With its outstanding vanilla flavor, pillowy soft crumb, and creamy vanilla buttercream, this is truly the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had. And after 1 bite, I guarantee you’ll agree.
Out of all the cake recipes on my website, there’s a glaring absence. There’s white cake with a pristine soft crumb, vanilla naked cake with a flavorful tight crumb, and checkerboard cake with a whimsical design.
What about a classic vanilla layer cake draped in vanilla buttercream? I already have homemade vanilla cupcakes and a vanilla 6 inch cake covered and now in all its crowning glory (and after plenty recipe testing catastrophes), I present you with cake perfection:
This is the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had.
What Makes it the Best Vanilla Cake?
Let’s count the ways!
- Soft, light crumb from cake flour
- Fluffy from extra egg whites
- Buttery and cakey from creamed butter
- Stick-to-your-fork moist from eggs & buttermilk
- Extra flavor from pure vanilla extract
Not to mention its versatility: This vanilla cake batter is strong enough for shaped cakes, tiered cakes (see the slight variation in my homemade wedding cake recipe), and holds up beautifully under fondant. Use this batter for vanilla cupcakes, Bundt cake, or even piñata cake. It’s classy enough for a wedding celebration, but unassuming enough for a big family dinner.
Behind the Vanilla Cake Recipe
After years of cake successes and flops, I’m confident in this homemade vanilla cake. During my recipe testing, I combined my white cake recipe and naked cake recipe. These are two reader favorites and I knew they’d be the best starting point. At first there were too many eggs and I quickly learned sifting cake flour was NOT doing any favors.
You need the following power ingredients:
- Cake Flour: If you want a fluffy and soft bakery-style vanilla cake, cake flour is the secret. The cake will be denser and heavier using all-purpose flour.
- Eggs & 2 additional egg whites: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy. I don’t recommend using 4 whole eggs; stick to the 3 egg & 2 egg white combination.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Remember the differences in baking powder vs baking soda and why we use both in some recipes? Using enough baking powder to give these layers height gave the cake a bitter aftertaste. Baking soda allows us to use less baking powder.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is an acidic ingredient and baking soda requires an acid to work. Plus buttermilk yields an EXTRA moist cake crumb. See recipe note about the alternative.
For more prominent vanilla flavor, use homemade vanilla extract. (What a fun DIY gift!) This vanilla cake batter is moderately thick and fits perfectly in 3 9-inch cake pans. We actually use the same exact batter to make snickerdoodle cake.
Do you know how to level a cake? Let me help. It’s really easy. You can use a fancy cake leveler, but I use a serrated knife. Carefully slice off the tippy top of the cooled cake layers, creating a flat surface. Leveling cakes doesn’t require a ruler, talent, or any mathematical equations. Instead, just use your eyes, hands, and a knife.
Leveling the cake layers promises a straight and sturdy layer cake.
How Much Frosting Between Cake Layers?
I always eyeball the amount of frosting between cake layers, but I measured when I decorated the pictured cake. The vanilla buttercream recipe below yields about 6 cups of frosting. I recommend you use about 1.5 heaping cups of buttercream between each cake layer and reserve the last 3 cups for outside the cake. If you are going to add a filling such as raspberry cake filling, you’ll use less frosting between the layers.
Cake Decoration Inspiration: For a simple look, stick with vanilla buttercream, fresh berries, and mint sprigs. You can also decorate with chocolate buttercream (I recommend the same amount from this piñata cake), rainbow sprinkles, or even beautiful buttercream flowers.
Homemade Vanilla Cake Success Tips
Learn from my mistakes and bake the best cake on the 1st try!
- Follow the recipe closely. Use each power ingredient listed.
- Use room temperature ingredients. The batter mixes together evenly when all the cake ingredients are roughly the same temperature. This also reduces the risk of over-mixing and over-baking. Set out your ingredients 1 hour before beginning. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Line your cake pans with parchment. Place your cake pans on a large sheet of parchment paper. Trace the bottom of the cake pan with a pencil. Cut parchment paper into rounds. Grease the pan and the parchment paper. Parchment paper rounds guarantee seamless removal from the pan because the cake slides right out.
- Cool cake layers completely. I’ve tried taking shortcuts by assembling a layer cake with semi-warm cake layers. Well, the frosting completely melts and causes the entire cake to collapse. Make sure each layer is cool– refrigerate or freeze the layers if you need to!
- Refrigerate decorated cake. After frosting the cake, place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This is optional, but it sets the frosting and cake layers. You’ll get beautifully clean slices because the crumbs are cool and tight.
Great read: Check out Tessa’s Top 10 Best Layer Cake Tips.
Finding the perfect vanilla cake recipe requires a celebration. Luckily we have cake!!!
More Classic Cake Recipes
And here is my perfected vanilla cupcakes recipe.
