Vanilla Pan Cake Twist
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Simple vanilla cake variant cooked in a heavy pan. Uses flour and baking powder base. Swaps butter for coconut oil and milk for almond milk for subtle richness. Eggs bind, vanilla laces flavor. Quick to prep with electric mixer, bakes around 25-35 min. Texture tender but firm enough to handle inversion. Smells sweet, toasty. Careful doneness check crucial; toothpick test reliable. Cooling upside down traps moisture. A reliable base, easy to riff. Perfect when you want cake without fuss, no fancy pans needed.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
35 min
Total:
50 min
Servings:
6 servings
#baking
#cakes
#dairy-free
#simple recipes
#pan cake
Vanilla cakes I’ve tried often fall into trap of dryness or rubbery texture. Overbaking too common mistake. Using a pan rather than ramekins or springform simplifies cleanup and heat conduction. Coconut oil swaps add moistness and faint tropical notes without overwhelming vanilla. Almond milk makes subtle nutty lift—if you omit nuts for allergy reasons, this is a win. Timing—never trust timer alone. Visual is king: golden top, edges pulling slightly from pan tell me all I need. Toothpick test is reliable but sometimes crumbs stuck on mean still too early. Cooling flipped locks in humidity; first attempts had crumb crumble on removal. Trial and error necessary. I’ll warn you, patience crucial. Cake smells start sweetly caramelizing around 20 mins; oven door avoids heat loss but sometimes I sneak peeks for color shifts. Baking is sensory, not just timer. My twist with coconut oil and almond milk yields lighter crumb and complexity beyond plain vanilla butter cakes. Simpler prep, tastier bites. Kitchen-tested many ways.
Ingredients
- 140 ml (9 tbsp plus 1 tsp) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 6 ml (1 1/4 tsp) baking powder
- 85 ml (5 1/2 tbsp) coconut oil, softened
- 105 ml (7 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2,5 ml (1/2 tsp) pure vanilla extract
- 70 ml (just under 1/3 cup) almond milk
About the ingredients
Flour and baking powder must be fresh for proper rise. If baking powder old, expect dense crumb. Coconut oil strengthens cake moisture compared to butter, melts at lower temp—if using butter, soften well, but expect less tender crumb. Almond milk trade for whole milk cuts dairy richness but adds faint nuttiness; use room temp for better incorporation. Egg’s role is key: protein gives structure, so fresh large egg preferred. Vanilla extract defines aroma; pure best. Powdered sugar dust optional but adds visual contrast and subtle sweetness. For nut allergies, almond milk is safe, but can omit or replace with oat milk, same texture, slightly different taste. Pan choice critical; heavy bottom distributes heat evenly, avoids burnt spots. Nonstick pans cause shrinkage issues during inversion; grease and flour pan well to avoid sticking. Surfaces dry after flouring? Use a touch of vegetable oil to help flour adhere. Key: ingredients at room temperature, no cold components to ensure emulsification and volume.
Method
- Preheat oven to 175C (350F). Position the rack center. Butter and flour a heavy 18cm (7-inch) oven-safe pan with at least 2L capacity. I prefer cast iron or enamel for even heat; barely any sticking here.
- Whisk flour and baking powder thoroughly in medium bowl. Sift if clumpy; no one wants dense spots. Set aside. This dry mix ensures the cake rises evenly without bitter aftertaste from too much baking powder.
- Using electric mixer, cream softened coconut oil and sugar until light and creamy. I usually do this 3 minutes medium speed. You should hear the sugar crackle softly between beaters. Adds volume.
- Add egg and vanilla, beat just until combined. No overmix; egg whites can toughen cake if whipped too long.
- Alternate adding dry mix and almond milk in batches to the wet mix. Start and end with dry. Fold gently to avoid gluten development—cake stays tender but structured.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Makes the crumb finer, no holes. The batter looks glossy, thick but pourable.
- Bake 25-35 minutes. At 25, start needle test: insert toothpick center; clean or with a few moist crumbs, perfect. If batter sticks, add 5 more minutes. Cake edges will pull away from pan slightly and top should be golden, not pale.
- Remove pan from oven. Let sit 10 minutes; edges set but cake still warm.
- Invert cake onto wire rack, leaving pan atop if possible to keep warmth and humidity harnessed. This cool-down traps moisture, keeping crumb soft. It took trial and error for me to not break the cake here; wiping pan rim and loosening sides with a thin paring knife first helps immensely.
- Cool completely before slicing. Eager hands risk tearing.
