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.
PrintBest 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, Tbsp!)
- 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 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.
This cake was amazing! I made it for a friend’s birthday, tasted like it came from a bakery! I feel like the buttercream frosting was a little too sweet for my taste. I used a light Italian meringue buttercream icing instead and lemon curd filling. The cake was perfectly moist and fluffy, definitely will use this again. Question for you, could you substitute almond extract instead of the vanilla for an almond cake? Is it a one to one substitution or should I still use some vanilla?
I am VERY picky and I love to bake. I love homemade. This is my FAVORITE vanilla cake recipe.
Just used this recipe to make my daughter a funfetti birthday cake for her 17th birthday party and 8 teenagers ate the whole thing.
Best tasting cake I have personally made yet!
Hello! How would I adjust the measurements for a 3-layered 6” cake. Thank you!
I cut the sugar in half the second time I made it and it was delicious!! Way too sweet the first time. Love how fluffy and moist the cake is.
Hi Sally ! This Vanilla cake is absolutely fabulous ! I often make it and It’s always a big hit ! Thank you !
Sally!!! Best cake ever 🙂 Thanks again for another winner in “my” repertoire. I’m rocking the kitchen these days thanks to you!!
Very good cake, indeed! I usually don’t like plain white cakes; they are either too dry, too sweet, too buttery and boring. Having made your Lemon-Blueberry Layer Cake twice with great succes, I decided to try this recipe for a gathering of young kids.
I followed the recipe to the T, but I was distracted and I forgot to add the vanilla extract to the batter. When I assembled the cake, I brushed the layers with vanilla+coconut extract diluted with water. It ended up being really tasty with an amazing crumb. Not overly sweet, or buttery or boring 🙂 Definitely a keeper.
Awesome cake! One of the best. Texture was delicious. I used low fat buttermilk because that’s all I could find and it worked great.
This cake is amazing. I’m an avid baker and have tried dozens of vanilla cake recipes. This one is a winner for sure. It’s not overly sweet and is great paired with an American buttercream. This will be my go-to recipe in the future. The cake is light and fluffy and Delicious.
Hey Sally, this is by far the best vanilla cake I have made or tasted. I didn’t have cake flour so I did the cornflour thing. It was a bit dense but extremely tasty. I am making another one in the morning and I will be using cake flour this time. Looking forward to another crowd pleaser. Thanks for this. I also made your carrot cake recipe yesterday and it was awesome!
This sounds delicious! I have a question that I was hoping you could help me with since I am still new to making cakes from scratch. I am making a cake for my nephew’s graduation next week & your recipe sounds perfect. I was going to make it in 2 extra large pans, which I figured out is double the recipe for a 2 layer cake, or 4 9-inch pans. I was trying to figure out what was the difference between your 3 layer cake & your 2 layer cake so I could just double the recipe, but some of the ingredients are different. Can you help me out? Is there a difference between buttermilk or milk & sour cream? & how many eggs should I use? I would like to use some yolks unless you think it’s a bad idea. I am not concerned about the cake being white, just tasting delicious! Please help lol! Math & conversions confuse the heck out of me!
Hi Stephanie! So my white cake is fluffier (and pristine white!). This vanilla cake has a more traditional buttery crumb– it also yields slightly more batter. You can’t go wrong either way. Both cakes are soft, moist, and flavorful!
Thank you! This is the best cake I’ve ever made. I did have to substitute the buttermilk with lemon in milk, and I made my own cake flour using corn starch and regular flour. It all worked great. Topped it with raspberry preserves. So good! Thank you so much!
Sally, I made this cake because my two grandkids wanted to make a cake and I didn’t have a cake mix. It is so good! I don’t think I will get a cake mix again! Thank you.
I made this cake for a party and it was a big hit. Could I add an extra egg white of more buttermilk for extra moistness?
