One of the most common things you hear from people starting their baking journey is how limited they feel because they only know 1 or 2 basic recipes. Are you the same?
If so, what you need are another 3 or 4 easy cake recipes for beginners that are guaranteed to impress your friends and family. By the time you can bake 5 or 6 recipes, you will begin to see patterns and can start experimenting by adding or replacing the odd ingredient. With a bit of creativity, you can suddenly end up with many possibilities to suit all occasions. You certainly don’t need to be a trained baker to pull off a simple, yet delicious cake.
Advantages of Using a Cake Mix
To make life a little easier, the following recipes make use of a cake mix. There are several advantages to using a cake mix for a novice baker, including:
- Quick and convenient. It reduces one or more stages compared to baking from scratch.
- Quality of some mixes can be very good. For many people, the result can be like making a cake from scratch.
- Cake mixes are produced by companies who know about baking. The ingredients and ratios will have been chosen to produce consistent results box after box.
- Different mixes can be combined to create a large range of tastes and textures, e.g. yellow cake mix can be mixed with flavoured mixes such as lemon, lime, butter, butterscotch, strawberry or gelatine (jello) etc.
- Although most often associated with muffin tins, liners (cases) and cupcakes, mixes can make a tremendous variety of cakes in all shapes and sizes.
- The boxes will often have tips and advice on how you can change the mix by adding extra ingredients to achieve various outcomes, e.g. nuts, coconut, chocolate, fruit, essences, etc.
However, once you build up confidence and a little experience, it’s very easy to make the same recipes from scratch. All the ingredients used in these recipes are readily available and use minimal equipment.
Let’s get the show on the road!
Easy Peasy Banana Cake
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowl
Either 9-inch (22.5cm) square cake tin or 10-inch (25cm) round cake tin (see recipe conversion guide) greased with a little butter or vegetable oil. Alternatively, you could use a 9-inch x 13-inch (22.5cm x 32.5cm) rectangular baking tin.
BAKING TIME
Preheat oven to 176C (350F or Gas Mark 4)
Bake for around 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Yellow cake mix – 1 box
Bananas – 2 medium or 3 small ripe bananas
Baking soda – 1 teaspoon
Toothpick. Though a toothpick is preferable, you could use a small knife or fork.
METHOD
1) Mix yellow cake mix as instructed on the box.
2) Mash bananas and add in the baking soda.
3) Combine both the yellow cake mix and banana mash and stir well until blended evenly.
4) Pour the batter into the baking tin.
5) Bake in oven for around 25-30 minutes until light golden brown on top.
6) Test the cake to see whether it is cooked by inserting a toothpick into it. It should come out clean. If not, place it back in the oven for another few minutes and retest.
7) Allow the cake to cool before serving by placing it on a cooling rack. These come with most ovens or can be purchased separately.
8) Consider adding a simple topping e.g. chocolate spread or cream cheese or whipped cream.
Banana Pudding Cake
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowls 2x
Fork
Electric mixer – medium speed
Either 9-inch (22.5cm) square cake tin or 10-inch (25cm) round cake tin greased with a little butter or vegetable oil
Toothpick
BAKING TIME
Preheat oven to 176C (350F or Gas Mark 4)
Bake for around 40-45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Yellow cake mix – 1 box
Banana cream pudding mix – 1 box
Vegetable oil – 1/4 cup
Water (room temperature) – 1 cup
Eggs – 4 medium or 3 large
Bananas – 1 medium or 2 small ripe bananas
Optional:
Nuts chopped – 1/2 cup
and/or dusting (icing) sugar – 1/4 cup
METHOD
1) Put yellow cake and banana cream pudding mix in bowl and stir well.
2) Add in the oil, water and eggs. Mix them until you create a smooth batter.
3) In separate bowl, mash the bananas then mix in the chopped nuts (optional).
4) Add batter mix to banana mash and blend to a uniform consistency using an electric mixer (or if you prefer, mix by hand using a lot of ‘elbow grease’!).
5) Pour batter into baking tin and bake in oven for 40-45 minutes until top is golden brown.
6) Undertake the toothpick test outlined in the previous recipe to ensure the cake has been baked properly.
7) Allow the bake cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing it.
8) When fully cooled, consider decorating it. This can be as simple as a dusting of powdered (icing) sugar (optional).
Nutty Butterscotch and Vanilla Cake
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowls 2x
Either 9-inch (22.5cm) square cake tin or 10-inch (25cm) round cake tin. Alternatively, you could use a 9-inch x 13-inch (22.5cm x 32.5cm) rectangular baking tin.
