With its outstanding vanilla flavor, pillowy soft crumb, and creamy vanilla buttercream, this is truly the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had. And after 1 bite, I guarantee you’ll agree.
Out of all the cake recipes on my website, there’s a glaring absence. There’s white cake with a pristine soft crumb, vanilla naked cake with a flavorful tight crumb, and checkerboard cake with a whimsical design.
What about a classic vanilla layer cake draped in vanilla buttercream? I already have homemade vanilla cupcakes and a vanilla 6 inch cake covered and now in all its crowning glory (and after plenty recipe testing catastrophes), I present you with cake perfection:
This is the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had.
What Makes it the Best Vanilla Cake?
Let’s count the ways!
- Soft, light crumb from cake flour
- Fluffy from extra egg whites
- Buttery and cakey from creamed butter
- Stick-to-your-fork moist from eggs & buttermilk
- Extra flavor from pure vanilla extract
Not to mention its versatility: This vanilla cake batter is strong enough for shaped cakes, tiered cakes (see the slight variation in my homemade wedding cake recipe), and holds up beautifully under fondant. Use this batter for vanilla cupcakes, Bundt cake, or even piñata cake. It’s classy enough for a wedding celebration, but unassuming enough for a big family dinner.
Behind the Vanilla Cake Recipe
After years of cake successes and flops, I’m confident in this homemade vanilla cake. During my recipe testing, I combined my white cake recipe and naked cake recipe. These are two reader favorites and I knew they’d be the best starting point. At first there were too many eggs and I quickly learned sifting cake flour was NOT doing any favors.
You need the following power ingredients:
- Cake Flour: If you want a fluffy and soft bakery-style vanilla cake, cake flour is the secret. The cake will be denser and heavier using all-purpose flour.
- Eggs & 2 additional egg whites: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy. I don’t recommend using 4 whole eggs; stick to the 3 egg & 2 egg white combination.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Remember the differences in baking powder vs baking soda and why we use both in some recipes? Using enough baking powder to give these layers height gave the cake a bitter aftertaste. Baking soda allows us to use less baking powder.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is an acidic ingredient and baking soda requires an acid to work. Plus buttermilk yields an EXTRA moist cake crumb. See recipe note about the alternative.
For more prominent vanilla flavor, use homemade vanilla extract. (What a fun DIY gift!) This vanilla cake batter is moderately thick and fits perfectly in 3 9-inch cake pans. We actually use the same exact batter to make snickerdoodle cake.
Do you know how to level a cake? Let me help. It’s really easy. You can use a fancy cake leveler, but I use a serrated knife. Carefully slice off the tippy top of the cooled cake layers, creating a flat surface. Leveling cakes doesn’t require a ruler, talent, or any mathematical equations. Instead, just use your eyes, hands, and a knife.
Leveling the cake layers promises a straight and sturdy layer cake.
How Much Frosting Between Cake Layers?
I always eyeball the amount of frosting between cake layers, but I measured when I decorated the pictured cake. The vanilla buttercream recipe below yields about 6 cups of frosting. I recommend you use about 1.5 heaping cups of buttercream between each cake layer and reserve the last 3 cups for outside the cake. If you are going to add a filling such as raspberry cake filling, you’ll use less frosting between the layers.
Cake Decoration Inspiration: For a simple look, stick with vanilla buttercream, fresh berries, and mint sprigs. You can also decorate with chocolate buttercream (I recommend the same amount from this piñata cake), rainbow sprinkles, or even beautiful buttercream flowers.
Homemade Vanilla Cake Success Tips
Learn from my mistakes and bake the best cake on the 1st try!
- Follow the recipe closely. Use each power ingredient listed.
- Use room temperature ingredients. The batter mixes together evenly when all the cake ingredients are roughly the same temperature. This also reduces the risk of over-mixing and over-baking. Set out your ingredients 1 hour before beginning. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Line your cake pans with parchment. Place your cake pans on a large sheet of parchment paper. Trace the bottom of the cake pan with a pencil. Cut parchment paper into rounds. Grease the pan and the parchment paper. Parchment paper rounds guarantee seamless removal from the pan because the cake slides right out.
