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.
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 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
This makes a delicious cake! I have a question, though. My tops are very gummy. When I leveled my cake my knife was getting a layer of the top stuck and it was the consistency of play doh. Is it supposed to be that way? It’s only on the top, like a gummy, sticky film.
Just in case these things matter, I followed the recipe very closely, and when they were done I did let the cake cool completely in the pans on a wire rack, then wrapped them in plastic wrap and refrigerated them overnight.
Thank you for your delicious and detailed recipes!
★★★★★
I have been looking for a vanilla cake recipe and I think I have just found it. I have cupcakes in the oven and can’t wait to taste them, diet or no diet. The batter tasted delicious.
Would I be able to substitute some of the vanilla with almond extract to create an almond flavor cake?
Hi Kim, you can definitely swap out some vanilla for some almond extract, but it may not taste super almond-y. You may also enjoy these recipes for raspberry almond crumb cake and pistachio cake (which uses almond extract for some of its flavor).
I substituted 1tsp of the vanilla with almond extract, but followed the rest of the recipe to a T. This is probably the best cake I have ever tasted. It is moist and full of flavor. No need to try any other vanilla cake recipes. This is it!
★★★★★
CAKE IS VERY MOIST & FLUFFY. LOVED IT!! THANK YOU SALLY!!
★★★★★
Amazing recipe! This was my first attempt at a homemade vanilla cake, and this is the only recipe I’ll ever need. The cake was so moist and delicious that my teens and I finished one of the two cakes before we even got it frosted! I popped the other into the freezer for a vanilla and chocolate layered cake for an upcoming birthday. Thank you for sharing this, it will be my go to for sure!
★★★★★
This is hands down the best vanilla cake I’ve ever made. My family requests this cake for every birthday in our house.
★★★★★
Mother here! I loved this recipe and so did my children! I’m bringing this to their soccer games!
★★★★★
This recipe was so amazing! I loved it so much! My children loved the cake so much! Especially with cream cheese frosting! Definitely bringing it to their soccer games! Wowza!
★★★★★
Fellow mother here! My children also loved it! So happy I’m not alone!
★★★★★
Thank you for this perfect recipe and for the detailed instructions. I followed them exactly and made the best cake we’ve ever had!
★★★★★
Hi Sally can I use the other recipes aswell for stacker wedding cakes? Like your red velvet carrot chocolate ect listed here. Thank you.
Hi Mariska, We list many flavors that are great for stacking as a tiered wedding cake in this post: Simple Homemade Wedding Cake.
This is the first time I’ve ever been so happy with a recipe online. I tweaked the recipe just a little. Instead of 1 1/2 cups butter I used 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup oil. And I used normal box milk as I had no buttermilk. The cake make out so amazing. My whole family loved it. It was super soft. And tasty. I’m so happy. Definitely going to be trying other recipes of yours.
★★★★★
This cake and frosting are truly amazing. The hardest park was not eating the entire mixing bowl the the butter cream frosting
Could you use pasteurized liquid egg whites instead of fresh ones?
Hi Christina, you can use carton egg whites for the two additional egg whites.
Hello! I am going to make your Best Vanilla Cake. Can I use a different icing? Also, is it best to use the 9 inch cake pans? I don’t have a stand up mixer.
Hi Barbara, You can use any icing you like! You can use your hand mixer here — not a problem!
I made this cake last night but accidentally left the cake out. I put it in the fridge this morning. Is it okay to still eat?
Hi Marsha, As long as it was covered the cake should be fine at room temperature for a day.
This is the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had.
I made it for a birthday party so I was nervous, but it came out great.
I didn’t have cake flour, so I substituted all purpose and sifted it with corn starch. I also didn’t have buttermilk but added vinegar to my whole milk and used that. Otherwise the recipe was exact. I weighed my ingredients instead of measured and I really feel like this made an impact. The cake was moist, firm but soft, flavorful and so good!
I paired it with the “not-so-sweet” frosting and it was perfect!
Thanks for a delicious recipe, this will be part of my birthday celebrations from now on!
★★★★★
I love this recipe for my vanilla cakes! Amazing! I do the reverse method and it turns out lovely! I do have a question; I am trying to make life a bit easier for a large order coming due on Valentine’s Day; is there a way I can create this batter & turn it into multiple flavors ? Preferably strawberry and chocolate espresso ? Would it handle having cocoa and instant coffee added or strawberry jello & purée added ?
Hi Kylie, we’re so glad this recipe is a favorite for you! If possible, it’s best to use recipes that are specifically formulated for the ingredients you’re using. For example, cocoa is a very drying ingredient and isn’t always a 1:1 swap with flour, and strawberry puree is a wet ingredient and would require tweaking of the other ingredients. Here are our recipes for strawberry cake, chocolate cake, and an espresso chocolate chip cake, if you’re interested. Hope this helps!
Hey! I’m making a peach birthday cake for my brother and I can’t find a layer cake like that on your site. But, I love your recipes and would love to base it off of one especially as I’m not liking the other options I’ve found online. I was thinking I could follow this and brush it with peach juice or a peach simple syrup. Can I also fold in small diced peaches? Will this recipe hold up to that? And one more thing, can I make your strawberry buttercream and use freeze dried peaches instead of strawberries? Thank you in advance for your help!
