I use this white cake as the base for many other cake flavors. It’s the PERFECT cake with a soft texture, wonderful vanilla flavor, and tastes incredible with creamy vanilla buttercream on top. Cake flour, egg whites, and sour cream are the secrets to the best texture. This cake recipe is the base for my burnt sugar caramel cake, coconut cake, strawberry cake and pistachio cake, too!
Let’s start the day the only way we know how: with a buttery white cake.
Why This is my Best White Cake Recipe
This white cake recipe is adapted from my perfect vanilla cupcakes, a reader favorite. The cake is my definition of *cake perfection* and has become one of the most popular cake recipes on my website. Here’s why:
- Soft & airy crumb
- Moist, but not eggy
- Pure sweet flavor
- Stick-to-your-fork tender
- Completely from scratch
- Easy & approachable recipe
I love this cake so much that I used it as the base for several other cake recipes I have published including espresso chocolate chip cake, pineapple coconut cake, cookies and cream cake, and the others mentioned above. I even reduced the quantity of cake batter down to make the perfect 1 layer pineapple upside down cake.
White Cake Success Tips
- Cream the Butter: To achieve a good rise, properly cream the butter and sugar together. We have a crutch of baking powder and soda, but the recipe begins with that very first and imperative step: beating the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Egg Whites: Use ONLY egg whites. No yolks. Not only will using only egg whites give us a pristine white cake, it will ensure that the crumb is not weighed down by the fat in egg yolks. Think about it: lighter confections such as marshmallows and angel food cakes only require egg whites. Same story here.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is the cake’s security blanket; it keeps everything moist. It plays the same important role in coffee cake, too.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is almost 30x finer than all-purpose flour. Using it is a surefire way to achieve a delicate and delicious texture. It’s sold in the baking aisle and you can use the rest of the box in any of these recipes that use cake flour including this popular confetti cake.
- Room Temperature: Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. When ingredients are the same temperature, they bind together more readily than if you had some cold and some warmer ingredients. Colder ingredients, especially egg whites, will produce a thicker batter and, since it’s cold, will take longer to bake. This changes everything.
To summarize, make sure you’re creaming the butter and sugar together properly, all your ingredients are the same temperature and you use egg whites, sour cream, and cake flour. The result is an ultra-light cake with buttery vanilla flavor, just like the kind you find at a bakery or from a box mix. But it’s all made from scratch in your very own kitchen. ♥
White Cake Decoration
While the ingredients in the cake batter don’t leave any room for substitutions, we can have some fun with a variety of frostings and cake pans. I prefer vanilla frosting, which I include in the recipe below. But I encourage you to play around with chocolate buttercream, rainbow chip frosting, or chocolate cream cheese frosting. For a lighter, less sweet option, I love pairing this cake with whipped frosting (pictured below). Each of these frostings are absolutely remarkable on this lovely cake. The vanilla frosting makes a lot, so expect a thick layer between the cakes.
9×13-inch pan: Want to bake a sheet cake instead? Follow my recipe note. A single layer white cake is easier to prepare, decorate, and serve!
I even used this exact cake recipe for Elmo cake and added chocolate chips for Cookie Monster cake! It’s such a versatile cake and always receives compliments from taste testers and party goers.
You can also frost this cake with whipped frosting:
PrintFavorite White Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This white cake recipe is buttery and moist with the fluffiest crumb and creamiest vanilla buttercream. The tricks are to use cake flour, egg whites, and sour cream.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (295g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature*
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 cups (600g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or use clear imitation vanilla extract for stark white frosting)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy—about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the egg whites. Beat on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 24-25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more cream if frosting is too thick, or a pinch more of salt if frosting is way too sweet.
- Assemble and frost: First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Decorate top of cake with sprinkles, if desired. Slice, serve, enjoy!
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Assemble and frost the cake the next day when you are ready to serve. Frosted cake can be frozen up to 2 months if you have room in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-Inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Straight Spatula (for frosting) | Round Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Amount of Batter: If it’s helpful for using different size cake pan sizes and conversions, this recipe yields about 7 cups of cake batter.
- Whole milk and sour cream are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full fat plain yogurt would work instead, though the cake may not be as light. Same goes with a lower fat milk.
