This is the PERFECT white cake with a soft texture, moist crumb, and wonderful vanilla flavor; plus, it tastes incredible with creamy vanilla buttercream. Cake flour, egg whites, and sour cream are the secrets to the best texture. The cake batter is my gold standard and I use it as the base for many other cake flavors including strawberry cake, coconut cake, pistachio cake, burnt sugar caramel cake, and more.
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
One reader, Shandra, commented: “This. Cake. Is. Excellent! Thank you, Sally, for such a delicious recipe. For my preference, this hit the spot on tenderness, fluffiness, and taste (which to me means non-eggy). And the frosting is excellent as well! Archived as my #1 white cake recipe. Yum! ★★★★★“
Why This Is My Best White Cake Recipe
This white cake recipe is adapted from my perfect vanilla cupcakes, a longtime reader favorite. The cake is my definition of *cake perfection* and has become one of the most popular cake recipes on my website. This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find it printed in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101 (which is now a New York Times Best Seller!). Here’s why:
- Soft & airy crumb
- Fluffy, but not eggy
- Pure sweet flavor
- Stick-to-your-fork moist & tender
- Completely from scratch
- Easy & approachable dessert recipe
I love this cake so much that I used it as the base for several other cake recipes I have published including espresso chocolate chip cake, pineapple coconut cake, cookies and cream cake, chocolate chip cake, plus more listed below. I even reduced the quantity of cake batter down to make the perfect 1-layer pineapple upside down cake.
It’s my flagship cake recipe, and I crown it with the smoothest, creamiest vanilla buttercream. Rainbow sprinkles add a little glitz and glamour because… what’s cake without sprinkles?
In the past 7 years, I’ve made this cake so frequently that I have the recipe memorized. I’m talking birthday parties, baby showers, summer parties, anniversaries, and even a couple bake sales. There are several success tips I’ve picked up along the way, and I’m thrilled to share them with you so you can enjoy cake perfection on your 1st try.
White Cake Success Tips
- Cream the Butter: To achieve a good rise, properly cream the butter and sugar together. You have the crutch of baking powder and baking soda, but the cake’s crumb truly sings when that creaming process steps in. If you’re new to this technique, this quick tutorial and video walk you through how to cream butter and sugar.
- Use Only Egg Whites: Do not use egg yolks. Using only egg whites not only gives you a pristine white cake, but also it ensures that the crumb is not weighed down by the fat in egg yolks. Think about it: lighter confections such as marshmallows and angel food cake require only the egg whites. It’s the same story here. You need 5 large egg whites in this cake.
- Use Pure Vanilla: You need pure vanilla extract for this cake, and a full Tablespoon in the cake batter. You’ll really taste it, so don’t skimp on the amount. If you have a vanilla bean, go ahead and scrape the beans from half of it into the batter for extra flavor, or you can swap the extract for the same amount of vanilla bean paste.
- Sour Cream Instead of Egg Yolks: Sour cream is the cake’s security blanket. While it contains fat like the egg yolks would, it doesn’t really weigh down the crumb. It’s pure moisture and adds the most creamy, tender texture to every bite. It plays the same important role in coffee cake, too.
- You Need Cake Flour: Cake flour is almost 30x finer than all-purpose flour. Using it is a surefire way to achieve a delicate, soft-as-a-pillow texture. It’s sold in the baking aisle and you can use the rest of the box in any of these recipes that use cake flour including my popular confetti cake.
- Room Temperature: Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. When ingredients are the same temperature, they bind together more readily than if you had some cold and some warmer ingredients. Colder ingredients, especially egg whites, will produce a thicker batter and, since it’s cold, will take longer to bake. This changes everything.
Room-Temperature Ingredients
If a recipe calls for room-temperature eggs or any other ingredient such as milk or sour cream, make sure you follow suit. Recipes don’t do that for fun—room-temperature ingredients emulsify much easier into batter, which creates a uniform texture throughout your baked good. Think of cold, hard butter. It’s impossible to cream cold butter into a soft consistency. Same goes for eggs—they add much more volume to the batter when they’re at room temperature. Place your eggs in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes, and you can briefly warm the milk and sour cream (separately) on the stove or in the microwave to bring up the temperature. Here’s my trick for bringing butter to room temperature quickly.
This Is a 2-Layer 9-Inch Cake
You need two 9-inch round cake pans for this batter. This batter does not fit into two 8-inch cake pans (it’s too much). Three 8-inch pans work, as seen here in my fresh berry cream cake, but the layers are thin. If you want to make a 6-inch cake, use this 6-inch cake recipe, which is scaled down from today’s batter. Feel free to visit my cake pans & conversions page if you have any questions about changing the pan size.
Make sure you line your cake pans with parchment paper rounds, to help the cakes seamlessly release from the pan. If you need recommendations for round cake pans, I really like Fat Daddio’s pans and these Wilton cake pans.
