4 Ingredient White Cake
This easy white cake is just 4 ingredients and comes out so soft and fluffy. It is perfect for any occasion when you need an easy cake recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (430 g) low protein self-rising flour, see note before starting
- 1 ½ cups (296 g) granulated white sugar
- 2/3 cup (5.3 oz/144 g) vegetable oil
- 2 cups (16 oz) water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Add flour and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer with wire whisk attachment until evenly combined. Add in half of the oil (1/3 cup) and half of the water (1 cup). Turn the speed up slightly on your mixer and beat until all the flour is incorporated and forms a thick batter. Add in the remaining oil (1/3 cup) and beat until oil is incorporated and no flour chunks remain. All flour chunks need to be eliminated before adding in the rest of the water because your batter will become very thin once you add in the rest of the water and you won't be able to break up the flour.
- Finally, add in the remaining 1 cup water and mix until water is fully incorporated. If you are using a stand mixer, you will need to make sure to scrape the batter from bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula, otherwise the heavier batter will sink to the bottom and remain unmixed. If you using a hand mixer, make sure to move your beaters around your bowl so that it touches all parts of the bowl. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for about 35-38 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean and edges of cake are lightly browned. The top of the cake will stay light in color and should not brown except around the edges Let cake cool completely in pan before cutting or frosting.
Notes
- Self-rising flour note: There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein flour (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) and one that has a regular amount of protein or the same protein amount that is in all purpose flour (3 grams per 1/4 cup). This recipe needs a low protein self-rising flour. Brands like King Arthur Flour and White Lily make the low protein flour. I used Lily's self-rising flour* to make this recipe.
- Please make sure to use a self-rising flour with low protein. If your self-rising flour does not have low protein, then use the following homemade version:
- To make your own homemade self-rising flour, whisk together 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 2 tbsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt to a bowl. Measure out 3 1/2 cups for the recipe.
- Because this cake has so few ingredients, it is a little plain to eat it on its own without any frosting. This is why white cake is usually served as a layered cake or cupcakes with frosting to give it more flavor. If you want to add more flavor, you can turn this into a vanilla cake by adding 1 tbsp of vanilla extract. I also recommend serving it with your favorite frosting.
- I frosted the cake with a whipped cream frosting. To make whipped cream frosting, add 2 cups of cold heavy cream and 6 tbsp of granular sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. If you need a dairy-free version, you can also make a coconut whipped cream using coconut cream.
- You make also mix the batter by hand with a whisk and spatula but it does take a little more effort and is slightly harder to eliminate all the flour lumps. If you are doing so, first whisk together flour and sugar. Then sift your batter by running your whisk through it rapidly in a back and forth motion until it looks light and powdery. Then add in half of the oil and water. Whisk just until a thick batter forms. Add in remaining oil and whisk until no flour lumps remain. Add in remaining water and whisk until water is fully incorporated and batter is evenly mixed. Make sure to use a spatula to incorporate batter that might be stuck to the bottom or sides of bowl.
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
- Estimated nutrition does not include frosting.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 161kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 205mg, Sugar: 12g, NET CARBS: 25
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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