This is the PERFECT white cake with a soft texture, moist crumb, and wonderful vanilla flavor; plus, it tastes incredible with creamy vanilla buttercream. Cake flour, egg whites, and sour cream are the secrets to the best texture. The cake batter is my gold standard and I use it as the base for many other cake flavors including strawberry cake, coconut cake, pistachio cake, burnt sugar caramel cake, and more.
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
One reader, Shandra, commented: “This. Cake. Is. Excellent! Thank you, Sally, for such a delicious recipe. For my preference, this hit the spot on tenderness, fluffiness, and taste (which to me means non-eggy). And the frosting is excellent as well! Archived as my #1 white cake recipe. Yum! ★★★★★“
Why This Is My Best White Cake Recipe
This white cake recipe is adapted from my perfect vanilla cupcakes, a longtime reader favorite. The cake is my definition of *cake perfection* and has become one of the most popular cake recipes on my website. This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find it printed in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101 (which is now a New York Times Best Seller!). Here’s why:
- Soft & airy crumb
- Fluffy, but not eggy
- Pure sweet flavor
- Stick-to-your-fork moist & tender
- Completely from scratch
- Easy & approachable dessert 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, chocolate chip cake, plus more listed below. I even reduced the quantity of cake batter down to make the perfect 1-layer pineapple upside down cake.
It’s my flagship cake recipe, and I crown it with the smoothest, creamiest vanilla buttercream. Rainbow sprinkles add a little glitz and glamour because… what’s cake without sprinkles?
In the past 7 years, I’ve made this cake so frequently that I have the recipe memorized. I’m talking birthday parties, baby showers, summer parties, anniversaries, and even a couple bake sales. There are several success tips I’ve picked up along the way, and I’m thrilled to share them with you so you can enjoy cake perfection on your 1st try.
White Cake Success Tips
- Cream the Butter: To achieve a good rise, properly cream the butter and sugar together. You have the crutch of baking powder and baking soda, but the cake’s crumb truly sings when that creaming process steps in. If you’re new to this technique, this quick tutorial and video walk you through how to cream butter and sugar.
- Use Only Egg Whites: Do not use egg yolks. Using only egg whites not only gives you a pristine white cake, but also it ensures that the crumb is not weighed down by the fat in egg yolks. Think about it: lighter confections such as marshmallows and angel food cake require only the egg whites. It’s the same story here. You need 5 large egg whites in this cake.
- Use Pure Vanilla: You need pure vanilla extract for this cake, and a full Tablespoon in the cake batter. You’ll really taste it, so don’t skimp on the amount. If you have a vanilla bean, go ahead and scrape the beans from half of it into the batter for extra flavor, or you can swap the extract for the same amount of vanilla bean paste.
- Sour Cream Instead of Egg Yolks: Sour cream is the cake’s security blanket. While it contains fat like the egg yolks would, it doesn’t really weigh down the crumb. It’s pure moisture and adds the most creamy, tender texture to every bite. It plays the same important role in coffee cake, too.
- You Need Cake Flour: Cake flour is almost 30x finer than all-purpose flour. Using it is a surefire way to achieve a delicate, soft-as-a-pillow 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 my 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.
Room-Temperature Ingredients
If a recipe calls for room-temperature eggs or any other ingredient such as milk or sour cream, make sure you follow suit. Recipes don’t do that for fun—room-temperature ingredients emulsify much easier into batter, which creates a uniform texture throughout your baked good. Think of cold, hard butter. It’s impossible to cream cold butter into a soft consistency. Same goes for eggs—they add much more volume to the batter when they’re at room temperature. Place your eggs in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes, and you can briefly warm the milk and sour cream (separately) on the stove or in the microwave to bring up the temperature. Here’s my trick for bringing butter to room temperature quickly.