- 9×13-inch Pan: Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13-inch pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cupcakes: My vanilla cupcakes recipe is essentially this same recipe, only halved. If you want more cupcakes, you can follow this white cake batter recipe and use the baking instructions for the cupcakes.
Here are my perfect vanilla cupcakes. Today’s white cake is just as soft & fluffy.
Thanks for the response. Everything was correct temp and I weighed all ingredients with kitchen scale. I think I definitely over mixed. Thank you!
I am very disappointed about how this recipe turned out. The batter looked like in the video. I added the flour and the milk carefully mixing them with a spoon, just until combined. It is impossible to have over mixed it. It has a very unpleasant egg smell although I used vanilla extract and lemon zest to flavor it. I think the flour I used was the culprit in my case because it doesn’t look as fluffy as yours. I baked it for about 20mins in 10″ round pans, I don’t think it was over baked because on the bottom it was still very moist. But the sweetness… I don’t understand how can this be combined with buttercream:(
Hi Sally, I made this white cake yesterday. I followed directions exactly. Batter seemed thin and the result was a bit dense. Not sure what went wrong. Could you please advise?
I love your recipes though.
Hi Deb! Did the batter look how it does in the photos and video in the post above? Make sure to always start with proper room temperature butter and measure ingredients very carefully. Dense cake can also be caused be over-mixing. Make sure to only mix the batter until combined. Hope these tips help for next time!
Hi. Question about the clear vanilla . Do you have a preference on a specific brand . I’ve recently purchased Watkins clear and Amazon’s brand that had great reviews . However I found both of these clear vanilla to have a horrible fake taste to them . Do you have a recommendation for a clear vanilla that doesn’t taste fake ? Thank you
Hi Kristen, we have always enjoyed using McCormick brand extracts. You may wish to try their clear vanilla extract to see if that gives you a better taste — let us know if you do!
I want to make a tiered cake (3-4 tiers total) with 8” pans. What recipe do you recommend? I am planning on using dowels or smoothie straws as support but I don’t want the cake to be too delicate and collapse….any help is appreciated!
Hi Kathlene, We recommend following our Homemade Wedding Cake recipe as a guide for a tiered cake- it will be best to use cake dowels and boards for support.
Hi, I was wondering, if I wanted to do a rosette design all over the cake, should I double the icing ?
Thank you!
Hi Kaya, yes, you’ll likely want to 1.5x or 2x the recipe depending on how heavily you plan to frost the cake. Enjoy!
This cake is so good. Just DELICIOUS, as is the frosting. I added a little extra cream to the frosting for piping, which wasn’t necessary. It was smooth and really good, not overly sweet. I could have used more frosting- needed a bit more for the crumb coat & piping. Next bake (and there will certainly be more), I think I’ll double the frosting and increase the cake batter for three 8” pans. Would 1 1/2 x the recipe work for that?
Another wonderful (& new favorite) recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction!
Love this recipe, but recently I can not find cake flour in any of my local grocery stores. The only kind I can find online is Swans Down cake flour (that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg) is this a good brand to use? If not is there an easy substitute for cake flour?
Hi Lindy, Swans Down Cake Flour works great — we often use it in our baking. Or if needed, you can use this DIY Cake Flour Substitute using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
We are looking to make this as a smash cake and reduce the amount of sugar. Thoughts on a substitution? Apple sauce? If so, what ratio?
Hi Anna, you can certainly try reducing the amount of sugar, but keep in mind it will not only affect the taste but the texture and structure of the cake as well. It would take some testing to properly incorporate applesauce into this recipe. If you’re interested, you may find this post helpful where Sally talks about a 1st birthday cake she made with some modifications to make it slightly healthier. Hope it helps!
Hi Sally!
I am baking this and BTW – obsessed with this recipe. Do you think this will feed 25 people? I made two layers in a 9 inch round pan!
Thanks!
Hi Rylee! We usually get about 10-12 servings out of this cake, but you could get more depending on your slicing technique.
Looking forward to making this recipe for a 70th birthday party cake! Do you have an egg white weight in grams to use for this? Was going to use store bought egg white, its what i have on hand and wanted to make sure i have the correct amount.
