With its outstanding vanilla flavor, pillowy soft crumb, and creamy vanilla buttercream, this is truly the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had. And after 1 bite, I guarantee you’ll agree.
One reader, Sarah, commented: “This cake is elite. Texture, flavor, sturdiness for frosting and decorating, freezes well… It was a beautiful centerpiece and dessert for a baby shower. Thank you! ★★★★★“
One reader, Candice, commented: “This is truly the best vanilla cake I have ever tasted! It is among the best cakes I have made in my 20+ years of baking… ★★★★★“
One reader, Rary, commented: “Off. The. Charts. Absolutely scrumptious! ★★★★★“
Out of all the cake recipes on my website, there’s a glaring absence. There’s white cake with a pristine soft crumb, vanilla naked cake with a flavorful tight crumb, and checkerboard cake with a whimsical design.
What about a classic vanilla layer cake draped in vanilla buttercream? I already have homemade vanilla cupcakes and a vanilla 6 inch cake covered and now in all its crowning glory (and after plenty recipe testing catastrophes), I present you with cake perfection:
This is the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had.
What Makes it the Best Vanilla Cake?
Let’s count the ways!
- Soft, light crumb from cake flour
- Fluffy from extra egg whites
- Buttery and cakey from creamed butter
- Stick-to-your-fork moist from eggs & buttermilk
- Extra flavor from pure vanilla extract
Not to mention its versatility: This vanilla cake batter is strong enough for shaped cakes, tiered cakes (see the slight variation in my homemade wedding cake recipe), and holds up beautifully under fondant. Use this batter for vanilla cupcakes, Bundt cake, or even piñata cake. It’s classy enough for a wedding celebration, but unassuming enough for a big family dinner.
Behind the Vanilla Cake Recipe
After years of cake successes and flops, I’m confident in this homemade vanilla cake. During my recipe testing, I combined my white cake recipe and naked cake recipe. These are two reader favorites and I knew they’d be the best starting point. At first there were too many eggs and I quickly learned sifting cake flour was NOT doing any favors.
You need the following power ingredients:
- Cake Flour: If you want a fluffy and soft bakery-style vanilla cake, cake flour is the secret. The cake will be denser and heavier using all-purpose flour.
- Eggs & 2 additional egg whites: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy. I don’t recommend using 4 whole eggs; stick to the 3 egg & 2 egg white combination.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Remember the differences in baking powder vs baking soda and why we use both in some recipes? Using enough baking powder to give these layers height gave the cake a bitter aftertaste. Baking soda allows us to use less baking powder.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is an acidic ingredient and baking soda requires an acid to work. Plus buttermilk yields an EXTRA moist cake crumb. See recipe note about using a DIY buttermilk substitute.
For more prominent vanilla flavor, use homemade vanilla extract. (What a fun DIY gift!) This vanilla cake batter is moderately thick and fits perfectly in 3 9-inch cake pans. We actually use the same exact batter to make snickerdoodle cake.
Do you know how to level a cake? Let me help. It’s really easy. You can use a fancy cake leveler, but I use a serrated knife. Carefully slice off the tippy top of the cooled cake layers, creating a flat surface. Leveling cakes doesn’t require a ruler, talent, or any mathematical equations. Instead, just use your eyes, hands, and a knife.
Leveling the cake layers promises a straight and sturdy layer cake.
How Much Frosting Between Cake Layers?
I always eyeball the amount of frosting between cake layers, but I measured when I decorated the pictured cake. The vanilla buttercream recipe below yields about 6 cups of frosting. I recommend you use about 1.5 heaping cups of buttercream between each cake layer and reserve the last 3 cups for outside the cake. If you are going to add a filling such as raspberry cake filling, you’ll use less frosting between the layers. You can use this detailed how to assemble and decorate a layer cake post as a guide!
Cake Decoration Inspiration: For a simple look, stick with vanilla buttercream, fresh berries, and mint sprigs. You can also decorate with chocolate buttercream (I recommend the same amount from this piñata cake), rainbow sprinkles, a chocolate ganache drip like on this chocolate chip cake, or even beautiful buttercream flowers.
Homemade Vanilla Cake Success Tips
Learn from my mistakes and bake the best cake on the 1st try!