I have tried MANY Vanilla cake recipes and this one takes the trophy home!!! I have tried sour cream, oil etc to make my cakes moist and fluffy and this recipe using buttermilk and eggs makes a perfect combo!!! I ended up making two batch’s because I made a two tier cake with two 9 inch pans and two 6 inch pans and 2 dozen cupcakes Thank you for the recipe ❤️
Normally, I don’t leave reviews, but this recipe warrants one. I was a little bit skeptical about using an online recipe, but after following the recipe exactly, this cake was the best one I’ve ever made (as an amateur baker). I made it for a small group of 8 students, so we naturally cut the cake into 8 equal pieces. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) loved the cake. Many people felt as though the cake was quite rich for a vanilla cake, so I’m sure that you can cut the cake into much smaller pieces and still get the deliciousness of the cake in every bite.
Would highly recommend to anyone and everyone.
Amazing recipe! Thank you so much, this is my new favourite. I love all the tips you give.
I followed it and made the best cake, people were having 3rd and 4th serves!
Love this cake. Made it twice already! Could lemon juice be added to create a lemon cake?
Hey Sally! I’ve baked this cake for the forth time today. I’ve made layer cakes twice. One time with vanilla Swiss buttercream and for Easter I made it with brown sugar Swiss buttercream. Both were amazing. I’ve baked it twice as a Bundt cake, no frosting, no glaze just the cake. My family and I love this recipe. The one issue I’ve had is that when baking in a bundt pan, the cake falls apart as I’m removing it even after copious amounts of flour. It’s so delicious that I will continue to bake it in a bundt pan and my family and I will happily eat it even it it falls apart
Made this for my daughter’s birthday party. Defiantly, the best vanilla cake ever. Huge hit.
Made this for my daughter’s birthday, and she loved it! So good!
I just finished baking this and I agree, it’s the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had! I baked a 2 layer 8” cake and had extra batter for 6 cupcakes. The recipe may have just a little more sugar than I’d like, but by no means is it too sweet. I just had a cupcake and tasted the piece of the cake that i trimmed off and it was so good even without frosting. Follow the recipe to a T and you’re golden. Thanks for a great recipe! It will certainly be my go-to.
Came out wonderful!!! It was so delish!
Thank you SO much for this! I have tried over a dozen different types of vanilla cake recipes and this one is PERFECT! I did it in three 8″ pans because I wanted thicker layers. It is so good that I made an extra cake for my boyfriend and I to eat tonight. I’ve been making cakes for 9 years and I never want to actually EAT cake! A++++
Hi Sally I want to know if I can used this on a 1/2 sheet pan? I tried on a 9 it’s so good my fiance love it
Sure can! Same oven temperature. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Absolutely wonderful! Made this over the weekend for my daughter’s 4th birthday party and it was perfect. I used your raspberry buttercream for the top and nearly-naked sides, and made stabilized raspberry whipped cream for the filling. I was so pleased with how thick the layers are, as I feel like all the cakes I make lately have super thin layers and they end up looking like glorified pancakes. This one looked like a REAL BIRTHDAY CAKE — and everyone loved. Snacking on a leftover piece as we speak… yum!!
HI Sally, I love this cake and am making it for my sons first birthday. Am I able to make the frosting ahead? If so, how do I store it? In the refrigerator? Thank you!
Hi Amy! Yes, prepare the frosting ahead of time. Cover and store it in the refrigerator. Before using, mix it with your mixer for 30-60 seconds to loosen it up a bit because the butter in the buttercream will have solidified in the fridge. You can even add a splash of milk or cream if needed.
Made this as one of three cakes for my daughter’s birthday party (big family). It was fantastic! I actually snuck it of the dessert table so I could make sure could bring some home, as everyone was grabbing extra slices for themselves! Huge huge hit!
Made this recipe with sprinkles for both a cake and cupcakes for a 40th birthday with chocolate frosting. So AMAZING! Your recipes never fail me! 🙂