$5 Vanilla Birthday Cake Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My $5 Vanilla Birthday Cake is beautifully flavored, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and comes out to only 50 cents per serving! Trust me, I did not compromise on quality or flavor here; I just used a few clever kitchen tricks to create a budget-friendly cake you’ll be proud to serve at a party.

• A delectably moist crumb: Swapping vegetable oil for butter not only saves money, but also makes a moister cake.
• No stand or electric mixer needed: You mix up this cake by hand.
• Dreamy vanilla flavor: I didn’t skimp here! Two teaspoons of vanilla make this cake deeply flavorful.
• Lovely, billowy frosting: Thrifty 7-Minute Frosting tastes amazing and looks elegant.
• Tiers and sprinkles make it better! Layers, lots of frosting, and rainbow sprinkles signal “party”!
• Thrifty, but looks like a million bucks! Feel free to brag about how economical this cake is, or keep it a secret. No one will ever guess!

Making a homemade birthday cake just feels good. It is an act of love; you can make the birthday person’s absolute favorite type of cake, and the bottom line is that homemade tastes better! This $5 Vanilla Birthday Cake is a winner, but you can also try my other recipes too, such as Coconut Cake, Classic Victoria Sponge Cake, Best Vanilla Cake Recipe with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, Luxurious 24-Layer Chocolate Cake, and Funfetti Birthday Cake with Bubblegum Buttercream.

I love baking homemade birthday cakes, and if you’re here, I bet you do, too! With this recipe, I set out to create a stunning, budget-friendly cake without sacrificing flavor or presentation. By swapping pricier ingredients like butter for smart alternatives, I crafted a fully frosted, party-ready vanilla birthday cake for just $4.86. It sounds almost too good to be true—but it’s the real deal!

Table of Contents

• What is $5 Vanilla Birthday Cake Recipe?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make $5 Vanilla Birthday Cake
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Budget Baking Recipes

What is $5 Vanilla Birthday Cake Recipe?

• $5 Vanilla Birthday Cake Recipe is a frosted layer cake decorated with sprinkles. To keep this yellow cake economical but still delicious and wholesome, I avoided pricier ingredients like butter and chocolate, but first and foremost, this is a scrumptious, party-ready cake.
• Many of my cakes are made with butter, but there’s a definite upside to using vegetable oil. Vegetable oil not only costs significantly less than butter, but because it’s 100% fat, you use less oil than butter to achieve the same fat content.
• Using vegetable oil in a cake has many other benefits:  It produces a cake with a tender crumb that remains moister longer than a cake made with butter. It’s also super-easy to mix (no creaming!).

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans
• Parchment paper
• Silicone spatula
• Wire cooling rack
• Offset spatula (optional)

Key Ingredients and Why

Cake

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour with a protein content of 9-11% is ideal for making a cake with enough gluten development to create a necessary structure while still having a tender crumb.
• Substitutions: For a gluten-free option, use my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix instead of regular flour.

Granulated sugar

• Granulated sugar sweetens the cake and contributes to its moist texture.

Cornstarch

• Cornstarch reduces gluten development, giving the cake tenderness and a slight silkiness.
• Additionally, cornstarch also lightens the mixture, so the cake isn’t too dense.

Baking powder

• Baking powder, which contains both an acid (cream of tartar) and a base (baking soda), leavens the cake.
• Learn more about baking powder and baking soda and how to make your own.

Salt

• Salt enhances the flavors.

Eggs

• Eggs emulsify the ingredients, creating a smooth and cohesive mixture.
• Egg proteins contribute to the cake’s structure.
• Use large eggs at room temperature for the best results. Here’s how to warm up eggs from the fridge.

Whole milk

• The milk-fat content in whole milk (around 3.5%-4%) gives the cake rich flavor and moisture.
• Substitutions: Alternatively, you can use full-fat dairy-free milk such as coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, or cashew milk.

Vegetable oil

• Vegetable oil, a liquid fat, contributes to moister and more tender cakes than solid fat like butter.
• The neutral taste of vegetable oil lets the vanilla flavor shine through.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract brings an aromatic, sweet flavor.
• Substitution: Use an equal amount of Vanilla Bean Paste.

Rainbow sprinkles

• A generous amount of sprinkles makes this vanilla cake recipe extra fun!
• Make your own sprinkles, or use store-bought.

Frosting

Egg whites

• Whipped egg whites are the base of this recipe. They give the frosting both its structure and a fluffy, light texture.
• Substitution: You can use two tablespoons of meringue powder mixed with two tablespoons of water for each egg.

Granulated sugar

• Granulated sugar sweetens the frosting.
• When the egg whites are heated and beaten with the sugar, the sugar stabilizes the egg whites and makes the mixture smooth.
• Substitution: Use superfine sugar if you have it, as it dissolves more easily.