White Cake Decoration
While the ingredients in the cake batter don’t leave any room for substitutions, we can have some fun with a variety of frostings. I prefer vanilla frosting, which I include in the recipe below. But I encourage you to play around with chocolate buttercream, rainbow chip frosting, or chocolate cream cheese frosting (also delicious on this zebra cake!). For a lighter, less sweet option, I love pairing this cake with whipped frosting. Each of these frostings are absolutely remarkable on this lovely cake. The vanilla frosting makes a lot, so expect a thick layer between the cakes.
*Crumb Coat Details*
To ensure the layer cake is stable, it’s important to apply a crumb coat. A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting on the exterior of the cake that locks in any loose crumbs and helps stabilize the layers. After you stack the 2 layers with frosting in between, cover the top and sides of the layered cake with a very thin layer of frosting (about 1 cup). If desired, run a bench scraper around the cake to help smooth out the frosting. Refrigerate the uncovered cake for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour to “set” the crumb coat. Then cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. This detailed how to assemble and decorate a layer cake post is a great guide!
Here Are All the Cake Flavors Made From This Perfect Batter
It’s impressive that this combination of ingredients can produce so many cakes. I will ALWAYS turn to this recipe.
- Elmo Cake & Cookie Monster Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cake with Ganache Drip
- Cookies & Cream Sheet Cake
- Espresso Chocolate Chip Cake
- Pineapple Coconut Cake
- Fresh Berry Cream Cake
- Burnt Sugar Caramel Cake
- Coconut Cake
- Pistachio Cake
- Strawberry Cake (very popular recipe)
- Reduced batter for 1 layer: Pineapple Upside Down Cake & 1-Layer Sprinkle Cake
To Change the Cake Pan Size:
This batter does not fit into two 8-inch cake pans (it’s too much). Three 8-inch pans work at the same oven temperature, as seen here in my fresh berry cream cake, but the layers are thin.
If you want to make a 6-inch cake, use this 6-inch cake recipe, which is scaled down from this batter.
Yes. Same oven temperature. This batter will fit into a 10 to 12-inch Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time, so use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Yes. Same oven temperature. Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13-inch pan and bake for 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
I recommend following my Homemade Wedding Cake recipe as a guide for a tiered cake, and it will be best to use cake dowels and boards for support. The bottom tier of that cake is sturdier than this white cake, though the flavor is pretty identical.
My vanilla cupcakes recipe is essentially this same recipe, only halved. If you want more cupcakes, you can follow this white cake batter recipe and use the baking instructions for the cupcakes.
The Perfect White Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is the PERFECT white cake with a soft texture, moist crumb, and wonderful vanilla flavor; plus, it tastes incredible with creamy vanilla buttercream. See various flavors above and all of my recipe Notes below. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (295g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature*
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 cups (600g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or use clear imitation vanilla for stark white frosting)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, as needed
- optional: sprinkles, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch round 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.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg whites and beat on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, and beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and then, with the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the milk and beat just until combined. Do not overmix. 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 the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake for 24–25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides, remove the cakes from the pan, peel off the parchment, and place on the rack to finish cooling. 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 paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar and then add the cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then gradually increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste; beat in the salt if the frosting is too sweet. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more cream if frosting is too thick, or a pinch more salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble and frost: (For additional help with this step, see this how to assemble a layer cake video & post.) First, 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 one cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Spread 3/4 to 1 cup 3/4–1 cup (180–240g) of vanilla buttercream in an even layer on top. Top with the second cake layer, upside down, and spread the top and sides with 1 cup of buttercream (240g) in a very thin layer to make the crumb coat. If desired, run a bench scraper around the cake to help smooth out the frosting on the sides. Refrigerate the cake until the crumb coat has set, about 20 minutes. Finish by spreading the top and sides with the remaining buttercream. Decorate the cake with sprinkles, if desired.
- Slice and serve immediately or keep at room temperature for a few hours before serving. 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 and then covered and refrigerated overnight. Assemble and frost the cake the next day when you are ready to serve. See this post & video on how to freeze cakes for information on freezing.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Fat Daddio’s Cake Pans or Wilton Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Straight Spatula and Bench Scraper (for frosting) | Round Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Amount of Batter: If it’s helpful for using different size cake pan sizes and conversions, this recipe yields about 7 cups (about 1680g) of cake batter.
- Cake Flour: If you can’t find cake flour, here is a DIY homemade cake flour substitute you can use instead.
- Carton Egg Whites: You can use carton egg whites. The carton should give measurements for substituting for fresh egg whites.
- Milk, Sour Cream, Substituting Buttermilk: Whole milk and sour cream are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work instead, though the cake may not be as light. Same goes for a lower-fat milk. If you want to use buttermilk, the best way to do so is to have it replace both the sour cream AND milk in this recipe. Use 1 and 1/2 cups of buttermilk, then leave out the sour cream and whole milk.
- Other Cake Sizes (6-inch, 8-inch, 9×13-inch, tiered cake, Bundt cake, cupcakes): Please see FAQ above the recipe.
