How to Make Easy Everyday Cake Recipes
The best things come in small packages, and in this case, that means single-layer 8″ round cakes.ONE PAN, Easy Steps, to Perfect Cakes for everyday celebrating, enjoying, and indulging. With just 8-10 servings, these smaller-portion cake recipes are bound to become your go-to cake recipes for a long time.
8″ round small batch cake recipes
There is one thing for sure, I love cake… You too? Well, you’re in luck. I’m sharing some cake baking tips, items to use, recipes, and more!
What you’ll need and so many tips for perfectly baked cakes:
To begin, you’ll need an 8″ round cake pan. The pan I use is 8″ round by 2″ high. If you have a 3″ high pan, the cake will bake nicely but won’t rise to the top. It’s thick and cooks evenly, resulting in a perfectly cooked cake.
Flat cake vs. domed cake: I like a smooth, flat cake rather than a domed cake with a more well-done outer edge and puffy center. Flat cakes are easier to cut, easier to decorate, and look pretty good even without frosting.
8” Vanilla cake – tender vanilla cake is always a winner
And this brownie cake bakes up beautifully. It’s flat with a great crackly top and rich, delicious chew.
If you’re not a frosting person, just sprinkle some powdered sugar or cocoa on the cake, or pour on a simple glaze icing for a nice option.
This chocolate cake is an all-time favorite!
How to ensure the cake comes out of the pan beautifully
Homemade pan release– it’s my secret weapon for a cake releasing from the pan so well.
Cake baking tips:
Preheat your oven: Heat your oven for at least 15 minutes before baking so the temperature is steady and heat does not escape.
When is the cake done?
When testing a cake’s doneness, it’s easy to use a toothpick, when it comes out clean, or with a few pieces of dry cake crumbs, the cake is done.
Remove the cake from the oven and place it on the stove on a cold burner or a cooling rack to allow air to flow under the cake pan, or it will be so hot if you place it flat on a surface, the cake will keep the heat and can be drier when you serve it.
After 5-10 minutes: turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to cool it completely. The easiest way to do this is to place a piece of wax paper over the top of the cake, turn the cake onto your hand (or you can use a plate), then place the bottom of the cake onto the cooling rack.
Manage cake density: Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze them overnight if you want a tighter, sturdier crumb.
These are my favorite cooling racks. I’ve had them for more than 30 years… and they are not flimsy, do not close up if they get nudged on the counter, and my son used to race Hot Wheels cars on them when I’d tip down one side.
They stack to allow more room on the counter, are nonstick and clean up easily, and have a cross grid so nothing falls through the rack, like the soft edge of a cookie can easily do on racks that only have vertical lines.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosted Chocolate Cake, what a great flavor combo, moist chocolate cake topped with creamy strawberry cream cheese frosting for the perfect combination of rich chocolate and fresh strawberry flavor.
This flag cake is perfect even if it’s not a patriotic holiday. This delicious vanilla cake is perfect no matter how you place pieces of fruit on top.
Coconut Cake A moist, tender coconut cake filled with delicious coconut flavor and topped with sweet, creamy coconut frosting and toasted coconut.
Great tools for cake baking:
- 8″ Round Cake Pans- these bake up nice, even-baked cakes
- Pan Release recipe– to prepare the pans for easy cake release.
- Cooling Racks- to properly cool cakes.
- Small Offset Spatula– great for frosting cakes this size
- Mixer- I’ve had my mixer for more than 13 years, and I use it every week (sometimes 5 times a day!) It’s a true workhorse in the kitchen, from pizza dough to all my favorite desserts.
More tools
- Baking Strips- these ensure smooth, flat, un-domed, evenly baked cakes
- Bowl and whisk method for cakes works well if you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer is another great option. I like this hand mixer… Stainless mixing bowls are always a great option, no worries about them. They don’t break, chip and aren’t heavy, making them great for cakes, cookies, or pancake mixing.
- Cake Stand- nothing looks better than a cake on a cake stand!
Lemon Cake Creamy, smooth lemon frosting with fresh lemon flavor and just the right amount of sweetness.
Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting Moist, tender red velvet cake with rich cocoa flavor and a classic cream cheese frosting.
Are you all about the cake, or all about the frosting?
Either way, there are so many options!
From chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry to lemon, coconut, red velvet, and just about everything in between, there’s an 8″ cake for everyone.
Strawberry Cake– this simple single-layer cake is sliced to create two layers, and strawberry curd is spread inside for extra fun, then fluffy strawberry frosting tops it.
Stop waiting for a special occasion to make your favorite cake, grab the easy recipe and make it TODAY.
With a more manageable serving size than two-layer and sheet cakes, these smaller cakes are perfect for everyday baking. They’re cute, delicious, and you won’t have cake sitting around for days.