Cold water

• Water makes a sugar syrup that stabilizes the mixture.
• Using cold water lowers the temperature and slows the cooking, which keeps the egg whites from overcooking and losing their fluffy texture.

Light corn syrup

• Light corn syrup adds sweetness.
• Additionally, it gives the frosting a better texture, making it more pliable.
• Substitution: You can easily make it at home from my recipe of Corn Syrup or replace the light corn syrup with the same amount of golden syrup. Note that this may change the flavor and color of the frosting.

Cream of tartar

• Cream of tartar helps the whipped egg whites keep their structure and not collapse.
• Importantly, it also prevents the sugar from crystallizing.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract adds a delicately warm floral taste and scent.
• Substitution:
  • If you prefer, use an equal amount of Vanilla Bean Paste.
  • You can use another extract in place of vanilla.

Salt

• Salt enhances and balances the flavors.
• It’s not a big amount, but don’t skip it! The frosting will taste flat without it.

How to Make $5 Vanilla Birthday Cake

Prepare to bake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans, line with parchment paper.

Make the cake

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract together.
4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in two or three additions, and stop mixing once the batter is smooth.
5. Lastly, fold in sprinkles and divide evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake the cake

6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
7. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Assemble the cake

8. Place the first layer on a serving plate and trim the top if it is domed. Spread about ¾ cup of frosting evenly over the top.
9. Trim the dome off the top of the second layer, then place upside down on top of the first later.
10. Cover the whole cake with a very thin coat of frosting to seal in the crumbs and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
11. Decorate the crumb-coated cake with the remaining frosting.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW!

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Eggs and milk should be at room temp for a smoother batter and even baking.
• Gentle Mixing: Overmixing can develop too much gluten, making the cake tough. Stir just until the batter is smooth.
• Flat Tops: For level cakes, let layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack—don’t skip this step!
• Custom Colors: Add a few drops of gel-based food coloring with the vanilla extract for a tinted look, or just sprinkle on decorations!
• Best Served Fresh: 7-Minute Frosting is at its best on the day it’s made and won’t hold up for more than 24 hours.
• No Refrigeration Needed: The frosted cake can stay at room temperature for the day—chilling won’t extend the frosting’s lifespan.
• Toasty Upgrade: Use a kitchen torch to lightly toast the frosting for a delicious marshmallow-like flavor.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make ahead tips

• The cake layers can be baked, wrapped well, and frozen for up to two months.
• Defrost the cake layers overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.

How to store leftovers

• Leave at room temperature and serve immediately or within a few hours of frosting.

FAQs

Can I make this vanilla cake without eggs?

• Yes, you can make this vanilla cake without eggs.
• Yogurt or silken tofu would work well as egg substitutes in this recipe. See my guide, 12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking & How to Use Them, for more information and directions.

Is it possible to make this cake gluten-free?

• Yes, you can make this cake gluten-free.
  • Use my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix instead of the all-purpose flour. You can also use another 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose blend instead of the wheat flour.

Can I bake this in another type of pan if I don’t have two 8-inch pans?

• Yes, you can use the following pans instead of two 8-inch (20-cm) round pans, but note that the bake time will be different. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Two 9-inch (23 cm) round pans (the layers will be thinner; baking time will be about 5 minutes less)
  • 1o to 12 cup bundt pan (baking time will be about 40 minutes longer)
  • Cupcakes (makes about 18 to 24 vanilla cupcakes; bake for 18 to 22 minutes)
  • One 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) pan (baking time will be approximately 5 to 10 minutes longer)

$5 Vanilla Cake Cost

(Prices for cake and frosting based on Walmart and other large grocers like Albertsons)

2 ¼ cups (11 ¼ oz/319 g) all-purpose flour: $0.38

1½ cups (12 oz/240 g) granulated sugar: $0.59

¼ cup (1 oz/35 g) cornstarch: $0.15

1 tablespoon baking powder: $0.12

¾ tsp salt: $0.01

2 large eggs, at room temperature: $0.36

1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) whole milk, at room temperature: $0.24

¾ cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) vegetable oil: $0.48

2 teaspoons vanilla extract: $0.71

¼ cup rainbow sprinkles: $0.37

= $3.40

7-Minute Frosting Cost

1 1/3 cups (10 ½ oz/296 g) granulated sugar: $0.53

1/3 cup (2 ½ fl oz/75 ml) water, cold

2 large egg whites, at room temperature: $0.36

2 teaspoons light corn syrup: $0.05

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar: $0.04

pinch of table salt: $0.01

1 teaspoon vanilla extract: $0.47

= $1.46

Total cake + frosting (with sprinkles)= $4.86

More Budget Baking Recipes

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
• Best-Ever Pumpkin Bread
• Irish Bread and Butter Pudding
• Honey Pie
• Healthy Granola Recipe

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