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.
One reader, Sarah, commented: “This cake is elite. Texture, flavor, sturdiness for frosting and decorating, freezes well… It was a beautiful centerpiece and dessert for a baby shower. Thank you! ★★★★★“
One reader, Candice, commented: “This is truly the best vanilla cake I have ever tasted! It is among the best cakes I have made in my 20+ years of baking… ★★★★★“
One reader, Rary, commented: “Off. The. Charts. Absolutely scrumptious! ★★★★★“
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 using a DIY buttermilk substitute.
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. You can use this detailed how to assemble and decorate a layer cake post as a guide!
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, a chocolate ganache drip like on this chocolate chip cake, 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.
Print
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 pan sizes and conversions.
Ingredients
- 3 and 2/3 cups (433g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) 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, a Tablespoon!)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) 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 silicone 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 cooling 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, 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): 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Kitchen Scale (optional) | Cooling Rack | 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 buttermilk 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hello! I’ve loved everything I’ve made from this site. Wondering if I copied use the cookie dough buttercream frosting on this cake. Thanks!
Hi Alexis! Yes, cookie dough buttercream would be delicious on this vanilla cake!
Awesome, thanks so much for the quick reply!
I can’t wait to try this! I’m wondering if I could bake this in a Bundt pan?
You bet! See recipe notes for details.
Ahh, I see that now! Thanks for responding!
Hello,
I’d like to make this cake for a friend’s birthday, but I have three 8″pans and only 2 9″ pans.. Could I take out a bit for an extra cupcake with good results? Thx!
Hi Megan, you can use your 8 inch round pans for slightly thicker layers with no changes to the recipe. You may need an extra minute or two of bake time since they layers will be thicker – use a toothpick to test for doneness. Hope it’s a hit!
Thank you! I ended up making 4 extra little cupcakes so my family and I could taste this recipe. It turned out great. Delicious!
I just made this cake for the second time and it was delicious! The first time I made it was last June and it was impossible to find cake flour because of the pandemic so obviously this time the results were so much better! Thank you for posting such a great recipe that is easy to follow.
Hi, just wondering if I could make this without a stand mixer? I have an electric hand whisk with 2 speed settings, or normal hand whisks and wooden spoons etc
I rarely bake because I’ve never been able to master it.
However, I made this cake for a birthday party. I baked three round 9″ pans. It was delicious and the frosting worked very well. However, it was so dense. It weighed a ton!
I follow instructions religiously, even timed the amount of beating as you indicated. I bought fresh eggs, butter, baking powder. Everything was room temperature. I even used a thermometer to manage the over temp, because as most ovens, it’s not accurate. I increased a few when it dipped degrees, and lowered when it increased and kept it between 140 to 155.
I did feel that they looked under cooked at 20 minutes. Are the tops supposed to be blondish? the bottoms and sides were brown. I even used vanilla bean flavored syrup to ensure moisture.
Would it be okay to leave the batter a little lumpy as I beat it until smooth, trying to keep within the time you recommended.
I just read your comments on how to avoid a dense cake. So I’m wondering, did I overbeat?
Hi Mary, thank you so much for giving this cake a try! Cakes can definitely be a tricky thing master. The best way to test for doneness is with the toothpick test, the tops of the cakes may still be light when they’re finished cooking. A few lumps are ok, but you’re right, over-beating the cake batter is the most common culprit for dense cakes. I would also check to make sure that your baking powder and soda are fresh. We find they can lose strength after just 3-4 months.
They were both bought specifically to bake this cake. I’m going to try it again. It was delicious and I’ve been asked to bake it once more.
I am definitely going to try this! But here’s a question I always wanted to know… when you put more than 1 cake pan in the oven, where exactly do you put them? All 3 on the middle rack, kinda next to each other? Or use different racks?
Hi Andrea! We fit all three on the middle rack and rotate once during baking to ensure an even bake.
Andrea, I have two round cake pans. I poured one third (weighed) into the pans and placed the last third in the fridge. Both pans were placed in the oven in the same rack, in the middle of oven, with a gap between them & oven walls. Half way into baking I gently switch their positions. Once baked, cooled & removed from pan, I cleaned & set up one of the pans & baked the last third alone in the middle of the rack. I hope that helps.
I’m excited to try this recipe as I am on the hunt for the best fluffy vanilla cake I can find. Question, if I’m making this with 6 inch cake pans, would I have a problem cutting recipe in half?
Hi Allison! For a vanilla 6 inch 3 layer cake, you can follow this 6 Inch Cake recipe instead. Otherwise you can always use this handy Cake Pan Sizes and Conversions Guide to adjust recipes as needed.
Thank you so much for the quick response! Also, I was doing a bit more research on ingredients and I realized I have King Arthur Unbleached & Unenriched Flour. Would that work for this recipe? I didn’t realize there were different kinds of cake flour.
That cake flour should work perfectly for this Vanilla Cake!
I notice the recipe says refrigerate for up to 5 days. What about the freezer? I accidentally made this cake a week early. I wrapped the cake layers after cooling (not frosted) individually then altogether and threw them in the freezer. Will they be okay? If so How long should I let them defrost before I can frost and decorate?
