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 am about to make a wedding cake for my son’s wedding. I am looking at this recipe and your Simple Homemade wedding cake recipe. Why did you use buttermilk in this recipe and sour cream in the other?
Hi RA, The bottom cake layer of our wedding cake is actually this vanilla cake recipe, but we swap buttermilk for whole milk and sour cream. We do this so you don’t need any varying ingredients for both tiers. (Because the top tier uses whole milk and sour cream.) Sure, you could use buttermilk to replace both the whole milk and sour cream in the 6 inch cake, but whole milk and sour cream are more readily available to most than buttermilk. Hope this helps!
Would instant pudding “work” as a substitute for buttermilk?
Hi Cheryl, we haven’t tested it but do not recommend that particular swap.
So I didn’t follow the recipe exactly and since i only have two 9inch cake pans tried to do it as 2 cakes and then even though I put a skewer in the middle and it came out clean the whole cake is quite dense and a bit doughy. This is the first time I’ve had 1 of Sally’s recipes not work out quite right and it was due to an error on my part. The other 2 recipes of her I also made today are AMAZING and i will definitely give this cake another go sometime soon.
Hi! I have a question regarding how much batter this vanilla cake recipe makes. Would I have to double/triple the recipe if im using a 11 inch by 3 inch circle pan? Thank you in advance!
Hi Bjorgen, This recipe yields approximately 8 cups of batter. You can visit our post on Cake Pan Sizes and Conversions for help determining how much batter you would need.
Sally, this is a great vanilla cake recipe. My hubby is a vanilla freak and heartily approves. I have a request though. I volunteer making birthday cakes for my local PD. I have a request for vanilla cinnamon cake. I would like to add cinnamon to the batter, can you give me an ideas of how much to add? THY in advance.
Hi Eileen, we have tried adding cinnamon to this cake, but you could try incorporating the cinnamon swirl from our snickerdoodle cake! Let us know how it goes if you try it.
I love your recipes. Your site and recipes have taught me an awful lot. Thank you.
I have someone that wants a vanilla bean cake. What can I do to up the vanilla flavor and give it the vanilla bean (dark speckles) look?
Hi Patty! You can use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract. Most vanilla bean pastes come with substitution instructions– you usually use about half the amount when subbing in for vanilla extract.
Would you recommend using vanilla bean paste in place of vanilla extract? If so, how much? I’m looking for a really vanilla forward cake and thought I might achieve that with paste. What are your thoughts?
Hi Kathryn, vanilla bean paste would be wonderful here! You can simply swap with vanilla extract with the same amount of vanilla bean paste. You could also use vanilla sugar, if you have some available to you. Let us know how you like the cake!
Hi Sally, love this recipe! If I want to halve a cake recipe that uses an odd number of eggs like this one, do you recommending going higher or lower for the number of eggs? For example, this recipe uses 3 whole eggs, so if I wanted to cut it in half it would be 1.5 eggs. Should I use 1 egg or 2 eggs instead?
Hi Chelsea! Our general rule for halving an egg is to crack it open, beat the yolk and white together with a fork, measure the volume (should be a few Tbsp), then use half. Hope this helps!
What are the average weights of the eggs (and egg whites) that you use in your recipes? I found that my eggs are pretty large, and even if a recipe calls for extra-large eggs I always have more egg in weight than the recipe states even with the same number of eggs use (for instance, if the recipe says 4 egg whites (120g) I end up with 140g of whites instead). I’m baking for a friend and don’t want to mess it up! Thank you!
Hi Elina, Egg weights can vary but usually large eggs in the shell are about 57g, and 50g out of the shell. A yolk weighs about 18g and a white 30g. Hope this helps!
I have a new oven and am still figuring out the temperature difference, so this cake baked at a little too high temperature for me and the texture isn’t perfect, but the taste is absolutely amazing! You are my go to website for any dessert recipes. I look in here before anywhere else. I will definely make this cake again, properly next time (hopefully)
I want to make the cake the day before assembling it. Do I wrap each cake in cling wrap and leave it out overnight or do I put it in the fridge or freezer? Does the frosting hold up better with whole milk or heavy cream? I want to put strawberries in between each layer, any suggestions on how to do it? Thanks!!
Hi Ali! The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. We like to use heavy cream in the frosting. Layering in sliced strawberries on top of frosting in the layers will work well!
I made cupcakes with this recipe for a friends birthday, however I mixed in some chopped fresh blackberries. I also topped each cupcake with a blackberry. Everyone at the party said these were the best cupcake they have ever had! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
This was the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had. I didn’t have cake flour so I used a little bit of BRM 1:1 gluten-free flour and all-purpose flour and that seemed to do the trick. I also used 1/3 the sugar. So I cut the sugar by 2/3. It still came out amazingly moist and fluffy. Super delicious. I will be making this over and over again maybe I’ll try the snickerdoodle cake.
I love this recipe and have had 100% success with it every time when I followed the instructions exactly.
However tonight I doubled the recipe and it came out with the consistency of biscuit. Any tips of what may have happened? I want to make it for my sons birthday but it would help if I could double the recipe.
Hi Brooke, for best results (and to prevent over or under mixing which is probably what happened here), we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling or tripling. So glad this is a favorite for you!
You mention to weigh batter to get the layers even. Do you know about how much batter should be in each pan
Hi Rich, there are about 8 cups, so about 2 2/3 cups will be in each cake pan. To be exact, you can weigh your batter and put 1/3 of the total weight in each pan. Enjoy!