- Cool cake layers completely. I’ve tried taking shortcuts by assembling a layer cake with semi-warm cake layers. Well, the frosting completely melts and causes the entire cake to collapse. Make sure each layer is cool– refrigerate or freeze the layers if you need to!
- Refrigerate decorated cake. After frosting the cake, place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This is optional, but it sets the frosting and cake layers. You’ll get beautifully clean slices because the crumbs are cool and tight.
Great read: Check out Tessa’s Top 10 Best Layer Cake Tips.
Finding the perfect vanilla cake recipe requires a celebration. Luckily we have cake!!!
More Classic Cake Recipes
And here is my perfected vanilla cupcakes recipe.
PrintBest Vanilla Cake
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 12-14 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With its outstanding vanilla flavor, pillowy soft crumb, and creamy vanilla buttercream, this is truly the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had. Make sure you read through the recipe and recipe notes before beginning. This recipe yields approximately 8 cups of batter which is helpful if you need this batter for different cake pan sizes and conversions.
Ingredients
- 3 and 2/3 cups (433g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs + 2 additional egg whites, at room temperature*
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 and 1/2 cups (650g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will look curdled as a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, pour in the buttermilk and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 23-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire cooling rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I use and recommend an icing spatula to apply the frosting.
- Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Kitchen Scale (optional) | Cooling Rack | Large Icing Spatula | Cake Turntable | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storing and transporting)
- 9×13 Inch Cake: I recommend using my white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. See recipe notes for the 9×13 inch version.
- 2 Layer Cake: I recommend using my 2 layer white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake.
- Bundt Cake: This vanilla cake batter will fit into a 10-12 cup or larger Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time (likely around an hour), but use a toothpick to test for doneness. Same oven temperature.
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19-21 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen. Or try my vanilla cupcakes recipe.
- Cake Flour: To prevent a dry-tasting cake, make sure you are spooning and leveling the flour or weighing it. For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle and I have many more recipes using it. Usually a homemade cake flour substitute works, but this recipe uses far too much cake flour and the homemade substitute is not ideal.
- Eggs: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy. I don’t recommend using 4 whole eggs; stick to the 3 egg & 2 egg white combination. Here are recipes using leftover egg yolks.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY sour milk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Want chocolate frosting instead? I recommend the recipe/amount of chocolate frosting I use for Piñata Cake.
- Sprinkle Cake: To make a sprinkle cake, fold about 3/4 cup (135g) of sprinkles into the cake batter. Avoid nonpareils (the little balls), which tend to bleed their color. Or try this confetti birthday cake, which is quite similar to this recipe.
This continues to be just the BEST vanilla cake ever! People go wild over this simple cake…texture and taste are perfection. Definitely my go-to cake recipe!
Great recipe. Do you think this cake recipe can hold fondant?
Hi Marilyn, Yes this cake should hold up under fondant. Enjoy!
Made this for my nieces first birthday – Best vanilla cake I’ve ever had, and had some many compliments! I couldn’t find any baking flour and ran out of cornflour so I couldn’t make any myself, but the crumb was still super fluffy!
Thank you.
Best recipe.
Question: can I use caster sugar instead of granulated sugar? Would it taste the same?
Do you think I could use this recipe as a base for your checkerboard cake and bake into 4 pans? I was reading the comments on the other recipes and want to use this one but not sure if that will work. Thanks!
Yes, you can! But keep in mind that if you divide this into 4 layers they will be thinner than the layers in the checkerboard cake.
Best vanilla cake ever. My husband, who knows nothing about baking, said the texture was amazing. Super moist and flavorful. Perfection.
Hi. I’m making a 6 color rainbow inside cake. Do you recommend doubling the recipe for the 6 layers, or can I divide each of the 3 layers in half?
Hi Ashley – either could work depending on how tall you want the finished cake to be!! If you decide to double it I recommend making the batter twice instead of doubling it so that you aren’t working with too much batter at once which can lead to a dense cake. Enjoy!
Thanks for responding! I ended up doubling the recipe by doing what you suggested. Making the batter in 2 sessions. I have to say, this is the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had. I got so many compliments on it. The cake scraps from leveling made fantastic cake pops!
I would like to make this cake a day ahead. Even frost it. Then place in refrigerator overnight. Will there be a problem with that? Your instructions suggest separate cake and icing. Then putting it together.
It seems cakes often get moisture if made the day before.