Spatula or knife
Toothpick
BAKING TIME
Preheat oven to 176C (350F or Gas Mark 4)
Bake for 20 minutes and then a further 40 minutes at 163C (325F or Gas Mark 3)
INGREDIENTS
Yellow cake mix – 1 box
Butterscotch instant pudding mix – 1 box
Vanilla instant pudding mix – 1 box
Vegetable oil – 1 cup
Water – 1 cup
Eggs – 4 medium or 3 large
Ground cinnamon – 1 tablespoon
Brown sugar – 1 cup
Walnuts chopped – 1 cup
METHOD
1) Put yellow cake, butterscotch and vanilla mixes in a bowl and stir well.
2) Add in the oil, water and eggs. Mix thoroughly to create a smooth batter.
3) In a separate bowl, add the cinnamon, brown sugar, and walnuts. Mix thoroughly.
4) Pour half of the batter into the cake tin and allow to level out. Then add the walnut mixture and spread out evenly with a spatula or knife.
5) Bake for 20 minutes at 176C (350F or Gas Mark 4).
6) To prevent burning, turn oven temperature down to 163C (325F or Gas Mark 3) and bake for around another 40 minutes until golden brown on top.
7) Undertake the toothpick test outlined in the first recipe to ensure the cake has been baked properly.
8) Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Lemon Pudding Cake
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowl
Electric mixer – medium speed
Either a 8-inch (20cm) square cake tin or 9-inch (22.5cm) round cake tin greased with a little butter or vegetable oil
Toothpick
BAKING TIME
Preheat oven to 176C (350F or Gas Mark 4)
Bake for around 40-45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Yellow cake mix – 1 box
Lemon instant pudding mix – 1 box
Vegetable oil – 1/4 cup
Water (room temperature) – 1 cup
Eggs – 4 medium or 3 large
Optional:
Dusting (icing) sugar – 1/4 cup
METHOD
1) Put yellow cake and lemon mix in bowl and stir well.
2) Add in the oil, water and eggs. Mix them using electric mixer until you create a smooth batter.
3) Pour batter into baking tin. Bake for around 40-45 minutes until top is light golden brown.
4) Carry out the toothpick test mentioned in the first recipe to guarantee the cake is baked properly.
5) Let the cake cool in the baking tin for 15 minutes before removing it by placing it on a cooling rack.
6) When fully cooled, consider decorating it. This can be as simple as a dusting of powdered (icing) sugar.
Creamy Butter Cake
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowl 2x
Fork or electric hand held mixer
Spatula or spoon
Either 9-inch (22.5cm) square cake tin or 10-inch (25cm) round cake tin greased with a little butter or vegetable oil. Alternatively, you could use a 9-inch x 13-inch (22.5cm x 32.5cm) rectangular baking tin.
Toothpick
BAKING TIME
Preheat oven to 176C (350F or Gas Mark 4)
Bake for around 40-45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Base:
Yellow cake mix or butter cake mix- 1 box
Eggs – 1 medium
Butter (melted) – ½ cup or 113g (4oz)
Upper layer:
Cream cheese (soft) – 227g (8oz)
Butter (melted) – ½ cup or 113g (4oz)
Eggs – 2 medium or 1 large
Vanilla – 1 teaspoon
Powdered (icing) sugar – 456g (16oz)
METHOD
Base:
1) Add the cake mix, egg and butter to a mixing bowl and blend to a smooth consistency using a fork or electric handheld mixer.
2) Pour into the cake tin and spread out evenly with spatula or back of a spoon.
Upper layer:
1) Add the cream cheese to another mixing bowl. Beat until smooth.
2) Add butter, eggs and vanilla to the cream cheese. Beat until smooth.
3) Add sugar to the mixture and mix until smooth.
Baking:
1) Spread the mixture onto the base cake batter in baking tin.
2) Bake at 176C (350F or Gas Mark 4) for 40-45 minutes.
3) The middle will be on the softer side. Therefore, a toothpick test will be less clean than usual.
