Vanilla 4 Inch Cake
This 3 layered vanilla 4 inch cake is the perfect size for a personal treat or small celebration and uses simple ingredients you already have at home!

After developing my vanilla 6 Inch and 8 Inch Cake, I realized we needed a base recipe for a vanilla 4 inch cake. The 4 inch cake is the perfect size for a small celebration cake or smash cake. It can be tricky modifying a recipe to fit the amount and size you want, so I took out the guesswork and developed the perfect 4 inch cake for you guys!
How to make a 4 inch cake
My 4 Inch Cake is a basic vanilla cake with 3 layers. To keep things simple, I made a vanilla buttercream. I’m picky about three main things in my cakes-
- Texture– I like my cakes to be perfectly soft and moist without being too dense.
- Flavor– There needs to be a balance of flavors where no ingredient stands out.
- Simplicity– I do not like complicated recipes with complicated ingredients.

Ingredients:
- Flour: I like to use all-purpose flour because it is a staple ingredient in most homes. The difference cake flour makes isn’t worth the extra trip to the grocery store.
- I always recommend using a digital scale, especially when measuring flour.
- Fat: I like the combination of butter and oil. For a cake this size, using both would require measurements that are too small and kind of annoying. To keep it simple, I used oil because I prefer the texture from oil more than butter.
- Whole Egg: I like to use whole eggs for a richer flavor. It is important for your eggs to be room temperature. If you forget to take them out in time, place them in hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Sugar: People are always trying to cut corners with sugar. Without sugar there would be no flavor and your cake would be dry. So please, do not cut out any of the sugar!
- Liquid: I like the texture my cakes get from using sour cream and milk. If you don’t have sour cream you can substitute greek yogurt.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I customize my 4 Inch Vanilla Cake
You can use almost any type and flavor of frosting. If you want to customize the vanilla buttercream you can add ¼ cup of jam, peanut butter, nutella or chocolate ganache. If you want more ideas, my book Frosted has over 60 different frosting recipes.
Does this recipe work for cupcakes?
If you want to use this recipe to make cupcakes I’m assuming you want a small batch. Lucky for you I have a Small Batch Cupcakes recipe and it’s perfect!

How do I know when my cake is done baking?
When your cake is done baking it will release from the edge of the pan. You can also gently press the middle of the cake and if it springs back it is done. I also recommend buying an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is at the right temperature.
How to store 4 Inch Vanilla Cake
If the cake is sliced, cover the opening with plastic wrap or store in a cake dome at room temperature for 2-3 days. To refrigerate, place the cake in an airtight container for up to a week.
You can freeze it for up to 2 months by cutting into slices and placing them in an airtight container. Place the container in a freezer bag and squeeze out all the air. When you want to serve the cake, allow the slices to thaw at room temperature.

Thanks so much for reading today’s post! If you have any questions just comment down below, I’m happy to answer! If you make this 4 inch vanilla cake I would love to see the results, so please make sure to tag me @baranbakery on instagram and order my cookbook, Frosted. As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
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Hello,I have one 6 inch pan, i think I would use the 4inch recipe for the correct amount of batter, but how long would I bake and would the temperature change for doing 1 layer in a 6 inch pan? Thank you.
Time and temperature should stay the same as the regular 6 inch cake. You should get the same size cake but just 1 layer if you’re using the 4 inch recipe baked in a 6 inch pan 🙂
Hello
I don’t have 4 inch cake pans but I have 6 inch can I use this same recipe in those, will probably yield two layers.
Thank you
Nilda
I think it would only make one 6 inch layer. I have a 6 inch layer cake too
https://baranbakery.com/6-inch-vanilla-cake-recipe/
Did you trim the “dome” off the cake?
Hi Katie, I don’t usually get a cake dome when I bake on convection.
is there a way i can convert this to be a chocolate cake? i haven’t found a chocolate cake recipe i like
Hi! Yes I would probably do 2/3 cup of flour (80grams) and then 1-2 TBSP of cocoa (10-20grams) depending on how chocolatey you want it 🙂
Hello, what is the bake time for a regular oven?
Hi, I would bake it at 325F/162C in a regular oven. May take just a few minutes longer to bake.
Thank you so much!
Can I make the buttercream into chocolate buttercream and any chocolate recipes for a 10 inch pan?
Hi Sandy, you can sub 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar for cocoa powder.
Any of 6 inch cakes can be baked in a square 10 inch pan or a 9×13″ pan and if you double any of my 6 inch cakes, it makes three 10 inch layers. Hope that helps!
Hi, I am wondering how long it takes to have the stuff out to get it to room temp? Does it have to be room temperature?
Do you have a Carrot Cake recipe for a 4 inch cheesecake pan?
I don’t but you could use my carrot cake cupcake recipe to bake it in the four inch pans. you might get four layers which would make a really tall cake but you can just use three of the layers to stack.
https://baranbakery.com/maple-caramel-carrot-cake-cupcakes/
Hi there,
Is there a way to sub out the granulated sugar for something more natural like maple syrup?
Hi Cassandra, maple syrup is about 33% water so I would swap the granulated sugar for 3/4 cup maple syrup and skip either the milk or the sour cream.
I also have an ebook that covers over 100 baking ingredients, what they do and how to swap them for alternatives if you’re interested in other options 🙂
https://baranbakery.com/the-ingredient-guide/
Hi!! Thank you for the recipe! My friends and I can’t wait to make it! Question… if I don’t have 4 inch round cake pans can I make the cake in a larger pan and cut 4 inch rounds using deep 4 inch cookie cutters?
Thank you!
It should work fine but you’ll have some scraps so your cake layers might be a little thinner since some of the batter is used for scraps.
is it okay not to put sour cream? or should i really put it? what is the substitute for sour cream?
I’ve been looking for the perfect 4” cake to make for guests celebrating special occasions and this is by far the best I’ve tried! Everything was perfect and I appreciate that it only takes a stick of butter because it’s so expensive here! Delicious and affordable? Thank you!!
Hi Maggs, so glad you liked this cake, thanks so much for sharing! <3
I made this as a smash cake for my daughters first birthday. The only change I made was using melted butter instead of oil and it is hands down the best and most moist vanilla cake I’ve ever had!!!
Ahh I’m so glad you liked it ??