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Best Vanilla Cake
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 12-14 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With its outstanding vanilla flavor, pillowy soft crumb, and creamy vanilla buttercream, this is truly the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had. Make sure you read through the recipe and recipe notes before beginning. This recipe yields approximately 8 cups of batter which is helpful if you need this batter for different cake pans and conversions.
Ingredients
- 3 and 2/3 cups (433g) cake flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs + 2 additional egg whites, at room temperature*
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 and 1/2 cups (650g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch 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.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will look curdled as a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, pour in the buttermilk and mix just until combined. 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. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 23-26 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’s 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 hand-held 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, milk, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble and decorate: 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 about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I use and recommend an icing spatula to apply the frosting.
- Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- 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. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer or Handheld Mixer | 9-inch Cake Pans | Kitchen Scale | Large Icing Spatula | Cake Turntable | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storing and transporting)
- 9×13 Inch Cake: I recommend using my white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. See recipe notes for the 9×13 inch version.
- 2 Layer Cake: I recommend using my 2 layer white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake.
- Bundt Cake: This vanilla cake batter will fit into a 10-12 cup or larger Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time (likely around an hour), but use a toothpick to test for doneness. Same oven temperature.
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19-21 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen. Or try my vanilla cupcakes recipe.
- Cake Flour: To prevent a dry-tasting cake, make sure you are spooning and leveling the flour or weighing it. For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle and I have many more recipes using it. Usually a homemade cake flour substitute works, but this recipe uses far too much cake flour and the homemade substitute is not ideal.
- Eggs: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy. I don’t recommend using 4 whole eggs; stick to the 3 egg & 2 egg white combination. Here are recipes using leftover egg yolks.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY sour milk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Want chocolate frosting instead? I recommend the recipe/amount of chocolate frosting I use for Piñata Cake.
- Sprinkle Cake: To make a sprinkle cake, fold about 3/4 cup (135g) of sprinkles into the cake batter. Avoid nonpareils (the little balls), which tend to bleed their color. Or try this confetti birthday cake, which is quite similar to this recipe.
Keywords: vanilla cake, vanilla frosting, birthday cake
If I were to cut this more wedding cake-style and serve rectangular slices, could I feed more people? This seems like a lot of cake for 12-14 but maybe they’re getting a full wedge each? I need to make a cake that feeds 20-25 but I don’t know if I should double this recipe and make a sheet cake also.
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Hi Krista, yes, you could certainly cut the pieces smaller to yield more servings. Or here is our homemade wedding cake that yields a bit more. Hope it’s a hit!
I love this recipe! The cake came out very soft and fluffy, yum! I find it quite sweet though. Would it remain this soft and fluffy if I reduced the amount of sugar by about a 1/2 or 3/4 cup?
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Hi Yemisi, so glad you enjoyed the cake! Sugar plays an important role in the taste, texture, and structure of baked goods, and while you can certainly try reducing the sugar, the results may be impacted. We haven’t tested a version with lower sugar ourselves. Or, you could try using a less-sweet frosting, like Swiss meringue buttercream or whipped frosting instead.
I hope you see this in time. I know you have a two-layer cake, but if I wanted to use this recipe, what’s the best way to make it work?
Hi AR! You can make this recipe, and use the extra batter for some cupcakes.
We absolutely love this recipe. We have used it several times and it always turns out perfect and absolutely the best white cake I’ve ever had!
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Note to self: you have made this cake at least four times and, while tasty, the center always comes out under-done and then falls. The crumb is also a bit unpleasant.
This is not meant as a bad review on the recipe, just a reminder that it’s not for me. This site is 100% a go -to for me. Super great content! So I keep forgetting I don’t love this cake, since I love everything else I’ve made from this blog.
Happy baking.
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I am about to try this recipe for my husband’s birthday. I only have 2 9-inch pans. How long do I bake it for?
Hi TinaT! For a two layer cake, we recommend using our 2 layer white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. Otherwise, for a three layer cake, you can bake the first two layers of this vanilla cake, then bake the third layer after, re-using one of your pans. Keep the last third of batter covered at room temperature as you wait to bake it if you choose that route. Let us know how it goes!
Sally, I have made this cake before and it was out of this world. But, I can’t remember if for the Frosting I used milk or heavy cream,. You say milk as you wrote out the recipe; is that your preference. Thank you.
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I usually use heavy cream, if I have it. It makes for a very creamy buttercream. You can really use either, though… the difference is so slight!
Thank you so much. If you use heavy cream, I’ll use heavy cream. Most appreciatively, Macky
Sally, just as the first time I made it, it was absolutely delicious. I did notice one difference even though it did not affect the taste one single bit: it was a denser cake versus the light one that I made the first time. The only thing I can think of is that I had no recollection of having poured in the egg whites the first time I made it as did so this time, because I made note of the fact you did not beat them first. Could that have been the difference. I made the recipe exactly as written. I never change any of your recipes. If in fact I did beat and fold in the egg whites the first time, it was strictly because I did not read the recipe carefully, and automatically beat them before adding them.