Lemon and Lime Jelly Cake
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowl 2x
Electric mixer – medium speed
Either an 8-inch (20cm) square cake tin or 9-inch (22.5cm) round cake tin greased with a little butter or vegetable oil
Toothpick
Fork
Spatula or large spoon
BAKING TIME
Preheat oven to 176C (350F or Gas Mark 4)
Bake for around 40-45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
Yellow cake mix – 1 box
Lemon flavoured gelatin mix – 1 box
Lime flavoured gelatin mix – 1 box
Topping:
Lemon – juice from 2 medium lemons (1/3 cup)
Dusting (icing) sugar – 1 cup
Optional:
Honey – 1 teaspoon of runny honey
Lemon or Lime Sliced 1x
METHOD
1) Add the yellow cake mix and both the lemon and lime flavoured gelatine mixes to the mixing bowl. Follow the instruction on the box of the yellow cake mix. Mix until you achieve a smooth consistency.
2) Pour batter into the baking tin. Bake in preheated oven for around 40-45 minutes until top is light golden brown.
3) Carry out the toothpick test mentioned in the first recipe to guarantee the cake is baked properly.
4) Take the cake out of oven and allow it to cool in the baking tin for 15 minutes.
5) Remove cake, place on cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.
6) Create small holes evenly across the cake by simply inserting a fork. Do not break the cake apart.
7) Prepare the lemon topping by adding the lemon juice to the dusting (icing) sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir until a smooth consistency is achieved. Add 1 teaspoon of runny honey (optional) and mix well.
8) Pour lemon topping on top of cake and spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
9) Garnish with thinly sliced lemon or lime (optional).
Topsy Turvy Pineapple and Cherry Cake
EQUIPMENT
Cooking pan – small
Cooking brush
Mixing bowl
Either 9-inch (22.5cm) square cake tin or 10-inch (25cm) round cake tin
Spatula or knife
Toothpick
BAKING TIME
Preheat oven to 176C (350F or Gas Mark 4)
Bake for around 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Yellow cake mix – 1 box
Maraschino cherries (drained) – 1 jar
Pineapple rings (drained) – 1 can
Flaked coconut – Half a cup
Brown sugar – One quarter of a cup
Butter – 2 tablespoons
METHOD
1) Gently melt butter in a cooking pan. Brush the butter to coat the inside of the cake tin.
2) Sprinkle the sugar to coat the inside of the cake tin.
3) Sprinkle the coconut to coat the bottom of the cake tin.
4) Place the pineapple rings on the bottom of the cake tin so that they do not overlap.
5) Place a cherry in the middle of each ring and in the gaps between each ring.
6) Pour the yellow cake mix into a bowl and prepare as instructed on the box. Stir until a smooth batter is achieved.
7) Gently pour the batter over the pineapple rings and cherries. Level up the mixture with a spatula or knife.
8) Place in the oven and bake for around 45 minutes.
9) Undertake the toothpick test outlined in the first recipe to ensure the cake has been baked properly.
10) Allow cake to cool for 30 minutes.
11) The cake should be served by placing the serving plate on top of the baking tin. Turn over in one smooth action so that the serving plate is on the bottom. The cake should release itself easily, otherwise tap around it and try gently wiggling the cake tin.
Strawberry and Cream Jelly Cake
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowl 2x
Electric mixer – medium speed
Either an 8-inch (20cm) square cake tin or 9-inch (22.5cm)round cake tin greased with a little butter or vegetable oil
Toothpick
Fork
Spatula
BAKING TIME
Preheat oven to 176C (350F or Gas Mark 4)
Bake for around 40-45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Yellow cake mix – 1 box
Strawberry flavoured gelatin mix – 1 box
Dream whip (dream topping) – 1 packet or whipped cream
Optional:
Fresh strawberries
METHOD
1) Add yellow cake mix to the mixing bowl and follow instructions on the box. Mix until you achieve a smooth consistency.
2) Pour batter into baking tin. Bake in preheated oven for around 40-45 minutes until top is light golden brown.
3) Undertake the toothpick test outlined in the first recipe to ensure the cake has been baked properly.
4) Take the cake out of oven and allow it to cool in the baking tin for 30 minutes. Do not remove from the baking tin.
5) Prepare the strawberry flavoured gelatin mix according to directions on the box.
6) Create small holes evenly across the cake by simply inserting a fork. Do not break the cake apart.
7) Pour the strawberry gelatine mix over the top of the cake. Spread the gelatine mix across the entire top of cake. Leave for 1 minute and then gently tap the cake tin to ensure the surface is level.
8) Layer into the gelatine some sliced fresh strawberries (optional).
9) Allow cake/cake tin to cool enough so that it can be placed in a refridgerator for 2 hours.
10) Remove cake tin from refrigerator and carefully remove the cake.
11) Garnish the top of the cake with some strawberries (optional) and serve with either dream whip (dream topping) or whipped cream.