Tropical Pineapple Coconut Cake coconut cake filled with sweet pineapple and topped with creamy coconut frosting for a delicious tropical flavor combination.
When you want something homemade and special without making a huge cake, these single layer 8-inch cakes are just the right size. They’re easy enough for a weeknight dessert, but delicious enough to make any celebration feel a little more special.
8 inch carrot cake a wonderful carrot cake filled with warm spices and fresh carrots, topped with creamy cream cheese frosting.
S’more Cake chocolate cake, fluffy marshmallow frosting, toasted, and graham cracker crumbs surround the exterior
Fig Cake– make when figs are in season or not can be decorated with dried figs or just filled with fig jam and topped with blueberries and dried apricots.
Black Forest Cake with a yummy cherry flavor filling, topped with silky frosting and fun chocolate curls
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake A soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie baked into a cake and topped with creamy frosting and plenty of chocolate chips.
CLICK to see more details on each of these 14 cakes:
- 8” Vanilla cake – tender vanilla cake is always a winner
- 8” Brownie cake – oh, my, this is so delicious and any brownie lover’s dream
- 8” Chocolate cake – rich, delicious chocolate cake
- 8” American flag cake – with whipped cream frosting and fruit…amazing
- 8” Coconut cake – perfect year-round and pretty special in the spring with those cute eggs
- 8” Lemon cake – a tender lemon cake with lemon frosting
- 8” Red velvet cake – so pretty and the perfect party cake
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosted Chocolate Cake, what a great flavor combo, moist chocolate cake topped with creamy strawberry cream cheese frosting
- 8” Strawberry cake – this cake is sliced in half so it appears to be two layers, but you only bake 1 cake
- 8″ Pineapple Coconut Cake – a delicious cake with a fantastic tropical flavor
- 8” Carrot cake – the classic cake and just the perfect size
- 8” S’more cake – OMG the meringue frosting on this is amazing
- 8” fig cake – this cake is sliced in half so it appears to be two layers, but you only bake 1 cake
- 8” Black forest cake – this cake is sliced in half so it appears to be two layers, but you only bake 1 cake
- 8” Chocolate chip cookie cake – the flavor of chocolate chip cookies baked into a delicious cake
I hope you find a new favorite!
With simple ingredients, one pan, and no layers to fuss with, each cake recipe makes baking feel easy again. Pick your favorite, bake one up, and enjoy a homemade cake that’s just the right size to share, savor, and maybe sneak one more slice before it’s gone.
Happy Baking!
Hi Diane, I made the vanilla cake today for my husband. I baked it in an iron fryer(10 “) like his mom used to bake hers. The cake was outstanding. We both love it. Just the right size for 2 people. He did’nt want an icing, “just plain” he said. He loved it. We are going to try all of the different flavors. God bless you and Thank you.
I’m so glad you like the cake, I love baking in cast iron… and agree no icing/frosting needed, just grab a fork and dive in!
I’ve made the vanilla, chocolate, brownie, and chocolate chip cakes. All have been delicious & the perfect size when I don’t want a large cake. The chocolate and vanilla cakes I have been made several times 😋all delicious
Can I use a 8 in square pyrex baking dish?
the difference between an 8″ round cake pan and an 8″ square cake pan is 28cubic inches, which is considerable, it means that the square pan will need 2 cups more batter than the round pan to bake 2″ in height. So the answer is of course you can bake cakes in whatever pan you’d like, just know that the cake in the square pan will be much thinner and may require less baking time as well.
I do not see nutritional values for any of these cakes. I have tried one of the cakes and it is delicious, BUT, I want to make these cakes for people who are diabetic or on a low carb, diet. Please include the nutrutional values like most all recipes posted on Pintrest. I hate to quit your recipes for this, but, I would have no choice if it cannot see the nutritional values to assess the recipes and adapt as necessary.
You can easily substitute the sugar with monkfruit or Swerve sugar alternative, but I do not offer nutritional information. You can put all the information into an online nutritional calculator yourself if you need that information. I work hard to offer tried and tested recipes; I am not concerned with the nutritional value of cake. You have a list of all the ingredients, and you can see what goes into the recipe. Feel free to do the calculations.
Made up the choclate cake last night…
I split it and frosted it with a mint frosting
Great for just the two of us.
Think I might work my way thru the list!
I’m so glad you liked it!
I just love simple 8″ cakes and it really is a delicious list to bake 🙂
Happy Baking!!!!
Where do I find the recipes for these cakes?😊
all the cakes are linked on the titles (the list is at the bottom of the post after scrolling past 2 collage images) so just click on the title of the cake you want to see, and that will open the page for that particular cake with the recipe. If you need more help let me know, I can send you more information. There is also a recipe index for all my recipes on a desktop it’s a horizontal bar under the name of my blog it says “recipes” if you’re using a mobile phone it’s three dashes, just click those to access the recipe tab.