This Is a 2-Layer 9-Inch Cake
You need two 9-inch round cake pans for this batter. This batter does not fit into two 8-inch cake pans (it’s too much). Three 8-inch pans work, as seen here in my fresh berry cream cake, but the layers are thin. If you want to make a 6-inch cake, use this 6-inch cake recipe, which is scaled down from today’s batter. Feel free to visit my cake pans & conversions page if you have any questions about changing the pan size.
Make sure you line your cake pans with parchment paper rounds, to help the cakes seamlessly release from the pan. If you need recommendations for round cake pans, I really like Fat Daddio’s pans and these Wilton cake pans.
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. 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 (also delicious on this zebra cake!). For a lighter, less sweet option, I love pairing this cake with whipped frosting. 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.
*Crumb Coat Details*
To ensure the layer cake is stable, it’s important to apply a crumb coat. A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting on the exterior of the cake that locks in any loose crumbs and helps stabilize the layers. After you stack the 2 layers with frosting in between, cover the top and sides of the layered cake with a very thin layer of frosting (about 1 cup). If desired, run a bench scraper around the cake to help smooth out the frosting. Refrigerate the uncovered cake for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour to “set” the crumb coat. Then cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. This detailed how to assemble and decorate a layer cake post is a great guide!
Here Are All the Cake Flavors Made From This Perfect Batter
It’s impressive that this combination of ingredients can produce so many cakes. I will ALWAYS turn to this recipe.
- Elmo Cake & Cookie Monster Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cake with Ganache Drip
- Cookies & Cream Sheet Cake
- Espresso Chocolate Chip Cake
- Pineapple Coconut Cake
- Fresh Berry Cream Cake
- Burnt Sugar Caramel Cake
- Coconut Cake
- Pistachio Cake
- Strawberry Cake (very popular recipe)
- Reduced batter for 1 layer: Pineapple Upside Down Cake & 1-Layer Sprinkle Cake
To Change the Cake Pan Size:
This batter does not fit into two 8-inch cake pans (it’s too much). Three 8-inch pans work at the same oven temperature, as seen here in my fresh berry cream cake, but the layers are thin.
If you want to make a 6-inch cake, use this 6-inch cake recipe, which is scaled down from this batter.
Yes. Same oven temperature. This batter will fit into a 10 to 12-inch Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time, so use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Yes. Same oven temperature. Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13-inch pan and bake for 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
I recommend following my Homemade Wedding Cake recipe as a guide for a tiered cake, and it will be best to use cake dowels and boards for support. The bottom tier of that cake is sturdier than this white cake, though the flavor is pretty identical.
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.
The Perfect White 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 is the PERFECT white cake with a soft texture, moist crumb, and wonderful vanilla flavor; plus, it tastes incredible with creamy vanilla buttercream. See various flavors above and all of my recipe Notes below. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
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) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature*
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
Vanilla Buttercream
- 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 for stark white frosting)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, as needed
- optional: 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.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg whites and beat on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, and beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and then, with the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the milk and beat just 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 the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake for 24–25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides, remove the cakes from the pan, peel off the parchment, and place on the rack to finish cooling. 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 paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar and then add the cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then gradually increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste; beat in the salt if the frosting is too sweet. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more cream if frosting is too thick, or a pinch more salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble and frost: (For additional help with this step, see this how to assemble a layer cake video & post.) 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 one cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Spread 3/4 to 1 cup 3/4–1 cup (180–240g) of vanilla buttercream in an even layer on top. Top with the second cake layer, upside down, and spread the top and sides with 1 cup of buttercream (240g) in a very thin layer to make the crumb coat. If desired, run a bench scraper around the cake to help smooth out the frosting on the sides. Refrigerate the cake until the crumb coat has set, about 20 minutes. Finish by spreading the top and sides with the remaining buttercream. Decorate the cake with sprinkles, if desired.