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I really want to make this, but thinking about adding blackberry or raspberry jam in between the layers (I would do this the morning before I serve it a few hours later). Do you think the jam would soak through the sponges too much? I would definitely put a layer of buttercream down first, with a spread of jam on top of the frosting, before stacking my next layer. Thoughts?
Hi Emily, this cake is fantastic with a jam or curd between layers. You may want to use frosting to create a ring/dam around the edge to prevent the filling from squeezing out the sides. Let us know how it goes!
This is an elegant cake recipe. Your recipe and tips make everyone an expert baker.
I have made this cake multiple times with the recommended buttercream frosting. My husband love cream cheese frosting. Would this cake taste as delicious with the cream cheese frosting recipe from your red velvet cake (also an exceptional cake recipe).
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Hi Ann, Yes! This cake is delicious with cream cheese frosting.
I have made this cake several times. We love it! It has the best flavor of any vanilla cake I have had. I am wanting to make a cookies and crème cake and was wondering if I could fold some crushed Oreos in at the end or would that mess with the moisture levels?
Hi April, we’re so glad you enjoy this cake! You can certainly add about 3/4 cup of crushed Oreos at the end, or you might enjoy our Cookies & Cream Cake instead.
I look forward to making this cake and am gathering the shopping list. What unsalted brand of butter do you recommend for the best outcome ? Would Kerrygold, President or Isigny Ste Mere Churned be best ?
Hi Leah! European style butter, like Kerry Gold, is wonderful in cooking but we find it’s sometimes difficult to use in baking recipes. Its higher fat percentage, while making the butter tasty, creates too much grease in doughs and batters. We haven’t tested it in this specific recipe, so we’re unsure just how much it would be impacted/what other tweaks might be necessary. If you do decide to give it a go, please do let us know how it works for you!
thanks so much for your prompt reply about the kerry gold butter. can you recommend a specific brand you use for baking cakes that works well? thanks !
Hi Leah, Land ‘O Lakes, Horizon Organic, and Challenge Butter are a few we use in our kitchens—as well as store brands from our local grocers and Costco. Hope this helps!
Can I use oil instead of butter?
Hi Anne, butter is key to this cake’s intended taste and texture, so we don’t recommend swapping it. If needed, you could try swapping with solid coconut oil, as you’ll need a solid to cream together with the sugars. Hope you enjoy!
Hey!! I love this vanilla cake recipe and have used it soo many times (including my wedding cake). I have, however, been requested to make an eggless vanilla cake. Was wondering if this recipe can be adapted for an eggless version? Maybe yogurt can be substituted for eggs? In your expert opinion, would that work? And if yes, then would it be 1:1 substitution?
Hi Shreya, we’re so glad this is a favorite for you! We haven’t tested an egg-free version of this cake, so we’re unsure of what substitutes might work best. The eggs do play a critical role in this recipe, so for best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a vanilla cake recipe that is specifically formulated to be egg-free. Thank you!
With half the ingredients and none of the equipment, I made the best, most professional and fluffy cake I have ever made! Your blog brought the right vibes. Thank you!
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Website is horrible, ads kept showing up covering the entire recipe making me have to leave the page. There’s less obvious ways you can do stupid cash grabs instead of forcing a horrible user experience. I’ll never be using this site again because of it.
Can this recipe be baked in 4 8 inch pans , using 2 cups of batter in each?
Hi Cathie, you can certainly use this recipe to make a 4 layer 8-inch cake. The layers will be a little thinner so reduce the bake time.
Hi Sally!
I’ve used your vanilla recipe for years; it’s absolutely perfect! I use it so often I was wondering if it would ever be possible to recreate this recipe for a 20 quart size batch? I know that you don’t recommend doubling the recipe but I love it so much.
Hi Lorraine! Thank you so much for your kind feedback and for making and trusting our recipes. Our recipes are written for small-batch home baking, so we haven’t tested it as a much larger cake. If you do wish to try scaling your ingredients for a larger cake, be careful not to overmix or undermix the batter with the added volume. Let us know if you give anything a try!
Question: I love your recipes. My favorite is the Strawberry shortcake “cupcake one” I have to make a 2 tiered cake. 2, 8*3 inch layers, and 2 6*3 inch layers. You mentioned earlier, that you don’t reccmomend doubling the recipe. How Much batter should I use for this cake. (I am not the greatest at math)
Hi Kierra! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
I love this recipe so much! It always tastes amazing and is so light and fluffy! However the last few times I’ve made the recipe, I’ll cut into it and have a lot of air bubbles. What’s the best way to not have that happen?
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Hi Sarah, we’re so glad you love this one! Small bubbles in cakes are normal, but if you have larger bubbles or holes in your cakes it could be from any number of reasons. Some common causes of air bubbles are over-mixing the batter, not having all of your ingredients at room temperature, using too much leaveners, or adding the eggs all at once instead of one at a time. Hope this helps for next time!