Heat the oven to 350° F (177° C). Lightly butter a 10-ounce ramekin and set it aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, egg white, and vanilla until smooth.
Stir in the self-rising flour.
Add the cream and stir until smooth.
Pour the cake batter into the lightly buttered ramekin and place the ramekin on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any possible spills.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the sifted powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and cream by hand with a spoon or with an electric mixer until smooth.
After the cake has cooled, either frost the top of the cake while still inside the ramekin, or remove the cake from the ramekin and frost it. To remove the cake, loosen the edges by running a thin, sharp knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it. Place a plate on top of the cake and turn the cake over so that the cake slides right out.
Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake and enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tips
Read through the entire recipe and the Ingredient Notes section of the post and gather your ingredients. We provide a lot of information within the body of this recipe post to ensure that your small white cake comes out perfectly every time. This cake comes together quickly so it's a good idea to fully understand the recipe and have everything ready before beginning.
Measure ingredients correctly. This is so important. To measure flour correctly, stir the flour in its container with a spoon. Then, use a spoon to scoop flour into a dry measuring cup and slightly overfill. Then, use the back of a knife or other straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Do not scoop the flour. When you scoop, the flour gets packed too tightly and you will end up with more flour than the recipe calls for.
Don't overmix: Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can develop gluten in the flour, resulting in a tough cake.
Preheat your oven: Make sure your oven is properly preheated to 350° F (177° C) before baking. An oven thermometer can be helpful to verify accuracy.
Use the right pan:When making a small white cake use a 10-ounce ramekin for best results.
I use self-rising flour in this small white cake recipe. If you would like to use all-purpose flour, add ¾ teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch (less than ⅛ teaspoon) of salt to ½ cup of all-purpose flour. Stir the mixture together in a small bowl and use in place of self-rising flour.