Donna Hay's best vanilla cake

'The only one you need' best vanilla cake. Photo / Con Poulos

Donna Hay's beloved Basics to Brilliance Kids cookbook is back – this revised version remains a cooking bible for kids and the modern family who love to eat, cook, celebrate and have fun together. Here's a taster of the fun-filled, simple family-friendly recipes on offer from one of Australia's most famed food personalities

Ingredients

Vanilla icing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Lightly grease a 20cm round cake tin and line with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place the butter, flour, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, eggs and milk in a large bowl and, using a whisk, mix together until well combined.
3. Pour the cake mixture into the tin, smooth the top and bake for 45 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Wearing oven gloves, remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make the vanilla icing, place the ricotta, cream cheese, agave and vanilla in a bowl and whisk together using a hand-held mixer until smooth and well combined.
5. Place the cake on a cake stand or plate. Using a palette knife or spatula, spread half the vanilla icing over the top, then spread the remaining icing around the sides of the cake before serving.

Edited extract from Basics to Brilliance Kids by Donna Hay. Published by HarperCollins, RRP $49.99

• Serves: 8