- Follow the recipe closely. Use each power ingredient listed.
- Use room temperature ingredients. The batter mixes together evenly when all the cake ingredients are roughly the same temperature. This also reduces the risk of over-mixing and over-baking. Set out your ingredients 1 hour before beginning. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Line your cake pans with parchment. Place your cake pans on a large sheet of parchment paper. Trace the bottom of the cake pan with a pencil. Cut parchment paper into rounds. Grease the pan and the parchment paper. Parchment paper rounds guarantee seamless removal from the pan because the cake slides right out.
- Cool cake layers completely. I’ve tried taking shortcuts by assembling a layer cake with semi-warm cake layers. Well, the frosting completely melts and causes the entire cake to collapse. Make sure each layer is cool– refrigerate or freeze the layers if you need to!
- Refrigerate decorated cake. After frosting the cake, place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This is optional, but it sets the frosting and cake layers. You’ll get beautifully clean slices because the crumbs are cool and tight.
Great read: Check out Tessa’s Top 10 Best Layer Cake Tips.
Finding the perfect vanilla cake recipe requires a celebration. Luckily we have cake!!!
More Classic Cake Recipes
And here is my perfected vanilla cupcakes recipe.
Print
Best Vanilla Cake
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 12-14 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With its outstanding vanilla flavor, pillowy soft crumb, and creamy vanilla buttercream, this is truly the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had. Make sure you read through the recipe and recipe notes before beginning. This recipe yields approximately 8 cups of batter which is helpful if you need this batter for different cake pan sizes and conversions.
Ingredients
- 3 and 2/3 cups (433g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs + 2 additional egg whites, at room temperature*
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, a Tablespoon!)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 and 1/2 cups (650g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will look curdled as a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, pour in the buttermilk and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 23-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire cooling rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I use and recommend an icing spatula to apply the frosting.
- Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Kitchen Scale (optional) | Cooling Rack | Large Icing Spatula | Cake Turntable | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storing and transporting)
- 9×13-inch Cake: I recommend using my white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. See recipe notes for the 9×13 inch version.
- 2 Layer Cake: I recommend using my 2 layer white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake.
- Bundt Cake: This vanilla cake batter will fit into a 10-12 cup or larger Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time (likely around an hour), but use a toothpick to test for doneness. Same oven temperature.
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19-21 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen. Or try my vanilla cupcakes recipe.
- Cake Flour: To prevent a dry-tasting cake, make sure you are spooning and leveling the flour or weighing it. For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle and I have many more recipes using it. Usually a homemade cake flour substitute works, but this recipe uses far too much cake flour and the homemade substitute is not ideal.
- Eggs: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy. I don’t recommend using 4 whole eggs; stick to the 3 egg & 2 egg white combination. Here are recipes using leftover egg yolks.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Want chocolate frosting instead? I recommend the recipe/amount of chocolate frosting I use for Piñata Cake.
- Sprinkle Cake: To make a sprinkle cake, fold about 3/4 cup (135g) of sprinkles into the cake batter. Avoid nonpareils (the little balls), which tend to bleed their color. Or try this confetti birthday cake, which is quite similar to this recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Will this work with 3 8inch pans?
Hi AJ, Absolutely! Similar bake time, but maybe an extra minute or 2 because the layers will be slightly thicker. Enjoy
Not enough cake for a 3 layer cake of 9 inch rounds.
Hey Sally!! Thanks for sharing your recipes with us! I’ve used this recipe quite a few times now and I love it so much!! I was wondering, could this be adjust to bake in a 6in or 8in sphere cake pan to make a half ball?
Dear Sally, this si my go to recipe! I love it. I want to adapt it to a 6 inch pan, to make taller cakes, but after doing them twice, they always sink in the middle! Could you tell me why is this happening? Thanks you so much!
Hi Patricia, we’re so glad this is a favorite for you! Are you baking all the batter in 3 6-inch cakes? When cakes sink in the centers, it’s often because the pan was over-filled. When it’s over-filled, the batter bakes unevenly. You can try distributing the batter across more pans, filling them no more than half way. Or, here is our 6-inch vanilla cake recipe (for 3 layers). Hope this helps!
hi! this is my go to recipe for vanilla cakes, but the last time that i made it the cake felt grainy whenever we ate it. i’m not sure what caused this. some things that I did different were microwaving the buttermilk (because I forgot to bring it to room temp) & I only had one pan so the batter was sitting out while the layers were baking. I’d appreciate any advice, thank you!!