Thanks!
You can cover and refrigerate the assembled cake. Simply take it out and bring it back to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!
WOWWW this cake is good. I needed to make a 2 tiered cake ( 3 8” layers and 3 6” layers) so I did 3/2 of the recipe.
I completely blanked out and mixed my sugar with the dry ingredients so I ended up having to mix cubes of softened butter into my dry ingredients (apparently this is an actual method called reverse creaming). Then being the ditz I am, I put cold milk which curdled my batter, so I had to put my bowl in some hot water to warm it up then mix it again in my stand mixer. Yet…
IT STILL TURNED OUT AMAZING, LIGHT, AND TENDER. Like WHA?!? This will definitely be my go to vanilla cake recipe from now on.
I used this recipe to make confetti cupcakes for my nephew’s first birthday and they were amazing! I added confetti Quins to the batter, but I’ve also had success using the rainbow jimmies. I just prefer the colors of the confetti. I have made Sally’s funfetti cake before, and I love that one, too. But this recipe was a bit better in my opinion. The crumb was lighter and softer. And they were still super moist 24 hours after baking. I paired them with her vanilla buttercream. I love that this is a big recipe! It made 36 cupcakes. I found that my cupcakes were done at 18 minutes. And they didn’t have much of a dome- which is nice for decorating. Thank you Sally for another amazing recipe!!!!
I could literally just eat this batter with a spoon. I used half a tbsp. regular vanilla and half double-strength ( I was worried a full tbsp of double strength would be overkill) and it’s amazingly delicious. Another keeper!
I made this cake for my daughter’s second birthday and did a two tier cake (just doubled the ingredients) had enough batter to fill 2 doz cupcakes too…turned out amazing!!
Hi Sally,
This cake looks delicious and your recipes are so detailed 🙂 I am planning to make my daughter’s 1st birthday smash cake. Can I use this recipe for 6″ 2 deep pans?
Hi Dee, This is way too much batter for a 6 inch cake. However, I recently wrote a special post on 6 inch cakes which I think will be very helpful for you! Here it is: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/6-inch-cake-recipes/
Hi, I would like to try this recipe today. I have vanilla extract and 2 vanilla beans. I would like to use the vanilla bean instead of the extract. Would that work? And would I just scrape out the vanilla beans and add it to the batter? And should I use one or two beans? Thank you!
Hi Kimberly! You can use the seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean. 2 vanilla beans would be a little too much. I would still add about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
I made this cake for my daughter’s bday and it was in the fridge for 2 days. It was perfect when it came out of the oven, but when we took it out for the actual bday, it tasted a little dry. What should I do differently next time to make sure it is moist when eating it?
Hi Mandy! Happy to help. Brushing the cakes with a little simple syrup when they’re still warm will lock in more moisture.
Hi Sally, I have a question. Why do you suggest to make your white cake recipe if you’re making a 9×13 cake instead of using this vanilla cake recipe? Thank you!
This batter is simply too much for a 9×13 inch cake pan. You can try my vanilla sheet cake recipe, too!
I. Am. Unbelievably. Happy. With. This. Recipe. The instructions were amazing and the cake turned out FABULOUSLY. Tasted store bought and I am THRILLED!! THANK YOU!
Thank you for sharing the recipe. The cake itself smelled and tasted amazing but I thought it was a bit “heavy”. The frosting was a bit too “buttery” for my taste. But everyone has their own preference. The cake was still good though. I loved how you explained the purpose of each ingredient. Great job!
Hi there,
I just tried making this cake (as a demo for my daughters first birthday in 2 weeks) I used a 6 in pan, 2 in deep. I baked it at 350 for over 45 minutes, it looked done but when I took it out and flipped it over the middle poured out and was obviously raw. I am doing something wrong or do the 2 in deep pans need significantly more baking time? Could I have filled the pan too high? it was bubbling over.
I’m concerned the cake was raw after 45 minutes in the oven. There must have been too much batter in your pan. I recommend filling the pans only halfway. 6 inch cakes will need less time than the 9 inch cakes instructed.
Hi Sally! What is the difference between this cake and your Favorite White Layer Cake? I love your Favorite White Layer Cake and wasn’t sure if there is a major difference between the two. Baking for my daughters birthday and a little hesitant to change it up from the white layer cake. Thanks!