- Slice and serve immediately or keep at room temperature for a few hours before serving. 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 and then covered and refrigerated overnight. Assemble and frost the cake the next day when you are ready to serve. See this post & video on how to freeze cakes for information on freezing.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Fat Daddio’s Cake Pans or Wilton Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Straight Spatula and Bench Scraper (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 (about 1680g) of cake batter.
- Cake Flour: If you can’t find cake flour, here is a DIY homemade cake flour substitute you can use instead.
- Carton Egg Whites: You can use carton egg whites. The carton should give measurements for substituting for fresh egg whites.
- Milk, Sour Cream, Substituting Buttermilk: 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 for a lower-fat milk. If you want to use buttermilk, the best way to do so 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.
- Other Cake Sizes (6-inch, 8-inch, 9×13-inch, tiered cake, Bundt cake, cupcakes): Please see FAQ above the recipe.
- Almond Cake: If you want to add almond flavoring, I recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract for an almond cake. I usually just do this to the cake, but you could certainly swap some of the vanilla extract in the frosting for almond extract for an even deeper almond flavor. Decorate the cake with sliced almonds, if desired.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Would I be able to use this for a 9 1/2 inch and 7 1/2 inch cake stacked?
Hi Millie, here’s everything you need to know about different cake pan sizes and conversions.
Would this cake be suitable for the bottom tier of a 3 tier cake – I will properly dowel/stack it…
Hi Emma, yes, with proper support this cake will hold up well as a bottom tier. Enjoy!
Do you think covering this cake with marzipan instead of buttercream would work? Or do you think it would be too sweet? I am thinking of doing a lazy rendition of a princess cake with a layer of raspberry filling inside, but not sure if this is a good idea!
Hi Dianne, that sounds lovely! We would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try.
This is a VERY forgiving recipe!
I goofed up and forgot to add the sour cream but honestly it still turned out soft and tender and delicious! I thought that would ruin it but nope lol
Also, I forgot to get whole milk, but I had heavy cream, so I took a half cup or so of heavy cream and diluted it with a half cup of water and used that instead of whole milk.
It was soft and light and fluffy and delicious despite the changes to the recipe
This cake had great flavor and was fluffy!
the thing is it was super oily, like I could literally squeeze the oil out.
why would that have happened?
Hi Alana, I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor and texture, but that’s definitely odd since there’s no oil in this recipe! An oily texture can sometimes happen if the butter was too warm or over-mixed, which can cause the fat to separate slightly as it bakes. (See the over-creaming section on this post if you’re interested.) It can also happen if the cake was slightly underbaked in the center. Next time, try using butter that’s just softened to the touch and avoid over-creaming the butter and sugar. Hopefully that helps. Thank you for trying the recipe and sharing your results!
Hi Sally, would it be okay to use a springform pan with this cake batter? My options are an 8inch normal cake pan and a 9 inch springform pan. Thank you!! Looks delicious.
Hi Ava, You can use a 9 inch springform pan – we would bake it in two batches for two layers instead of baking it all at once. You can leave the second half of the batter sitting at room temperature while the first bakes. Or you can use two 8 inch pans instead of 9 inch pans. Bake time may be a minute or two longer as the layers will be thicker — use a toothpick to test for doneness. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! Was considering adding raspberries to the batter as I prefer this cake base over the Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cake. Do you think the batter can handle the extra weight?
Hi Ellen! You should be able to add fresh raspberries to the batter, but we haven’t tested it ourselves. We love this raspberry cake filling as well!
Raspberries worked well! I added raspberry filling and topped with the white chocolate buttercream. Delicious!!
Hello, I wanted to try this cake as a base for a tiramisu cake I’m making. Will this cake soak up the coffee syrup properly? Once soaked do you think I could use it for a layer cake?
Hi Mehula! We can’t offer much advice without trying it ourselves – let us know how it goes!
Love this recipe. Tried and true. Recommend breaking up #3 into their own steps. There are like 5 steps in that one step. Thank you Sally for all you do.
Can I substitute gluten free 1:1 flour for cake flour?
