Cuppa Cuppa Cake

by Jessica | January 25, 2026 9:48 am

Contents

1 okay so, I have to tell you about this cake that literally saved my sanity last month

okay so, I have to tell you about this cake that literally saved my sanity last month

My sister called me like two hours before her book club (she hosts it at her place every third Thursday, don’t ask me why Thursdays), completely panicking because she forgot to make dessert. And I’m like, “Do you have flour? Sugar? Butter?” She’s like “Yeah but I don’t have TIME for anything complicated.”

So I told her about this Cuppa Cuppa Cake and she thought I was making up the name lol. But seriously, it’s called that because the base recipe is literally a cup of this, a cup of that. Her book club ladies went CRAZY for it and now she makes it like every other week.

Gets messy. But worth it.

Why this recipe actually works

It uses equal parts of the main ingredients so you literally cannot mess up the ratios even if you’re distracted scrolling Instagram while you bake

ingredients (with my notes) CUPA CUPA CAKE

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
All-purpose flour	1 cup	I’ve used cake flour too, works fine
Granulated sugar	1 cup	The original “cuppa cuppa” part
Butter (softened)	1 cup (2 sticks)	Leave it out for like an hour, or microwave for 10 seconds if you forget
Eggs	4 large	Room temp is better but I always forget
Sour cream or Greek yogurt	1 cup	Seriously either one works
Vanilla extract	2 teaspoons	The real stuff if you have it
Baking powder	1½ teaspoons	Make sure it’s not expired (mine was once, cake didn’t rise, ugh)
Salt	½ teaspoon	Don’t skip this
Optional: lemon zest	From 1 lemon	This is my favorite variation

How to make it (step-by-step but like, casual)

So preheat your oven to 350°F. I always forget this step and then I’m just standing there with batter in a pan waiting for the oven to heat up like an idiot.

Grease and flour a bundt pan or a 9×13 pan, whatever you have. I use the bundt because it looks fancier and people think I tried harder than I did. You can also use that baking spray with flour in it. Game changer.

Okay so in a big bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it’s fluffy. This takes maybe 3-4 minutes if you’re using an electric mixer, longer if you’re doing it by hand (which I’ve done when my mixer broke and I was too lazy to buy a new one for like two months).

Add the eggs one at a time and mix after each one. My mom always told me this makes a difference and honestly I don’t know if it does but I do it anyway because what if she’s right, you know?

Trust me on this next part. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla until it’s all combined. The batter will look a little weird and separated maybe but that’s normal.

In a different bowl (I know, more dishes, sorry), whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Just like 30 seconds to get it mixed.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet stuff and mix until you don’t see any more flour streaks. Don’t overmix or whatever, but also I’ve definitely overmixed before and it was still fine so don’t stress too much about it.

Pour it into your pan and smooth the top a little bit. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Mine never is.

Bake for about 45-55 minutes for a bundt pan, maybe 35-40 for a 9×13. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. My oven runs hot so I always check at like 40 minutes.

Let it cool in the pan for maybe 10-15 minutes, then flip it out onto a plate or cooling rack. If you’re using a bundt pan and it sticks, just run a knife around the edges and say a little prayer lol.

Tips & variations (because I’ve made this like 47 times)

Lemon version: Add the zest of one lemon to the batter and make a simple glaze with powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle it on top when the cake is cool. This is my go-to for spring and summer.
Chocolate chip: Fold in about a cup of chocolate chips at the end. My nephew requests this version for his birthday every year.
Almond: Swap half the vanilla for almond extract. Tastes fancy, very little effort.
Glaze it: Honestly any glaze works. Cream cheese frosting, chocolate ganache, or just dust it with powdered sugar if you’re feeling lazy (me, always).

Storage (and a confession)

Keep it covered at room temperature for like 3-4 days, or in the fridge for about a week. It actually gets MORE moist after a day which is weird but cool.

Real talk though, I once made three of these in one week for different things (a bake sale, a dinner party, and just because I wanted cake) and I forgot to label the containers. Found one in my fridge like two weeks later and had NO idea which batch it was from or if it was even safe to eat. Threw it out. Label your stuff, people.

You can also freeze slices wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil for up to 3 months. I do this when I make a bundt and it’s just me and my husband because otherwise we’ll eat the whole thing in two days.

Nutrition facts (per slice, about 12 slices)

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	~340
Fat	18g
Carbohydrates	38g
Protein	5g
Sugar	24g
Sodium	180mg

Listen, it’s cake. It’s not supposed to be healthy. If you want healthy, eat an apple or whatever.

Questions people always ask me

Can I use oil instead of butter?

Yeah but it won’t taste as good. The butter flavor is kind of the whole thing. But like, if you only have oil, use ¾ cup of oil instead of the full cup of butter.

Why did my cake sink in the middle?

Probably opened the oven door too early, or your baking powder was old. Also maybe your oven temperature is off? I got an oven thermometer for like $7 and it changed my life because my oven was running 25 degrees cooler than it said.

Can I make this dairy-free?

I haven’t tried it but my friend uses vegan butter and coconut yogurt and she says it works. The texture is a little different but still good apparently.

Do I HAVE to use a bundt pan?

Nope. 9×13 pan, two round cake pans (reduce baking time to like 25-30 minutes), loaf pans, whatever. I’ve even made it in a muffin tin when I needed individual servings for a thing. Just adjust your baking time and watch it.

Source URL: https://ladysuniverse.com/cuppa-cuppa-cake/