Hi Meghan! While super soft, this vanilla cake is a little sturdier than my super fluffy white cake. Very similar vanilla and butter flavors though.
Hi Sally,
Can you tell me the height in inches of this cake? I’d like to torte each 3 layers, about 1/2 inch each. Would each of these 9″ cakes have enough height for me to accomplish this? Thanks. PS I’m a fan of your strawberry cake, it’s a birthday tradition in my family now.
Hi JoAnne! Somehow I missed this question last week. I don’t know exactly how tall this cake is– I usually don’t measure the height. I know they’re each a little taller than 1/2 inch though.
Love this recipe, have made it multiple times.
What are your thoughts on freezing layers? I’m trying to get stuff done in advance of my son’s birthday but I don’t want to sacrifice quality for convenience!
Hi Lizzy! You can freeze the baked and cooled cake layers. See recipe notes. I usually wrap each in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil.
I am planning on baking a y’all layered cake using 6” round cake pans. Should I half this recipe? I’m not sure if halving it would be enough.
Thank you,
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca! For a 3 layer 6 inch vanilla cake, I recommend this cake. You can leave out the sprinkles. Same great taste and texture as this one!
Dear Sally,
I plan to bake this cake for my twins’ 1st birthday celebration. I have 3 x 10inch pans. Would it be ok to bake the cake in them? Would they still produce 3 decent looking layers for the cake?
Also, if I make the cake like 2 or 3 days in advance is it ok? I am thinking of baking and frosting and keeping all ready so on the day of celebrations I just got to take it out thaw and cut. Any suggestions for doing this? How to store and how to thaw? And most importantly will the cake taste ok?
How many hours before the event should I take the cake out and leave it? It will be kept in an air-conditioned room.
I also plan to add a layer of fondant to cover the whole cake. If its fondant covered, would the refrigeration / storing / thawing methods change? And would the fondant affect the taste of the cake?
Appreciate your help so so so much! Thank you!
Hi Nas! Happy to help. 1) You can use 3 10-inch cake pans, but the layers will be thinner than pictured. 2) If making 2-3 days in advance– for best taste and texture, I recommend wrapping the baked and cooled layers tightly and freezing them for 2-3 days. Thaw at room temperature before decorating. I do this all the time and the texture & flavor are both still excellent. 3) I would say at least 4 hours prior to serving. 4) Fondant works! No changes necessary.
Hi Sally!
I made this cake for my nephews bday. The icing was really sweet. I’m making it for another relative tomorrow and I think I’m going to cut down on the confectioners sugar. I give this cake a 5. It was really good and everyone thought it was cake mix. Thanks for sharing!
Such a terrific recipe and truly delicious cake! Made it for a wedding shower and it was a hit. Now excited to make it again for my grandson’s first birthday, but with sprinkles added to the batter. I will be Making it again and again! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Sally,
I was curious about doubling this recipe to fit a 12×18 pan. Would that be the correct way to do this? And are there any other things I should know? We are making the cake for my dad’s retirement party! I really want to do a good job.
Thank you so much
Hi Amber! This batter, as written, is enough for a thin 12×18 inch sheet cake. If you want a thicker cake, make the batter twice instead of doubling. Doubling risks over-mixing or under-mixing.
Hi Sally! I’m doing 3 – 8″ round cakes because I would like the end result to be a taller cake. Any other recipe notes to do that or just cook for a little longer? Thank you 🙂
Hi Stephanie! Simply divide this batter between your 3 pans. I find a food scale works to ensure each layer has the same amount of batter. The bake time won’t be much longer, only a couple minutes. That’s about it!
Forgot to finish.
Hi Sally,
I would like to put fresh peaches in the frosting or in the cake itself for my daughter’s 1st birthday party. Is that okay for this recipe and if so, do you reccomend a certain amount? Thanks!
Hi Jill! You can definitely chop up a couple peaches and add them to the batter. The bake time may be a little longer for the layers.
What if I wanted to add strawberry jam or preserves between cake layers, how would I do this?
Hi Linda! You could mix a little jam with the frosting you will use for the layers or simply spread on a thin layer of jam when assembling the cake. I usually mix jam with a little buttercream so the filling layer is thicker, but still has all that wonderful jam flavor.