Hi Deb! A large whole egg weighs about 57g (or 50g out of the shell) and a large egg white weighs about 30g. So you’ll need 150g of egg whites. The carton should give measurements for substituting for fresh egg whites as well. Hope it’s a hit!
Hi! I plan on making this cake for my daughter’s first birthday. It looks delicious! I will make the one layer 9 X 13 inch. Can I use a glass Pyrex?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Amelia, yes, just make sure your specific pan can withstand the 350-degree temperature needed for this cake. Hope it’s a hit for your daughter’s birthday!
This is a go-to for family birthdays. Everyone loves it. Great texture and flavor. My question is, rather than freezing a frosted cake, would freezing a layer without frosting work? I feel I wouldn’t need as much freezer space this way as I wouldn’t have to keep it pretty
Hi Shonda, absolutely! That’s actually our preferred method. This how to freeze cakes post will be helpful.
I love the white cupcakes and would like to make this cake in a half sheetcake pan. This size is not on your pan conversations. What do you recommend? How long would you bake it? My pan is going to be 17.3 x 12.4 x 2 inches. Thank you. I really want to make this cake. Also, I would like to know if you think seven minute frosting would taste good with it. My son thinks buttercreme is too sweet and likes seven minute.
Hi Amy, The exact amount needed is actually between 1 and 2 batches of batter. Although the easiest thing to do would be to make the recipe twice (for best texture don’t double it) and then fill your pan 2/3 full and use the leftover batter to make some extra cupcakes
Hi Sally. I’ve made this cake so many times because it’s THAT good. I’m planning to make it again today but I want to flavor it almond. I know almond extract is more intense than vanilla but I’m not quite sure how much almond to add for this amount of batter. I also want to use some vanilla extract but I want the flavor of this cake to be more almond forward. How much of ea should I add? Please reply as soon as possible as I need to get started soon. Thanks in advance…
Hi Tammie, We recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract for an almond cake. Hope you love it!
Thanks so much for replying back so quickly. I really appreciate it. I’m sure I’m going to as this is my favorite white cake but I’ll come back to let you know how it turned out. Have a great day/weekend to come. Thanks again…
Can this be used for the checkerboard cake? I only need 2 layers of vanilla, as I am using chocolate for the other 2 layers.
Yes, absolutely! For a chocolate cake we recommend you use the sour cream version (detailed in the recipe notes) of this recipe.
I have been baking for over 60 years (yes I was a child when I started:)) and this is by far the BEST
white/vanilla cake I have ever made. , It is beyond light and delicious.
Now to find the BEST chocolate cake ( of course on my favorite website for baking-Sallys’.
??? I need to color your lovely cake, I’ve made it before, delish! My grandson wants Spider-Man , so, how many drops do you think I should add ? I’m splitting the batch in half for two different colors. Red & Royal blue. I know it can be so touchy, and once it’s in, you can’t go back. Thank You, use your recipes religiously!
Hi Brenda, it’s a bit hard to tell the exact amount of food coloring, but we’d recommend using gel food coloring for the most vibrant colors. Start small, with just a drop or two, and then add more as needed. Hope the cake is a hit!
Hi!! Made the strawberry cake last weekend and absolutely loved it. I’m thinking about trying it with peaches – do you think blending and reducing the peaches will work the same and would you think take the skins off or leave them on?
Hi Chelsea, we haven’t tried it, but many readers have had success doing so with other fruits like blueberries and raspberries. If you try with peaches, please do let us know how it goes. Otherwise, you might enjoy this peach Bundt cake as well!
I would love to make this recipe but coming from the U.K I was wondering instead of cake flour, which we can’t get over here, what should I use instead. Thank you in advance
Hi Karen, you can use our homemade cake flour substitute with no other changes to the recipe.
Hi,.Can I use buttermilk instead of sour cream.in this receipe.?
Thanks
Hi Sana, The best way to use buttermilk is to have it replace both the sour cream AND milk in this recipe. Use 1 and 1/2 cups of buttermilk, then leave out the sour cream and whole milk. Enjoy!
I made this! It was very yummy!
