. It isn’t difficult to make, but it does take time.
• Taste – The cake part is a little buttery with a light crumb. The frosting is creamy, light and luscious.
• Serving – This recipe makes 16 small cake squares. In the recipe card at the end of the post you can easily adjust the serving size.

Ingredients

For the cake

• Flour – I used all purpose flour wheat flour for this recipe.
• Baking powder – This is the rising agent in the cupcake.
• Salt – I used regular table salt, it helps enhance flavours in the cupcakes.
• Butter – I always use unsalted butter in baking. It’s important the butter is at room temperature for these cupcakes.
• Sugar – Granulated white sugar.
• Eggs – I always use large eggs at room temperature in baking unless otherwise stated.
• Milk – It’s best to use whole full fat milk for this recipe.
• Vanilla extract – Vanilla helps enhance flavours in baking.

For the Frosting

• Butter – Butter is used as the base for this icing.
• Icing sugar – This is the most common type of sugar used for making icing and frosting. It’s superfine like powder and creams smoothly easily.
• Heavy cream – Cream is used to help thin out the icing and make it creamier.
• Vanilla – Vanilla extract enhances the flavours in the icing.

NOTE, The full recipe and list of ingredients can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line an 8 inch square baking tin.
2. Combine dry ingredients – Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt . Set aside.
3. Mix butter, sugar and eggs – In a large bowl, mix the butter on high speed until smooth and then add the sugar. Continue mixing for about 3 minutes or so. Mix in the vanilla and add eggs one at a time , mixing well after each addition .
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients – Add the flour and milk to the batter in three additions, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just long enough so the flour is incorporated.
5. Add food colouring – Add a few drops of food colouring to the batter and stir in until you reach the colour you like.
6. Bake cake – Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes . Cake will be done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean . Remove from oven and leave to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes . Remove cake from pan, remove parchment paper and leave to cool completely on the wire rack .
7. Make frosting – Make the frosting in the bowl of your electric mixer. Add the butter and beat until smooth, about 1 – 2 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and then add the powdered sugar. Mix on high for about 2 minutes. Add the cream, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Continue to mix on high speed for about 5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. If needed, add one more tablespoon of cream. Add a few drops of food colouring and mix in until you have an even colour.
8. Frost cake – Once the cake has cooled completely, transfer to a serving plate and frost the cake with the frosting. Sprinkle over sprinkles, if using. Will keep for about 3 days in an airtight container on the counter.

Recipe Tips

• Use room temperature ingredients – Room temperature eggs, butter and milk work best for baking cakes. Make sure to take your ingredients out of the fridge at least 30 – 40 minutes before using.
• Measure ingredients correctly – I like to weigh my ingredients (in the recipe card, the ingredients can be converted to metric with the click of a button). You get exact measurements every single time.
• Use the correct baking pan size – I used an 8 x 8 inch baking pan for this cake. I recommend sticking to this size pan. If you use a pan that’s larger, the cake will be flatter. Alternatively, if you use a smaller baking pan, the cake may not bake through the center.
• Whip frosting for time stated – This frosting takes up to 15 minutes to whip properly . it takes this long to create air bubbles in the the frosting which is what makes it light and fluffy.
• Cool cake properly – Make sure to allow the cake to cool completely before you frost the cake. Otherwise the frosting will run off the cake.
• Make ahead frosting – This frosting can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container up to one

Substitutions

Cakes are baked and tested using very specific ingredients and measurements. Often, there are very few substitutions you can make to yield the same results as the recipe creator states. So, for this recipe, there are very few changes that I would recommend. Below, are the only changes I would recommend to yield the same results.

FOR THE CAKE

• Milk – I used whole milk for the cake. You could use buttermilk in place of whole milk for the same richness.
• All purpose flour – You can use cake flour for this recipe.

FOR THE FROSTING

• Frosting – You can make Buttercream Frosting, Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or Chocolate Creamcheese Frosting.

Serving and Storage

• At room temperature – This cake needs to be served at room temperature. You can store it at room temperature in and airtight container up to three days.
• Store in the refrigerator – You can also keep this cake in an airtight container up to five days. It’s important to remove it from the fridge and bring it to room temperature before serving.
• In the freezer – This unfrosted cake can be stored in the freezer up to one month. Bake the cake according to instructions and leave to cool completely. Wrap in freezer proof plastic wrap and store in the freezer up to one month. Before frosting and serving, remove from freezer and allow to freeze completely.

Frequently Asked Questions

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US CustomaryMetric

Vanilla Cake Squares with Whipped Frosting

Make these Vanilla Cake Squares with Whipped Frosting for a holiday soon. A light and spongy cake square topped with a light and airy frosting and topped with your favourite sprinkles.

Prep Time35 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: valentines day desserts, vanilla cake

Servings: 16 cake squares

Calories: 201kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 Eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 Cup milk
• red food colouring use according to how pink you would like your cake

For the frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter  at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar  sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream  more if needed
• red food colouring use according to how pink you would like your frosting

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line an 8 inch square baking tin.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt . Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix the butter on high speed until smooth and then add the sugar. Continue mixing for about 3 minutes or so. Mix in the vanilla and add eggs one at a time , mixing well after each addition .
• Add the flour and milk to the batter in three additions, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just long enough so the flour is incorporated.
• Add a few drops of food colouring to the batter and stir in until you reach the colour you like.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes . Cake will be done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean . Remove from oven and leave to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes . Remove cake from pan, remove parchment paper and leave to cool completely on the wire rack .
• Make the frosting in the bowl of your electric mixer. Add the butter and beat until smooth, about 1 – 2 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and then add the powdered sugar. Mix on high for about 2 minutes. Add the cream, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Continue to mix on high speed for about 5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. If needed, add one more tablespoon of cream. Add a few drops of food colouring and mix in until you have an even colour.
• Once the cake has cooled completely, transfer to a serving plate and frost the cake with the frosting. Sprinkle over sprinkles, if using. Will keep for about 3 days in an airtight container on the counter.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Vanilla Cake Squares with Whipped Frosting

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 201 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Trans Fat 0.5g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 54mg18%

Sodium 157mg7%

Potassium 38mg1%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 0.3g1%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 424IU8%

Vitamin C 0.01mg0%

Calcium 34mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!