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.
I just made this cake and it was delicious the only thing I found was that it wasn’t enough icing to cover the cake the way yours looks in the picture. I also immersion blended some freeze dried raspberries into the frosting milk and it was soooo good.
Also, I can’t get cake flour, is it really necessary or can I just use all purpose?
Cake flour is highly recommended for this cake. You can use homemade cake flour if absolutely necessary.
I can only cook one 8” cake pan at a time, should I store the rest of the batter in the fridge whilst waiting? I’ve read that the cake spoils if the batter is left?
Hi Carlz, you can leave cake batter covered at room temperature while you wait to re-use your pan.
Hello, I want to make this for my daughters birthday, as a sheet cake can you advise if this is enough batter or should I double it? And any idea on cooking times?
Hi Vicki, we recommend using our white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. See recipe notes for the 9×13 inch version. Or you can try this vanilla sheet cake.
Would the same ingredients work for three layers in 8” pans?
Hi Carlz, 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.
I’m planning on making a Lucky Charm’s cake for St. Patrick’s day, and I was wondering would I be able to add marshmallows that are in the cereal to this recipe? I was planning on only using around 3/4 cup. Thank you!
Hi Jay, That is a fun idea! Unfortunately, we’ve never tested baking the marshmallows into a cake before so we are unsure if they would break down in the cake batter. Let us know if you give it a try!
Great cake! Our new go-to favorite
Hi Sally, the reviews of your cake is excellent and I want to bake this cake, my question is can I cover it with fondant?
Absolutely.
Hi Sally! I just finished baking this beautiful cake for my son’s 10th birthday party and the only thing I wanted to check with you about it batter consistency: when I went to put the batter in the pans, it was pretty thick (i.e. definitely not pourable, more of a whipped texture). It spooned into the pans fine and then I smoothed out the tops but I watched your video and my batter definitely wasn’t pourable like yours. Is this a sign of overmixing? Maybe I whipped up those egg whites to much? Otherwise it seems to have baked up fine, just not perfectly smooth on top due to the “spread marks” I made. Those will be covered with frosting, though, of course! Thank you so much for this and all your awesome recipes, and for your insights so I can get it perfect next time!
Hi Amanda, did the batter sit at all before dividing between your cake pans? It could have thickened as time went by. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level the flour into the measuring cups, do not pack. (Weighing it is great, too.) I hope you love the cake!
My batter was thick too (much thicker than in the video) so I added about 1/4c milk. It was still thick, but I decided to trust it! It’s in the oven now, glad to hear yours turned out well ☺️
Amazing vanilla cake. Thank you Sally you make people believe I’m a great baker! But you make it too easy for me
Can you use just two pans and cook the cake a little longer?
Hi Sue, 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. Or, if you decide to use this recipe, fill your 2 pans half way and use the leftover batter for a few cupcakes. Let us know how it turns out for you!
I love this recipe and so do my clients!
I was wondering if it can be doubled or trippled
Hi Karine, for best results (and to prevent over or under mixing), we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling or tripling. So glad this is a favorite for you!
This is the first homemade vanilla cake I made that wasn’t dry… my family loved it. I’ve learned to love baking because of you and your wonderful colleagues, Sally! Thank you!
Made for my son’s birthday party. One child said it was the best birthday cake they’d ever had! I baked, froze, and decorated at a later date and it worked perfectly. We only had a few tiny pieces left – a definite hit!
I feel a little confused. What is the difference between vanilla cake, white cake, and yellow cake? Which is the most basic or versatile? Thanks!
Hi Ruth, great question! It comes down to the amount of eggs in each recipe. In white cake, we use only egg whites for the most pristine white crumb and light texture. Vanilla cake uses a combination of egg yolks and whites, and yellow cake uses more egg yolks than whites which gives it that classic yellow crumb. All three are wonderfully soft, so it really depends on what you are looking for. All are very versatile and well-loved. Let us know what you decide!
I have baked A LOT of vanilla cakes and the title is correct…this is most definitely the best vanilla cake I have ever had! YUM! Thank you for a gem of a recipe! I paired it with your strawberry buttercream and a vanilla custard with fresh strawberry filling!