Hi Gina, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, but we’d love to know if you try it!
Hi Gina, I tried and it didn’t work well for me, the cake turned out fairly dry and dense. I wasn’t able to find GF cake flour though, so had subbed a 1:1 all purpose GF mix. I think the cake flour texture is important here.
Can you use half and half instead of heavy cream for the icing? I noticed in your chocolate frosting recipe it says you can use milk or half and half if you don’t have heavy cream on hand
Hi Kat, that will work in a pinch! The frosting may not be quite as creamy.
hi sally can I use this recipe for bento cakes ?
Hi Kathleen, this recipe yields about 7 cups (about 1680g) of cake batter. You can certainly use it for smaller sized cakes, keeping in mind that you should only fill your pans half way. Bake time will be shorter, too.
Can I sub AP flour if I’m just making confetti cake pops for the children at a wedding I’m doing? I want to save the cake flour for the “grown-up” cake(s).
Hi Glenna, yes! We use AP flour for these cake pops.
Hi
Is there a cake flour brand you recommend using?
I am going to use the recipe for my granddaughter’s birthday cupcakes.
Thank you
Hi Marilyn, the ones we can usually find at the grocery stores near us are Swans Down, King Arthur, and Soft As Silk. Any of those will work here. Hope your granddaughter loves the cupcakes!
Should I double the frosting recipe if I plan on using it to do extra decorations and writing on the cake?
Hi Michelle, it really depends on how heavily you plan to decorate. 1.5x may be plenty for you. We hope it’s a hit!
Can I use white vanilla instead of regular vanilla for a whiter finish?
That should be fine!
Hello! Could I use this recipe to make a white chocolate cake if I reduced the butter and sugar?
Hi M, we can’t confidently offer advice on adding white chocolate because we haven’t tested it ourselves. It would take a bit of recipe testing! Perhaps you could add white chocolate chips to the batter or fill your cake with a white chocolate ganache like we do in our tuxedo cake. Or it would be fantastic with this white chocolate buttercream frosting. Let us know what you try!
Hello! I’m wondering if I could use this batter for an 8×4 hemisphere cake pan. My son just HAS to have a soccer cake for his birthday party this weekend. Would you adjust the baking time? Or the amount in ingredients? Thanks so much!
Hi Jessica, we haven’t tested this recipe in that particular pan, but it should work. We’re unsure of the exact bake time. We typically recommend filling pans half way to allow for room to rise and bake evenly. If you have any leftover batter, you can use it to make a few cupcakes on the side. Here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. Hope it’s a hit!
Can I make cupcakes from this?
Hi Stephanie, our 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.
This is currently my FAVORITE cake. I put the almond extract in it to make it a white almond sour cream cake. It is so delicious – light but decadent! Perfect crumb! I used European butter (Kerrygold) which is yellow-er than American butter and was afraid it might affect the color, but it didn’t! Just as beautiful and white as it could be! I also filled it with some all fruit jam and it just paired perfectly!
And for anyone wondering, I used 2 8 in pans (the kind with higher sides like 3-4 in high) and had no problem. It definitely took longer to bake, but if you just keep an eye on it, it is perfectly fine!
Also, I’m used to letting it cool for 10-15 min in the pan then flipping it out, so I saw you said to cool it completely in the pan and I said “Oh my gosh! They’ll carry over cook and be dry!” I was SO wrong! And SO glad I went by your instructions! The cakes were so incredibly moist!
Very obsessed with this recipe!
Also, I just purchased a signed copy of your book and I can’t wait!
My daughter, nephews and niece and my sisters wanted to make a cake to celebrate what would have been my dad’s 93rd birthday (we just lost him in April) and chose this cake recipe and decorated it with fresh berries. It turned out so delicious. It’s the best cake recipe I’ve ever made. We followed the recipe exactly. Thank you so much!
