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
Has this recipe been tried with 2 layers? I know you recommend your other vanilla cake recipe, but I already have all the ingredients for this one and they are different (no buttermilk, sour cream, and AP flour). Would it be ok to use this recipe and split it between 2 cake pans, just watch the cooking time?
Hi Renee, if you’d like to use this exact batter, you can fill your 2 pans half way and then use the leftover batter for a few cupcakes on the side.
Great recipe. Works every time for birthday cakes for the grandkids. My go to. Thank you
So happy to read this, Sharon! Glad you enjoy this cake.
Hi Sally! I need to make this cake a day ahead of when I am serving it, after I completely frost it should I freeze it or place it in the fridge until the next day before serving? Thanks!
Hi Lainie! After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, we would refrigerate it (it will begin to dry out in the fridge). But, use your best judgment and whatever you are comfortable with- we’ve never had any problems leaving frosted desserts at room temperature for a day
i ased this question earlier in the week andhave not received a reply.
I would like to add a rum syrup to this cake as I am trying to duplicate a cake from a bakery here in Miami called Sweet Art that I love but can’t find a copycat recipe for but think the addition of the rum syrup might just do it..
Can I add rum syrup to this cake withour spoiling it?
Hi Denise, are you talking about brushing the tops of the baked cake layers with a rum syrup? I don’t see why that shouldn’t be fine, though we haven’t tested it ourselves. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
I just made it but the cake came out dense and a tough kind of texture. What did I do wrong?
Hi Suzanne, over-mixing could be the culprit here. And how did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t over-measured. Too much flour will thicken the batter and result in dry, dense cakes. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes may also be a helpful resource. Thank you for giving this one a try!
Would this cake go well with a cream cheese frosting instead of butter?
Definitely!
Hi Sally,
I love your recipe. Can I use store bought liquid egg whites for the extra two egg whites?
You bet!
I’m really excited to make this recipe. I have a separate recipe for a caramel icing. Would this work well with this cake recipe?
Hi Cory, absolutely!
Can I add rum syrup to this cake withour spoiling it?
can i make the batter in adavnce
Hi Lisa, no, we don’t recommend it. The baking powder and baking soda are activated once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed, so it’s best to bake the batter right after. Otherwise, the way the batter rises and bakes could be compromised.
Hi! How is the cake taste/texture if eaten cold out of the fridge? I’m only asking because I see that it’s a butter based cake with no oil. I would like to pair with with whipped cream cheese frosting so it can’t sit at room temp for a long period of time. Would probably cut it 15-20 minutes out of the fridge.
Hi Melinda, the cake holds up well in the refrigerator if properly stored to prevent it from drying out (we recommend a cake carrier). It may seem *slightly* denser if enjoyed straight from the refrigerator, but as you mention, you can remove from the refrigerator for a while before serving so that the cake has time to come back to room temperature. Hope it’s a hit!
Hi Sally! Is this cake sturdy enough to make as my base bottom tier of a two tier cake (my top tier will be the sour cream version of your best chocolate cake recipe) or should I have it be opposite?
Hi Alex! Chocolate cake is more delicate and should be the top tier. This cake will make a great bottom tier, with proper supports – here’s more on making a tiered cake!
I’d like to try this cake but need to use gluten free flour. Do I have to adjust the recipe at all?
Hi Josi, we haven’t tested this cake with gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you do any experimenting.
I want to substitute vanilla beans for extract in this cake. How many beans would you recommend?
Hi Em, yes, you can use the same amount of scraped vanilla bean in place of the vanilla extract. Enjoy!
I did this cake a second time exactly as per the recipe and weighed everything to the gram. Batter still very thick and needs to be spread with a spatula to fit to the edges of the tin. Still only 2cm thick?
Hi Gemma! These are thinner cake layers. How are they baking up?
Sally-I LOVE all of your recipes! I am wanting to make this cake this weekend. I only have the dark 9 inch cake pans (not the aluminum). Will that still work? And if so, will I need to adjust anything to account for the darker pan? Also, can I bake all 3 pans at once in a standard kitchen over, or will I need to bake in 2 sets? Any special instructions on that? Thank you so so so much!
Hi Hayley! Bake time may be just slightly shorter using the dark pans. Keep a very close eye on them and begin checking early with a toothpick to test for doneness. You can bake the layers at the same time as long as they can all fit on the same oven rack without touching. Do not bake on separate racks. If they don’t all fit, it’s best to bake in batches. Hope the cake is a hit!
Loved it,came out great!
Perfect recipe! Moist and absolutely delicious cake with the great texture.
The only comment to the recipe- it took about 45 minutes to get it baked, most likely because I used deep tins to cut each cake for two layers
Sally i have watched your video on freezing cakes, thawing and then icing them. I plan to travel 2 hrs with my cake. Once i have thawed it and iced and decorated it should i refreeze it or keep cold in refrigerator before going? I plan to have cold packs and insulated container to put it in fir the trip.