Hi Rey, we have tried adding about 1 and 1/2 cups of blueberries to this cake before, but not peaches. You can certainly give it a try, but we’d recommend blotting off some the excess moisture before adding to the batter since peaches can be pretty wet. Otherwise, a simple syrup would be a fantastic option. Or, you could use our strawberry cake recipe and make a reduced peach puree for the cake and use freeze dried peaches for the frosting. Let us know what you try!
What chocolate frosting would you recommend?
Hi Trish, You can use chocolate buttercream (we recommend the same amount that we use for this piñata cake).
i love this recipe so much. it helped me alot. thank you sally!
Hi Sally. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I plan on making this recipe twice for a 6 layer semi naked cake. Is this the recipe you’d recommend for an outcome that has caramelised edges, less outside crumbs and the ability to hold up well? Or your naked cake recipe? Thank you!
Hi Melanie! The two recipes are very similar, but the naked cake recipe is slightly sturdier because it uses all-purpose flour instead of cake flour. Happy baking!
I cant wait to try this, I was searching for a vanilla sponge recipe with buttermilk and this looks very promising. Is the temperature given for an oven without fan?
Hi Elise, We always recommend and write for conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
Hello! Do you happen to have conversions for baking this at a higher elevation? I’m baking for a special occasion and would hate for it to collapse! 🙁
Hi Julie, We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I need to bake 3 8-inch cakes. How should i change the measurements?
Hi Maha, You can use this recipe with 8 inch cake pans for slightly thicker layers in a three layer cake. You may need an extra minute or two of bake time since they layers will be thicker – use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Can I half the recipe? There’s only 2 of us and I want a smaller cake.
Hi Tammy! You can halve this cake recipe. If you have 6 inch cake pans, this 6 inch cake recipe is a great option as well!
Hi Sally! My MIL loves white cake with coconut frosting and i want to make it for her birthday. Do you know if it’s okay to use frozen egg whites (so I can get rid of them!) or do they have to be fresh? Also, which gives better results, powdered buttermilk or regular milk with lemon juice or vinegar? And lastly, is your coconut frosting from your other recipe white or more off white? If it’s the latter, I’ll just make whipped cream frosting with coconut. (Sorry for so many questions!)
Hi Bella, frozen egg whites should work just fine here. Whole milk with lemon juice or vinegar is our buttermilk substitute of choice. The coconut frosting is a light off white – depending on your butter and vanilla colors. You can always add a *tiny* dab of purple gel food coloring to counter yellow in frosting for a brighter white. Happy baking!
I noticed that this recipe uses a combination of whole eggs and egg whites, while your recipe for a 6-inch vanilla cake only uses egg whites. Is there a reason for this? Do you prefer one way over the other?
Hi Anna, the whole eggs in this recipe give the cake a bit more structure that’s necessary for a larger cake. The additional egg whites keep it nice and light, though, just like our 6 inch vanilla cake. The overall taste and texture of both is very similar!
Is it possible to use this recipe to make a rainbow layer cake (6 layers)? I worry about the extra mixing that would be required after adding the food dye.
Hi Deanna, You can absolutely make a rainbow cake — we have many times! We typically split the batter among 5 pans for thinner layers (6 layers from one batter would be quite thin). If you wanted, you could make the recipe twice for 6, regular sized layers (the cake would be quite large). We’re unsure of the exact bake time for 5 layers, but it will be less since the layers are thinner. Let us know what you try!
Your recipe calls for cake flour, I’m in the UK & they don’t sell cake flour. I see that you can make your own by adding corn starch but is there anything else that they would call cake flour in the shops here? They sell a pre-sieved flour but not sure that’s the same.
Hi Lola, you can use plain flour instead, and sift it together with some cornflour, as detailed in the homemade cake flour substitute post. I know the extra step is a little annoying, but I hope this makes your cake turn out beautifully fluffy and soft!
Hi Sally. I tried your recipe and the cake is delicious but it didn’t rise properly and is quite dense. I live at sea level. Is the recipe designed for high altitude baking?
Hi Nadia, I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t turn out well! Sally’s recipes aren’t designed for high altitude, no. Is it possible your baking powder or baking soda was old? Sometimes that’s the culprit for cakes not rising properly. There are some other possible causes listed in this post on cake baking tips. I hope this helps and that your next cake turns out much better!
Can’t wait to try this out. I want to make a 10″ and an 11″ single layers, how should I adjust the recipe
Hi Sally. I love this cake but it tends to shrink inward (curved towards the middle) so not straight on the sides. How can I fix this ? Thanks so much!
Hi Susan! Usually when cakes shrink, they’ve been over-baked. Could this be the issue? Are you using quite dark metal pans? Lighter pans may help with this as well.
Hi Sally, when I weigh my cake & pastry flour, 3 +2/3 cups comes up to 560g. What should I use then, cups or grams please?
Hi Karine, we always recommend going with the grams in the recipe, because it’s a more exact measurement than cups.