Description
This bento cake is the ultimate mini dessert fluffy vanilla sponge with smooth buttercream, all packed into a cute little box! Perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or just a sweet treat to brighten someone’s day.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
6 oz (170g) self-raising flour
6 oz (170g) butter or baking spread, room temperature
6 oz (170g) caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla essence or flavoring
For the Buttercream:
18 oz (500g) icing sugar
9 oz (250g) salted butter, softened
1 tbsp vanilla essence or flavoring
2.5 tbsp milk
Instructions
Prepare the cake batter
Add the flour, butter, caster sugar, eggs, and vanilla essence to a mixing bowl. Beat everything together until fully combined, about 30 seconds.Prepare the cake tin
Grease a 5-inch cake tin with butter and dust with flour. Line the base with parchment paper to prevent sticking.Bake the cake
Bake on the middle shelf of a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for around 45 minutes. Avoid using a fan setting to prevent crusty outsides and underbaked centers.Check doneness & cool
Insert a skewer into the center if it comes out clean, your cake is done. Let cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.Make the buttercream
Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the butter, vanilla, and milk. Beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until creamy and fluffy. Add gel food coloring if desired.Assemble the cake
Once cool, level the top of the cake and slice it into two layers. Spread buttercream between the layers, then coat the outside using a spatula and smoothing tool.Decorate
Fill a piping bag with your remaining buttercream and pipe your favorite border or message on top. Place in a bento cake box for a charming finishing touch!
Notes
Make sure the cake is completely cool before frosting to avoid melting your buttercream.
You can use two 5-inch tins if your cake pans are shorter than 3 inches.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Want to try a flavor twist? Swap the vanilla for almond, lemon, or even rosewater!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Korean-inspired, American-style twist
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 46g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: bento cakes, mini cake, lunchbox cake, personal cake, birthday cake, buttercream cake, Korean bento cake, small cake recipe, 5 inch cake