Looking to make this but want to half the batter. How many eggs do you recommend I use?
Thanks.
Hi Angie, Our general rule for halving an egg is to crack it open, beat the yolk and white together with a fork, measure the volume (should be a few Tbsp), then use half) and then 1 egg white. Or, you might like our 6 inch vanilla cake recipe instead.
Does the frosting hold better using milk or heavy cream? Also I want to add strawberries in the layers of frosting. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Ali, Heavy cream is a bit thicker than milk, but the frosting still holds very well with both. You can certainly add strawberries between the cake layers. Keep in mind that they will eventually start to release some of their juices in the frosting, so you may want to do that as close to serving as possible. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hi Jane
If I wanted to make this cake in a 12 inch 3layer for a wedding cake ,what would the measurements be please,I’m struggling to find a recipe
Hi Margaret, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions.
Do you sift cake flour for this recipe or just spoon and level?
Hi Janet, no need to sift for this recipe.
How tall is the finished cake? Im making it for a friend and not sure what to put it in (what it will fit in) for transport? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Monique, We don’t know exactly how tall this cake is– we usually don’t measure the height. Each layer is a little taller than 1/2 inch though.
Hi – This is Michael. My wife absolutely loves vanilla cake and butter cream frosting. She is rarely happy with what we can find at the store. I’m going to give your recipe a try for her birthday. Wish me luck.
Hi Michael, you’ve got this! Let us know how it turns out.
Great recipe. I do have a question though I only had enough batter for two 8 inch pans (8×2) filled with batter half way up so I am curious if I was to do three 9 inch pans how small are these layers?
Hi Tiffinyjow, without measuring exactly, they are each a little taller than 1/2 inch.
Hi Sally! Everyone loves this cake and have made it several times. I have a question. The last time I made it I added a middle layer of your raspberry filling using frosting dam. The cake was 2 layers total. When I cut into it the next day at my sister’s house, it was absolutely delicious but there were dark spots in the middle below the layer. Within 2 days it got worse (it was covered left on a plate on the counter). My sister thought it was mold so she threw it away. I was so bummed! Can you advise what could have done wrong? Thank you! Lisa
Hi Lisa, I think what you did wrong was leave it within your sister’s reach. 😉 When you piped the frosting dam, did you also spread a layer on the cake before adding the raspberry filling, or did you just pipe a circle around the edge and put the filling directly onto the cake layer? If you don’t have a layer of frosting underneath the raspberry filling, I can see how that would seep into the cake’s sponge over time. Hope this helps and the next cake turns out wonderfully (and lasts longer than 2 days!).
Hi Beth – thank you so much! I did first add raspberry and realized I needed to put frosting first so I scraped it off as best that I could. I probably missed some so that makes sense what you’re saying. I really appreciate your help!! I’m excited to try again ☺️. Lisa
Is it ok to use all purpose flour instead of cake flour? Are the proportions the same?
Hi Anaiis, The cake will be denser and heavier using all-purpose flour. It’s really best to stick with cake flour here.
I made this recipe with a few changes and it came out perfect! I made it dairy free by using oat milk and apple cider vinegar for the buttermilk. I used olive oil butter sticks for the butter and swapped one stick for coconut oil to add extra moisture. I used about 1c cake flour and the rest all purpose and the texture was absolutely perfect. Best white cake I’ve ever made hands down! Thank you!!!
Good day, I absolutely love your recipes. Can I use Oil in place of butter for The Best Vanilla Cake I’ve Ever Had recipe? Would appreciate your reply.
Hi Annalieze, butter is key to this cake’s intended taste and texture, so we don’t recommend swapping it. If needed, you could try swapping with solid coconut oil, as you’ll need a solid to cream together with the sugars. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much for the fast reply.:-)
I am considering making this into a 4 layer 10″ round cake for an upcoming bridal shower. Do you think that would work for this recipe and would I need to double it? In your experience, is 4 layers too many for a 10″ cake? I will be layering it with raspberry jam and will finish the cake with lemon buttercream. Thanks!
Hi James, It really depends on how many people you need to serve with the cake. We have not tested this in a 10 inch pan but you can see our post on cake pan sizes and conversions to figure out how much batter you would need.
Hi sally I’m about to try this recipe as a 3 layer cake but can it be made into a 4 layer. What would I need to change in ingredients/bake times. Thanks so much
Hi Rebecca, you can certainly use this recipe to make a 4-layer 8-inch cake. The layers will be a little thinner, so reduce the bake time (use a toothpick to check for doneness). If interested, we do have a 4-layer cake recipe: this pinata cake! It’s just as delicious and makes a little more batter than this vanilla cake.
I love all of your vanilla cake and buttercream recipes! This worked out well for my daughter’s birthday cake. So delicious.
Hi , I really enjoyed this cake ! Made it for my grandmas birthday.
I was wondering how can I make this into a one layer ?
Hi Kathleen, so glad you enjoyed this one! For a single layer 9×13 cake, we recommend using our white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. Or here is our vanilla sheet cake recipe that is made in a 9×13 pan.
This is the best cake recipe I have ever tried, thank you!
I would love to add mini chocolate chips for something different, any thoughts if this is a good idea?
Yes! I do it all the time. Fold 1 cup (about 180-190g) of mini chocolate chips into the batter before pouring into the cake pans.