How can I adjust the recipe to make it into a 3 layer 9inch cake instead of two layers?
Hi Sarah, For three layers you can use 1.5 times the batter. Or you can use our recipe for Best Vanilla Cake. Happy baking!
I am making a 5 tier wedding cake. Do you think this recipe is study enough for that? I want to make three of the tiers white cake and the other two tiers red velvet. There will be a layer of cheesecake in the middle of each tier. Thanks!
Hi Charity, We recommend following our Homemade Wedding Cake recipe as a guide for a tiered cake- it will be best to use cake dowels and boards for support.
I did this recipe, halved, in a single 8×8″ pan bc of the same surface area of 9″ round, and I might have left it in the oven a few more minutes or something but it didn’t release from the pan, (i let it cool like a half hour) what would cause that? Also I greased and floured by greasing and coating all around with flour and flipping it and giving it a whack to remove the excess
Hi Min, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Was the cake over baked? If so, those few extra minutes in the oven could be making it tough to release from the pan. It could simply be that your specific pans need to be more heavily greased. We also recommend using parchment paper on the bottom of cake layers to help them release seamlessly from their pans. Hope these tips are helpful for next time.
My new fave cake recipe! A longtime fan of this blog, I went searching for a good white cake for a gender reveal cupcake request. I dyed 1.5 cups of the batter to make little colored hearts inside and this was the perfect amount of batter to make 2 dozen cupcakes with the cake heart surprise.My cake ingredients weren’t all room temp because my batter looked like it was splitting, which worried me, but still came out DELICIOUS!! I used 2 sticks of butter and 500g of powdered sugar for the frosting, whih was just enough. Sally never misses!!
I finally tried this recipe.. the texture is heavenly! It’s definitely my favorite cake recipe! I made a slight variation.. I’m using pandan instead of vanilla. Also, swapping whole milk with coconut milk. Pandan and coconut milk is a traditional flavor combination in my country. We don’t usually use butter in our recipes, but now that I did, I think pandan enhances butter flavor. It’s like a fresh buttery cake. I don’t even know how to describe it. Make sure you only use fresh pandan instead of the imitation extract because they’re so different.
I just made the cake portion here and used a lemon curd filling and a cream cheese frosting. It was delicious! Next time I’ll do the butter cream frosting. Anyway – your website has become my go to site for baking recipes and so far everything has been delightful!
Hi
Iv offered to male my nephews wedding cake and they have requested a naled tier cake.
They want a vanilla sponge base layer and chocolate smaller 2nd tier.
PLEASE can you help and advise me whats the best recipe to use for the cake and frosting?
Im an amateur baker and have done lots of birthday cakes but this is my first wedding cake!!! They have approximately 45 guests to feed….
HEEEEEELPPPPPP
Thankyou xxx
Hi Jess! Here’s our post on making homemade wedding cakes with flavor options listed. Hope it’s helpful!
Hi Sally, would like to make a half sheet cake (18”x13”). Can I double this recipe and still bake for 40 minutes or do you recommend a different recipe for a vanilla cake? Thank you!
Hi Marinelle! We always recommend making multiple batches instead of doubling. Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Question about cake pans. Unfortunately, I do not have my quality cake pans with me. I am at our lake house for the summer. I am making your carrot cake and your best vanilla cake today.
My choices of pans are: 2 -thin metal 8 ” cake pans, 3- 8 ” dark Wilton cake pans, 3– 4 inch Fat Daddio’s cake pans and a thin dark metal 9×13 pan.
Questions:
1. Can I use the 3 (4 inch) Fat Daddio’s? If yes, how much batter and what would the baking time be?
2. Which pans would you rec for the carrot cake? Vanilla cake?
Thank you!
Hi Kathleen, yes, you can use the 4 inch Fat Daddio’s cake pans. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but fill your pans half way and use any extra batter for a few cupcakes. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. For this Carrot Cake, you can use the 8 inch pans for thicker layers (bake time will be a little longer), or the 9×13 pan (see recipe notes there for details). You can use this White Cake recipe in a 9×13 pan as well. Our cake pan sizes and conversions post may be helpful to keep in your back pocket as well!