RECIPE
Easy Birthday Cake Recipe
Try our quick, easy, versatile and tasty Smarties® birthday cake.
18 December, 2025
Add a splash of colour and fuss-free fun to any big day with our easy birthday cake recipe. It’s all flavour with no pesky layers, no finicky icing and no complicated toppings. Just sweet and soft vanilla sponge, topped with vanilla buttercream and a tumble of chopped Smarties® for a pop of colour, crunch and chocolate. It’s also totally customisable and we’ve got a load of suggestions for you to try with the kids. Let’s bake!
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Birthday Cake Decorating and Topping Options
Our easy birthday cake is great for topping it up anyway you want! Fancy some extra crunch? Add chopped nuts, biscuits or crushed meringues. Feeling tropical? A sprinkle of toasted coconut will take your tastebuds to paradise. For more colour and crunch, let the kids pick out a selection of sprinkles. For a touch of personalisation, use writing icing to write a name or a happy birthday message! Fresh fruit such as berries or even a swirl of jam rippled through the icing adds freshness and flavour. For a white chocolate spin, try our Milkybar® White chocolate buttercream. For a lighter cream topping, use the whipped cream icing recipe from our Smarties® fairy birthday cupcakes.
Variations on an Easy Birthday Cake
For a simple chocolate twist to the vanilla sponge, simply replace 25g of the flour with 25g cocoa powder and add extra tablespoon of milk if needed. To turn your easy birthday cake into a fuss-free traybake, just swap the round tin for a brownie baking tin. In the mood for a different traybake? Try our one-tin Smarties® Rainbow Cake.
Storage Instructions
Place the cake into an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage, pop it into the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze the un-iced cake for up to three months. To defrost, simply leave the container in the fridge overnight, then ice and decorate your easy birthday cake on the morning of the party.
You will need
- 1 x 20cm cake tin
- Baking paper
- A whisk or an electric whisk
- Mixing bowls
- A spatula
- A mixing spoon
- A palette knife (optional)
For the cake
- 100g buttery baking spread, softened
- 100g caster sugar
- 2 large free-range eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g self-raising flour
- 2 tbsp semi – skimmed milk
For icing and topping
- 80g light buttery spread
- 125g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tbsp semi-skimmed milk
- 38g Smarties®, chopped
Smarties Milk Chocolate Tube 38g
Each slice (1/20) typically contains:
of an adult’s Reference Intake (RI)*
Energy per 100g: 1782kJ/426kcal
Method
For the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°fan/gas mark 4 and line the cake tin with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the buttery baking spread and sugar together for about 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla and mix again.
- Sift the flour in and fold gently to combine. Add the milk and stir until just combined.
- Tip the mixture into the cake tin.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a cocktail stick or metal skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the icing
- Whisk the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add sifted icing sugar, then add one tablespoon of milk and beat until super smooth and creamy.
- Top the cooled cake with the vanilla buttercream and spread it out with a palette knife or spatula. Don’t ice the sides of the cake.
- Scatter the chopped Smarties® evenly over the top of the cake. Slice into 20 pieces and serve.
Top Tips
For the lightest, fluffiest sponge, always ensure that your ingredients are at room temperature for best mixing results. It’s important to never over-mix your ingredients. Just combine the flour until no dry flour remains. This gentle folding means no gluten is developed which can lead to a tough cake crumb. Follow these simple tips and you’ll have melt-in-your-mouth cake every time. Oh, and lastly, always make sure your cake is completely cool before icing!
FAQs
A simple single-layer vanilla sponge like our easy birthday cake recipe is one of the easiest cakes to make. No matter if you bake it in a round or square tin, you will get a good result.
Sure! Bake the cake one day in advance and store it in an airtight container. The next day, ice the cake on the morning of the party.
The trick to a moist sponge is using the correct ratios of ingredients and not overbaking the cake.
The easiest way to ice our easy birthday cake is to use a palette knife or spatula. Simply scoop all the icing onto the cake then use the palette knife or spatula to work it from the centre out to the edges in an even layer. Be sure to create some peaks and valleys for dramatic effect.
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