Hi K, after thawing and decorating, you can travel with the cooled cake—no need to re-freeze again. Hope this helps!
Thank you Sally!!
If this is the best vanilla cake, why do you recommend using the white cake recipe for one or two-layer versions?
The amount of batter is better!
How would this taste with strawberries between the layers? Would that work?
Hi Stephanie, you can definitely do that! We’d recommend a frosting dam around the edges to ensure they don’t slide out when stacked.
Your recipes never fail me. The confetti cake is always a hit, but I needed something without the sprinkles. I didn’t want to take any chances with that recipe since this was a cake for a friend’s granddaughter’s 1 year birthday. This cake is very similar and turned out great. I did use the alternating flour/milk method from the other recipe, though I am sure it wasn’t needed for this one. It just made me feel better lol. Anyway- all this to say that the cake was a big hit and my friend said one of the party goers said it was the best cake they’d ever had. Can’t wait to try out more recipes!
I made this cake before for a baby shower and it came out perfect. I’m making it tomorrow for a friend but she wants chocolate chips in her cake. Will this cake support adding chips and if so how much should I add to the batter?
By the way I make your lemon blueberry scones and lemon pound cake all the time. Everyone loves them!
Hi Ellen, we recommend using mini chocolate chips, and tossing them in a Tbsp of flour before you fold them into the batter. See this chocolate chip cake for instructions. Enjoy!
Yum! I made this cake tonight and it’s delicious.
I noticed in the video that my batter was a lot thicker than yours? I felt like I had to spread it quite a lot which made me wonder if that led to it not rising as much as I expected (the layers came out at 2cm thick)
I also levelled them before putting them in the freezer and one cracked while I was (gently) handling it Any idea why?
Thanks!
Hi Gemma, How was the texture of the cake? Did you make any ingredient substitutions? If the batter was too think and the cake was overly dense, there may have been too much flour. Be sure to spoon and level, or weigh, your flour when measuring.
The texture of the cake is fine. I weighed the cake flour out.
Hi I love your recipes as they as you are my favourite to go to. How ever you don’t put carbs in at the end. Reason been my daughter has Type 1 diabetes and it would truly make life less difficult if there is any chance you might think about putting it in please
Hi Melisa, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Hi Sally and team,
I was going to use this recipe to make 3 dozen cupcakes.
I also wanted to use gel food colouring to make different coloured layers. I was thinking of dividing the batter into 4 or 5 bowls, each one being a different colour. My daughter wants rainbow cupcakes.
That should work with this recipe?
I’ll also be using gluten free flour. I know you haven’t tested that but I’ve read comments of people having success.
Thanks!
Hi Therese! Yes, you can color this batter with gel for coloring. Be very careful not to over-mix the batter, though, when adding the colors. Be as gentle as possible with mixing. Let us know how they go!
Hi, I’d like to use this recipe for my daughter’s 7th birthday cake. She wants a 3 tier cake – 10″, 8″ and 6″, with a 3″ height. Any idea how high to fill the batter in the pans and how long to bake for each size?
Hi Venessa, we recommend filling your pans about half way—this allows enough room for the batter to rise and bake without risk of overflowing. Bake time will vary by pan. You can use the baking times and instructions from our homemade wedding cake as a guide. This cake pan sizes and conversions guide may also be helpful, too. Happy baking!
Hello!
If I increase the amount of batter, will this cake be sturdy enough to make a 4 layer cake?
What about if I add raspberry filling between layers?
Thanks so much!
Hi Gemma, yes, you can scale this recipe for a 4th layer and it should hold well. You might want to use cake dowels for a bit of extra support. Raspberry cake filling would be delicious here!
I have 8 inch pans, I looked at the conversion thing you had available and it says 8 inch will hold 6 cups of batter, so do I add 1,140 ml of batter to each pan? Lol.. im not sure!
Hi Jenny, you can use this recipe with 8 inch cake pans for slightly thicker layers in a three layer cake. Evenly distribute the batter between the three pans—do not fill to the top. You may need an extra minute or two of bake time since the layers will be thicker – use a toothpick to test for doneness. Or, you can fill the 8 inch pans a little less and use the leftover batter for some cupcakes.
Very nice buttercream, creamy and not too sweet. However, I made a three tier 8inch cake and this was barely enough to fill and cover it. I’d definitely increase the amounts next time to make it easier to neatly cover the cake.
I’m making a smash cake using 5×2 cake pans how long do i cook them for?
Hi Ashley, this is too much batter for 5-inch cake pans. We’d recommend using our 6-inch cake recipe for a smaller vanilla cake. It will still be a bit too much batter, but you can fill your pans half way and use any leftover batter for a few cupcakes on the side. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, so keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Could I add black food colouring to change the colour of the frosting?
Hi Pam, absolutely. We recommend gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring because liquid can throw off the consistency.