Thanks.
Hi Hannah! Absolutely, you froze them just the way we recommend, here’s our post on How to Freeze Cakes with thawing instructions as well.
I was planning to make your One Layer Strawberry Shortcake Cake recipe for my son’s birthday this weekend, but I saw this recipe and am wondering if you thought that this cake would do well as a single layer heaped with whipped cream and strawberries, prepared in the style of your shortcake recipe?
Hi Annie! This is too much batter to bake properly in one layer. The one layer strawberry shortcake cake should be perfect!
Thank you, that makes sense! What if I make 2 single layer cakes (am going to have to anyway)- do you think they would pair well with the whipped cream and strawberries?
Definitely!
Update – AMAZING!! Lot’s of great feedback about this vanilla cake heaped with the whipped cream and strawberries described in your “Strawberry Shortcake Cake” recipe. Thanks for making my son’s birthday cake so special!
Hi Sally! First time making this cake and I made it in cupcake form. One problem, my cupcakes sunk!! Any suggestions on why that might have happened? I used room temp ingredients, measured accordingly and made sure not to over mix. Your recipes usually turn out perfect for me, but clearly I did something wrong!
Hi Kathleen! Cupcakes can sink when the liners are filled too high – we recommend sticking with 2/3 full. Otherwise it could also simply be that the cupcakes wasn’t baked long enough and the centers are still raw. Do you use a toothpick to test for doneness? Thank you for giving them a try!
This looks amazing! My son is requesting caramel for his bday cake. Could This cake handle caramel filling in between layers?
Hi Kristen! We don’t recommend salted caramel between layers, as it will spill out the side under the weight of the layers. However, our salted caramel frosting would be delicious on this cake. Or you might be interested in our burnt sugar caramel cake, too. Let us know what you decide to try!
Thank you! I will try the salted caramel frosting! Can that frosting be made ahead of time and frozen?
Hi! I’m looking for a cake recipe for the Fourth of July. Do you think this recipe would work the same way if I add in red and blue sprinkles to the mix? I use your recipes every time I need to make a dessert and they always come out amazingly so I trust your advice!!!
Hi Katelyn, absolutely — to make a sprinkle cake, fold about 3/4 cup (120g) of sprinkles into the cake batter. Or simply follow the recipe for Funfetti Layer Cake. Hope it’s a hit!
Hi sally can I use vanilla cup cake for a wedding cake or should I use this recipe? I have not made this but I have made the vanilla cupcakes , no egg whites
Hi Latasha! Either recipe will work, you may also find this post on making homemade wedding cake helpful.
Hi sally, I made your coconut cake and loved it. Loved the moistness end flavour. I was wondering would this recipe compare?
I was looking to make a cake for my birthday. Or my mum may make it for me. I wanted the same texture as the coconut cake but minus the coconut. Just wondering whether I should just use the coconut cake recipe and take out the shredded coconut?
Hi Janita, you would definitely enjoy this cake as well, or we’d also recommend our white cake recipe — our coconut cake is actually adapted from that recipe! We hope you love it just as much.
That’s great. Thank you so much! I will let you know how it goes
Hi, I made this cake numerous times as I love the taste. However it always turns out dense looking or underbaked. It is not underbaked as I baked until toothpick came out clean, cake pulled from sides, looked browner than I would usually leave it, for fear it will be dense, again.
I baked the cake in slightly bigger pan – 12 inches and divided batter in 2 pans. Cake does rise in the oven but them appears to fall a bit when out, but does not sink.
I do not think I am overmixing the batter when I add flour, but I do use a mixer to do this, only for max 10-20 seconds though.
Thanks.
Hi Jo, If the taste is there, you’re not necessarily doing anything wrong! Does it taste dense, or just seem to look dense? Because you’re making the cake in bigger pans, the layers will be a bit thinner — it’s normal for them to fall just slightly once removed from the oven. Let us know if we can help to troubleshoot further.
Thanks for your reply Lexi!
The taste is great, but it looks a bit underdone/wet or like to much gluten developed. Not sure if there is a way to send a photo of it.
Thanks
Jo
Could I make this into a marble cake? How much cocoa powder would I need to add? Thank you!
Hi Dylan, we’d recommend following our zebra cake instead — simply use a toothpick of knife to help create a marbled look there instead of the zebra stripes. Let us know if you give it a try!
Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of heavy cream?
Hi.
I would like to make a rainbow layer cake using this recipe. It’s my go to vanilla cake! Would simply splitting the batter into 4 or 6 pans be the most i would need to change. I would colour the layers differently with gel colouring of course. Any major changes you suggest?
Hi Cordelia, you can absolutely make a rainbow cake — we have many times! We typically split the batter among 5 pans for thinner layers. If you wanted, you could make the recipe twice for 6, regular sized layers (the cake would be quite large). Let us know what you try!
This is great news! I generally don’t bake my own birthday cakes but thought i would give it a shot with the rainbow layer cake. Thanks!