Sounds fabulous, Jeanette! We’re so glad you love this recipe.
Hello! This cake looks wonderful and I would love to use it for my daughter’s 3rd birthday, but I have a question: I was planning to do the white cake recipe with mini chocolate chips from your Cookie Monster cake (but it will be Bluey instead!), but I want a 3 layer cake to make sure we have enough cake for all guests. Do you think this recipe would do well with the mini chocolate chips added, or should I stick with the white cake recipe and do an additional batch for the 3rd layer? Thanks so much, your recipes are my go-to for birthday cakes for my daughters!
Hi Jess! You can definitely add mini chocolate chips to this cake. We recommend about 1 – 1.5 cups. You can add them at the end and gently fold them into the batter — being careful not to overmix!
As always, Sally’s recipes allow me to be a successful baker. This cake was loved by all. Thank you.
2nd attempt. Made this exactly what it said. Cakes looked beautiful in oven, and now have sunk to half the size. There’s a crack down the centre.
What am I doing wrong please?!
Hi Stacey! Usually when cakes shrink, they’ve been over-baked. Or, if they’ve been underbaked, they can collapse when removed from the oven. Could this be the issue? Make sure to use a toothpick to test for doneness. Are you using quite dark metal pans? Lighter pans may help with this as well.
Hello. Love this recipe thank you so much. If I wanted to make cake slices, would I be able to use a sheet pan for this recipe?
Hi Princess, for a sheet cake, we recommend using this white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. See recipe notes for the 9×13 inch version.
The cake is absolutely the best I have ever made from scratch. It was delicious!
Are you KIDDING me?!?! This is cake crack!!! I’ve never made a better cake in my life. Thank you. I only use your recipes when i bake so i already knew this would freaking dominate. Amazing girlfriend.
Couldn’t have said it better myself, lol
Probably the best cake I have ever made. Used a Crème Pat instead of frosting and it was perfect.
This sounds lovely. What adjustments should I make for baking at high altitude?
Hi Page, I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Can I use half of the measurements to have a smaller cake
You can halve the ingredients or use the recipe for a 6 inch vanilla cake — same great taste!
I LOVE this recipe and it’s by far the best vanilla cake I’ve had. It’s amazing just after baking. Soft fluffy and so much flavor. Then it’s like the flavor disappears and the crumb completely changes when it goes in the fridge for the crumb coat. Is there a way to keep the fluffy vanilla goodness when it’s in the fridge? I know the cold can cause the flavor to lessen so do I need more vanilla? Is it the butter changing the crumb?
Hi Sonya, Thank you for making this recipe and we are so happy you enjoy it! We’ve never experienced the cake losing flavor in the refrigerator, but a cold cake will taste more dense. We usually recommend letting it come back to room temperature before serving so that it softens up again.
Hey Sally, can I sub one stick of butter with oil? Also, I don’t get cake flour in my country. Can I use all purpose flour?
Hi Ashley, 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. If cake flour isn’t available, you can use this DIY cake flour substitute using all purpose flour and cornstarch.
It’s good..but I don’t know why it teaste like corn bread with a lump of butter. Luckily my grandma loves corn bread more than cake.
I made this cake and it was delicious, but the texture was quite grainy. Not pleasant due to that. Did I do something wrong?!!!
Hi Nancy, if it tasted a bit grainy, it’s likely the butter and sugar were not completely creamed together and you’re tasting the individual sugar granules. For next time, make sure you’re using room temperature butter and creaming with the sugar for a full three minutes or until completely combined. Thank you for giving this one a try!
I made this vanilla cake recipe .froze for 3 days ,made the frosting a day ahead.
Without a doubt, this the BEST , richest vanilla cake and frosting, not overly sweet and not dry.. I’m a long time baker and every member of my family raved about it. Can’t even imagine that it could be better made fresh!
6 sticks of butter? Really? That sounds insane.
One stick of butter is 1/2 cup so you only need 3 sticks of butter.
Hi there! Hoping to make this in a 6” cake pan. How many layers would this make? 4 or 5?
Hi Jessica, we have some information on 6-inch cakes here, and cake pan size conversions here.