Description
A classic vintage American dessert featuring a soft, tender vanilla cake made with simple pantry ingredients. Serve it warm with vanilla custard sauce, fresh berries, whipped cream, or your favorite dessert topping.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Add the melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool slightly before cutting into squares.
- Serve warm with vanilla sauce, custard, whipped cream, fresh berries, or ice cream.
Notes
- Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the cake tender and light.
- Room-temperature ingredients can help create a smoother batter.
- For a chocolate-chip variation, fold ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter.
- Add lemon zest, cinnamon, or nutmeg for extra flavor.
- For a vegan version, replace the egg with a flax egg, use plant-based milk, and substitute vegan butter.
- For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- The cake can be frozen tightly wrapped and stored in an airtight container. Add sauces or toppings after thawing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 185 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
Keywords: cottage pudding cake, vintage dessert, classic American dessert, old-fashioned cake, vanilla pudding cake, easy cake recipe,