Hi Ro, 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. We’re glad this one is a favorite for you!
this is the best recipe ever!!!!!
Hi! just to confirm each layer will be about 2.5 cups? thank you!!
Thank you!!
A little over 2.5 cups each, yes!
thanks so much!
Cake conversion… on the conversion page it says a 9” round holds 8 cups. Half full is 4 cups x 3 pans = 12 cups. This recipe says it makes about 8 cups, but uses 3 pans. What am I missing? (I’ve made it w/ two 10” and w/ two 9”…. They were great, all of your recipes are)
Hi Jill, that’s correct—the batter will be a bit less than half of each pan. You can use 2 pans for slightly thicker layers (similar to our white cake recipe). Hope this helps and thank you for making and trusting our recipes!
Could I use this batter to make a rainbow cake? I would add natural food colors to the batter. If so, how do you recommend I divide the batter to get 6 colors (could I pour half of the batter in each 9inch pan so I have 6 pans instead of 3?). Or should I use smaller pans? Thanks!
Hi Jayne! 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!
Sorry, but how is this recipe even edible! When it’s too sweet, you can’t taste the anything but the sugar. Im sure your fans will disagree. #agreetodisagree
Hi Eric, this is a sweet cake, and the American-style buttercream is also sweet. If you’d ever like to try it again, Swiss meringue buttercream is a great option to tone it down, or you can add vanilla bean to the batter.
If I use vanilla bean paste do I use the same amount as vanilla extract or does the amount stay the same?
Hi Erin, yes, you can use the same amount of vanilla bean paste in place of the vanilla extract. That be wonderful in this cake!
I need to make an 11x15x2 inch cake. Should I use this recipe or the white cake one you say to use for the 9×13 cake? It will be turned out of the pan and frosted so I need for it to be sturdy.
Hi Kristie! Either cake should be fine, we would probably use this vanilla layer cake batter. Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
This is a great recipe! The texture and density is amazing! Can you help with any insight why my cake turns out tasting a little more like corn bread?
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Cakes can take on the texture (and even the flavor) of cornbread if the ratio of ingredients are off, so be sure that you’re properly measuring your ingredients. Additionally, pay close attention to your mixing methods as well as the types of ingredients you’re using. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes may also be a helpful resource. Thank you again for giving this one a try!
can I use plain flour and brown sugar instead?
Hi Sophie, cake flour is best for this recipe. Usually we recommend this DIY cake flour using plain flour and cornstarch as a substitute, but it’s not ideal here with the amount of flour needed. If you can, we recommend waiting until you have some cake flour on hand!
Made this cake tonight in two pans baked for 38 minutes. They turned out beautifully love the texture of this cake. Found it very sweet. Would cutting the sugar in half effect the texture of the cake? Thanks so much for the recipe spectacular work!
Hi Ryan, Sugar plays an important role in the taste, texture, and structure of baked goods, and while you can certainly try reducing the sugar, the results may be impacted. We haven’t tested a version with lower sugar ourselves. Or, you could try using a less-sweet frosting, like Swiss meringue buttercream or whipped frosting instead.
Can I use sour cream instead of buttermilk
Hi Jane, buttermilk (or the DIY version) is really best here. It’s necessary to help activate the baking soda and it helps create an extra moist cake crumb. You could try a combination of sour cream and regular milk (like we do for the bottom layer of our homemade wedding cake), but the crumb will be denser. Hope this helps!
Hi! i am planning on baking this cake this weekend but i only have a convention (fan) oven. do you recommend a different setting or amount of time to let it bake? thanks so much!
Hi Olivia! If you use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
This looks divine. Could it handle adding 3/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries and 1/2 cup chopped pecans in the batter? Also I only have 3 pans that are 8″ in diameter. Will those work out okay if I bake it a wee bit longer and watch it carefully? Thank you.