- Serve plain, dust with powdered sugar, or add fresh berries. Taste shows subtle vanilla, faint coconut warmth, and delicate crumb from almond milk substitution.
Cooking tips
Preheat and rack placement often overlooked but crucial; bottom heating elements scorch edges if too low. Creaming fat and sugar aerates batter—a step skipped traps sugar grains, gums texture. Beat just enough for lightness but avoid overmixing once egg is added or flour incorporated—this toughens cake via gluten. Folding dry and wet alternately prevents lumping and uneven rise. Tap pan gently before oven entry to burst large pockets of air—too many holes = uneven crumb and drying. Baking time varies by oven; watch visual cues: golden top, slight edges pull. Toothpick test: moist crumbs attached means just done; sticky batter means more time. Remove promptly to prevent overbaking from residual heat. Cooling upside down traps steam, avoiding drying crust on top. Letting it sit longer in pan post baking risks condensation buildup and soggy texture; 10 minutes is sweet spot. Inversion tricky—run thin knife around edges before flipping. Use towel on rack for grip. If cake resists, rock pan gently rather than force popping; broken cake means uneven baking or insufficient fat creaming. Serve only when completely cooled for easiest slicing and best mouthfeel. Storage wrapped airtight keeps moistness 2 days max—more means refrigeration with risk of drying. Rewarm briefly before serving for aroma regeneration.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Room temperature ingredients crucial here; cold coconut oil or almond milk messes with batter volume. Beat softened coconut oil and sugar until light, hear sugar crackle low hum between beaters. Short on creaming? Gritty texture, dense crumb follows. Fold dry mix and almond milk alternating batches. Start and end dry. Avoid gluten overdevelopment; rough mixing ruins tender crumb structure.
- 💡 Pan choice makes or breaks bake. Heavy 18cm cast iron or enamel pans distribute heat evenly to avoid burnt edges. Nonstick pans often shrink or stick post-bake. Grease and flour well; if flour clumps, pat surface lightly or oil flour mix. Rigid pan surfaces ease inversion, but flick pan edges with thin knife before flipping. Rock gently if stuck to prevent crumb break-off.
- 💡 Timing varies oven to oven. Watch golden top, edges start pulling away, not just timer. Toothpick test key: moist crumbs stuck means done; sticky batter means longer bake. Start testing at 25 min, add 5 min if needed. Overbake = rubbery or dry cake. Smell cues: faint caramelizing scents hit around 20 minutes; give hints beyond visual.
- 💡 Cooling upside down traps steam; essential for moist soft crumb. Let cake sit 10 min in pan post-bake, then invert on wire rack immediately. Avoid leaving cake in pan too long or condensation sogs crumb. Use towel grip for flipping and loosen sides with thin knife. Trial necessary to avoid breakage here. Cake warmth helps moisture retention during cooling.
- 💡 Substitution notes scattered but critical: coconut oil melts lower temp than butter, yields softer crumb. Almond milk trades dairy richness for nutty undertone, safe for nut allergies but oat milk can replace for similar texture. Vanilla extract quality defines aroma intensity. Powdered sugar adds contrast but optional. Fresh baking powder vital; stale powder causes dense crumb, adjust ingredient freshness always.
Common questions
How to know when cake is done?
Toothpick test best. Insert center, if moist crumbs cling but no wet batter, bake done. Edges pulling from pan means nearly there. Golden top signals ready. Smell changes too, caramelizing hints around 20 mins. Oven temps vary, so rely on cues not just clock.
What if cake sticks during inversion?
Use thin knife to loosen edges gently. Don’t force flip; rock pan slowly. Grease and flour pan thoroughly before pouring batter. Nonstick pans complicate removal; better heavy cast iron or enamel. Cool cake 10 min in pan, warm crumb easier unmolding. Broken cake means too much rushing or insufficient fat creaming.
Can I swap coconut oil or almond milk?
Butter possible but softer moisture lost; soften well before creaming. Almond milk best at room temp. Oat milk alternative with subtle taste shift; dairy milk changes richness. Coconut oil contributes subtle tropical note textures absent in butter. Adjust expectancies on crumb and aroma based on swaps.
How to store leftovers?
Wrap airtight to keep moistness up to 2 days. Refrigerate if longer but risk drying. Rewarm briefly before serving to revive aroma and soften crumb. Avoid leaving cake uncovered or frozen, crumb texture deteriorates quickly. Cool completely before storage to prevent sogginess.