The perfect white cake recipe states 1 cup whole milk or 240 ML . My standard glass measuring cup reads 1 cup 250ML, please explain.
Thank you.
Your measuring cup simply has both measurements. Some are either measurement and not both. The recipe is catering to this.
This recipe is delicious!
However my cakes didn’t fully rise (when I cut in I could see the bottom part was dense). Any tips for how to avoid this next time?
Thanks!
Hi Victoria, We’re so glad you gave this cake a try, though we’re sorry to hear the layers didn’t rise as expected. A few things could cause that: make sure your baking powder and soda are fresh (they lose strength after about 6 months), and try not to over-mix the batter after adding the flour, as that can deflate the structure. Also, double-check that your oven is fully preheated and running at the right temperature (an oven thermometer is so helpful!).
Where did I go wrong, my 2 – 9 inch round cakes did not rise very well. They didn’t collapse, they just didn’t rise well:
1. I let my butter and eggs sit out all night. Could the butter have been too soft?
2. All my ingredients were fresh, except my sour cream was a bit passed its expiration, but was never opened.
3. Maybe I don’t understand what creaming butter and sugar looks like. Could I have not creamed it long enough, too long? What should it look like?
4. My batter looked curdled prior to putting in pans. What could have happened?
5. It didn’t end up looking like 7 cups of batter to me. I followed the recipe to the tee.♀️
I love cakes! I want to do them right. Please help.
Thank you,
Kamelia
Hi Kamelia, We’re so glad you gave this cake a try, though we’re sorry to hear the layers didn’t rise as expected. A few things could cause that: make sure your baking powder and soda are fresh (they lose strength after about 6 months), and try not to over-mix the batter after adding the flour, as that can deflate the structure. Also, double-check that your oven is fully preheated and running at the right temperature (an oven thermometer is so helpful!).
Any suggestions for egg substitutes? Making a birthday cake, and the wee one is allergic! Thanks!
Hi Emily, the egg whites are key to this cakes taste, texture, and structure, so we haven’t tested any egg substitutes. If you’re interested, here are all of our egg-free recipes.
Made this cake for my wife’s 77th birthday dinner party. I wanted a 3 layer cake so made 2 batches of the cake ( the 4th layer will be turned into cake pops) Everyone loved the cake!! Great taste and texture! I’m not a fan of most American butter cream recipes as they are too sweet, but this version, I enjoyed!! Wonderful cake!! Better than what you get at most bakeries!
Could I substitute half and half for the whole milk? It would just save me a trip to the grocery store!
Hi Jillian, that *should* be ok, but we haven’t tested it.
My cake was only about 40% cooked after 25 minutes, still extremely jiggly. What did I do wrong?
Hi Molly! Did the batter seem too loose? The video tutorial above should give you a good visual of what the batter should look like. Otherwise, perhaps your oven is running a little cold – we would continue to bake until the cake is baked through.
Hi Sally – apologies if you’ve already answered this question (there are a lot of comments!) Would it ruin the bake / texture if I added confetti sprinkles to the cake batter? I know you have great funfetti recipes on the site, but I have this particular set of ingredients already on hand and wanted a simple 2-layer cake, but make it birthday. Thank you!
Hi Erin, after the batter is mixed, you can fold in 1/2 -2/3 cup of sprinkles (jimmies, not nonpareils) to this batter for a confetti cake. Enjoy!
Ii love the recipe but it’s hard for me to get sour cream, what can I use instead of sour cream. I also need to know the best recipe for an 8 inch vanilla cake, thnx
Hi Nakalema, see the Notes section beneath the recipe for info on substitutions for the sour cream: Milk, Sour Cream, Substituting Buttermilk: 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 for a lower-fat milk. If you want to use buttermilk, the best way to do so 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.
Hi Sally, This recipe looks so good. Do you think that it would work with vegan butter sticks?
Hi Dea, we haven’t tested this recipe with vegan butter sticks, so are unsure of the result. If you give it a try, please report back!