Hi Sharon, while we haven’t tried it ourselves, a few readers have reported success adding chopped nuts to this batter. Likewise with the cherries—we have tried blueberries successfully, so we imagine chopped cherries should work well. Just be sure to blot as much excess moisture from the cherries before adding to the batter. You can also 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. Let us know how it goes!
Would it be possible to divide the battery over only two cake pans? Do i just leave them in the oven longer or do i also need to change the temperature?
Hi Malu, we recommend using our 2 layer white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake.
My goal is to make a white chocolate raspberry Bundt cake. I see that adding raspberries will be ok, but how about 3 oz. of chopped white chocolate? Would there need to be any other adjustments? I know I could find a complete recipe for this kind of cake, but I have come to trust Sally’s recipes more than others. Thank you.
Hi Sally, you could try adding some chopped white chocolate (not melted) or white chocolate chips to the batter. Or, you could top the Bundt with this white chocolate buttercream frosting, too. Let us know what you decide to try!
Well, this was a bust. I added chopped white chocolate and raspberries to the batter. Looked beautiful after about 65 minutes in the oven. Sliced big pieces to my family…and no one finished theirs. It was so blah. No flavor, except for the raspberries. In dissecting this failure, it occurred to me that I had used Kemp’s “Whole Cultured Buttermilk Blend,” which I bought because it was $.40 cheaper. It didn’t look like real buttermilk…it was white, like milk. Do you have any experience with this stuff? Could it have created a lovely looking cake with no flavor?
I just made the cake and froze the layers to use another time. The batter tasted great. I panicked a bit because there was not a lot of batter for three 9 inch pans. I reread the directions twice to confirm pan usage. Are they meant to be thinning layers?
Hi Liann, they aren’t especially tall layers, but if they seemed too thin, make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. We find they start to lose their power after about 3 months, even if not technically expired. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as that can cause cakes to become dense. Hope this helps for your next batch!
Hi, can this batter be used for cupcakes? Thanks
You bet! See recipe notes for details.
I’m planning to make an egg-free version of this cake. I typically sub 1/4 cup yogurt per egg. How would you recommend accounting for the 2 egg whites? Thanks!
Hi Alyssa! We’ve never tested an egg-free version of this cake, so can’t offer much advice. Let us know what you try!
My family loves this cake! My daughter wants a 3 tier light blue cake with white frosting. Can I add color to cake without messing anything?
Hi Puma, sure can! We recommend using gel food coloring if possible. Since it’s a gel (rather than liquid), it doesn’t alter the consistency of the batter and it also give off the most vibrant colors. So glad this cake is a favorite for your family!
Did you use bleached or unbleached cake flour?
We usually use bleached cake flour – we like Swans Down brand.
This is THE BEST cake ever. I have been using it for my tiered decorated cakes for my clients for the past 2 years. I have adjusted the recipe using 80g oil and 240g butter. AMMMAZING! The crumbs are more stable.
I would like to have this same kind of result with a chocolate cake, and a marble cake. What can you suggest please?
Hi Karine, here is our favorite chocolate cake, but unfortunately it is not quite stable enough to serve as a bottom tier. We also have this marble cake and zebra cake recipe. Thank you for making and trusting our recipes!
I was using this recipe to do a fault line cake, so I did it with 8″ pans so I could have taller layers. My goodness, they were slim. I can’t imagine how slim they would have been in 9″ pans. I almost didn’t bake these out because the batter tasted so doggone good – indeed, the best vanilla cake this guy has ever tasted. Wow! I really liked this recipe, but it may need revising as three (3) 9″ pans filled with batter are more likely to end up looking like our Smith Island Cakes the Eastern Shore is so famous for and less like a layer cake that may become something else. The cake itself was rather dense, yet flavorful. This will be my go-to recipe for vanilla cake without a doubt.
I only have salted butter. How do I adjust recipe? Thanks
Hi Cyndi, if using salted butter in the cake, reduce the added salt down to 1/2 teaspoon. You can use it in the frosting too, then just salt it to taste.
I have made this cake 3 times now testing it out and it is so dry and coarse. It’s flavorful but so dry. Why is this happening?
Hi Michelle, overly dense cakes are often the result of over mixing the batter. An easy fix for next time! This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes will also be helpful to review. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Excellent cake but the frosting was way too sweet…will cut sugar next time