I’ve made this recipe once and it was delicious! I’m planning to make it again, but this time am hoping to do some sort of raspberry buttercream/compote between the layers. I found this recipe on your site (https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/raspberry-lemon-cupcakes/). Would making that icing for the in-between layers work with this cake? Or do you have another recommendation? Thank you!!
Hi Bronwen, that buttercream would be delicious between the layers of this cake! Let us know how it turns out for you.
Hi! I’m making this cake for my son’s bday next week and I was wondering if it would be ok if I brushed the cake layers with simple syrup after leveling and before icing? I do that with all my homemade cakes as I love an extra moist and slightly more dense cake. But I really don’t want to mess up anything.
Hi Jenna, you can certainly use your favorite simple syrup here if desired. Hope the cake is a hit!
This cake recipe is PERFECT!!! Cake came out sooooo delicious, it is a keeper for sure!!
Why is this recipe not recommended for a sheet cake? What is the problem with the different cake pan size?
Hi Cindy, mostly for structure purposes. We find sheet cakes (in some instances) have a tendency to become quite dense. We really like this vanilla sheet cake recipe though. It uses the reverse creaming method. Best cake crumb!
I am looking to make a tiered vanilla cake (9″ bottom and 6″ top) for about 20 people (so the wedding cake option seems to big?). Would this cake be strong enough to hold up one of your 6″ cakes?
Hi Erin! The bottom of our wedding cake is actually adapted from this recipe, so it is sturdy enough to hold a 6 inch cake on top. For extra support, we recommend using cake dowels.
This is by far the best cake I have ever made from scratch. Soooo much better than a box cake mix. My family loved it so much and couldn’t stop eating it. Also, the buttercream frosting was so smooth and fluffy. The perfect marriage for a cake! Just what I have been looking for! I will discard all my other scratch cake recipes because this is the only one I will ever use! Thank you for such clear instructions on making this wonderful, delicious cake and frosting!
This cake is one of the best vanilla cakes I’ve had or baked..I have already baked this cake twice in a week..we aren’t fond of icing so had it as it is & it was divine..just to check how many days can this cake be kept at room temperature as the first time I baked the cake we finished it in 2days while the next time on the 3rd day it got spoilt..
Hi Sarah, after a day or so, we’d recommend storing the cake tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Glad you enjoyed this one!
Thank you very much, will definitely keep that in mind next time I bake this cake!!
I love this cake, I’ve made it a couple of times, but I have a couple questions? First- I can only get low fat buttermilk- which has worked out fine but would I be better off making my own with full fat milk?
Also could I reverse cream this cake, if so do I add milk before or after eggs? Or doesn’t it matter?
Ps, your recipes are really simple to use. I love your site!! Thank you.
I made this for mine/my brother’s birthday cake. Triple layer heart shape small, medium, and large layers. I am Gluten Free so I did a 1-1 gluten free flour and 1 cup of almond flour. It was wonderful! It was soft, moist, and delicious. Everyone enjoyed it, even the non gluten free people!
Hi Sally. Your recipes are my go to for cakes! However I made this vanilla cake today and although I feel I followed all the instructions the cake layers failed to rise. Can you over any advice on why this happened? Thanks Olivia
Hi Olivia! Thanks so much for giving this cake a try. How many layers did you make — is it possible the pans were filled a bit too much? When there is too much batter in the pan, it weighs it down and the cake won’t rise as it should. (You can expect about 1.5 – 2 inches rise). Or, did the batter sit out for an extended period of time? When batter is mixed, the leaveners are immediately activated and the longer it sits, the less it will rise. Let us know if we can help troubleshoot further!
Hi Lexie. Thanks for replying! I used 3 9” pans and put the mixture straight in the oven so I’m not sure if this was an issue. I also used new baking papered as I know it can have a shelf life. Could it have been anything else? I would love to accomplish a proper height 3 layer cake! Thanks
How was the texture? If you found it to be a little dense as well, it’s possible the batter was slightly over mixed. Over mixing can cause the cake to deflate and come out with little rise and a dense texture. Hope this is helpful for next time!
I love this recipe and make this cake and make it often! Would fresh strawberries work as a filling in between layers along with the frosting? Or would that just get mushy?
Hi Katie! This cake would be great with fresh strawberries in between the layers. Enjoy!
Hi Sally..Love your cake recipes. I have tried several and they always come out great. I need some advice on a cake I am baking for my daughter’s bday. I am making a unicorn cake with 4 layers but have only 9 by 2 inch pans. Can I divide this recipe into 2 9-inch pans instead of 3 and then cut them into 2 layers to make 4 layers total? I realize I’ll need to adjust baking time but would the cake overflow and cook unevenly?
Hi Parvathy! For a four layer cake, we recommend using our 2 layer white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. You can make two separate batches in order to yield the four cake layers you need. Hope this helps!
I needed to bake a cake asap for my brothers birthday, I loved using the ‘jump to recipe’ button to know how to to whip one up in no time! Super easy recipe to follow also – this will be my new go to!
How much cake batter does this make? I need to make a large cake and I may need to make alterations and this sounds too good to pass up. Please let me know! It’s for my 10 year old’s birthday party!