- Almond Cake: If you want to add almond flavoring, I recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract for an almond cake. I usually just do this to the cake, but you could certainly swap some of the vanilla extract in the frosting for almond extract for an even deeper almond flavor. Decorate the cake with sliced almonds, if desired.
Reader Comments and Reviews
My 11 year daughter made this recipe and it was great. We had no cake flour on hand, but we found a recipe for homeade cake flour on Sally’s Baking. The icing is perfect for this! All the recipes I’ve tried on here are awesome! Thanks Sally
Hello. I love this recipe. Could I use lemon extract to make a lemon cake? Thanks!
Hi Vontresa, we recommend following our lemon cake recipe instead – enjoy!
Can I make this into a sheet cake?
Thanks!
Hi Mary, This recipe would do well as a sheet cake. We’re unsure exactly how much batter you would need for a cake that size, here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. This recipe yields about 7 cups of batter.
My 13 year old son just followed this recipe and the cake came out so good. We don’t like it too sweet so we used less sugar. We also made the whipped cream cheese frosting as mentioned in this recipe and it is so good. Tastes like vanilla ice cream! I’ve used Sally’s recipes a few times and it is always good. Thank youuu…
Can I turn this recipe into cupcakes, and if so, how would I cook them???
See recipe notes! “My vanilla cupcakes recipe is essentially this same recipe, only halved. If you want more cupcakes, you can follow this white cake batter recipe and use the baking instructions for the cupcakes.“
I have made this cake a few times, and it is always delicious. I highly recommend making pomegranate frosting for it.
I only have pastry flour, can I use that to substitute? Thanks!
Hi Vanessa! Cake flour is really best for this cake.
I absolutely love white cake but can never get it like the bakery….until now! Thanks so so much. I have now unlocked my inner baker
Hi Sally,
I’m making a birthday cake for my nephew and they’ve requested marble because it’s a cow theme. I planned on making your marble cake, but I’m wondering if I can use this batter so that it gives more of the white and brown instead of the yellow cake?
Would that be compatible?
Thank you!
Hi Jen, we’d recommend using this zebra cake recipe instead — the batter there is a hybrid of yellow cake and vanilla cake, so it’s a bit lighter in color than the marble cake. You can assemble the batters like we do for the marble cake instead of a zebra pattern. Hope it’s a hit!
Thanks for the response. Everything was correct temp and I weighed all ingredients with kitchen scale. I think I definitely over mixed. Thank you!
Hi Sally, I made this white cake yesterday. I followed directions exactly. Batter seemed thin and the result was a bit dense. Not sure what went wrong. Could you please advise?
I love your recipes though.
Hi Deb! Did the batter look how it does in the photos and video in the post above? Make sure to always start with proper room temperature butter and measure ingredients very carefully. Dense cake can also be caused be over-mixing. Make sure to only mix the batter until combined. Hope these tips help for next time!
Hi. Question about the clear vanilla . Do you have a preference on a specific brand . I’ve recently purchased Watkins clear and Amazon’s brand that had great reviews . However I found both of these clear vanilla to have a horrible fake taste to them . Do you have a recommendation for a clear vanilla that doesn’t taste fake ? Thank you
Hi Kristen, we have always enjoyed using McCormick brand extracts. You may wish to try their clear vanilla extract to see if that gives you a better taste — let us know if you do!
I want to make a tiered cake (3-4 tiers total) with 8” pans. What recipe do you recommend? I am planning on using dowels or smoothie straws as support but I don’t want the cake to be too delicate and collapse….any help is appreciated!
Hi Kathlene, We recommend following our Homemade Wedding Cake recipe as a guide for a tiered cake- it will be best to use cake dowels and boards for support.
Hi, I was wondering, if I wanted to do a rosette design all over the cake, should I double the icing ?
Thank you!
Hi Kaya, yes, you’ll likely want to 1.5x or 2x the recipe depending on how heavily you plan to frost the cake. Enjoy!
This cake is so good. Just DELICIOUS, as is the frosting. I added a little extra cream to the frosting for piping, which wasn’t necessary. It was smooth and really good, not overly sweet. I could have used more frosting- needed a bit more for the crumb coat & piping. Next bake (and there will certainly be more), I think I’ll double the frosting and increase the cake batter for three 8” pans. Would 1 1/2 x the recipe work for that?
Another wonderful (& new favorite) recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction!
Love this recipe, but recently I can not find cake flour in any of my local grocery stores. The only kind I can find online is Swans Down cake flour (that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg) is this a good brand to use? If not is there an easy substitute for cake flour?
Hi Lindy, Swans Down Cake Flour works great — we often use it in our baking. Or if needed, you can use this DIY Cake Flour Substitute using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
We are looking to make this as a smash cake and reduce the amount of sugar. Thoughts on a substitution? Apple sauce? If so, what ratio?
Hi Anna, you can certainly try reducing the amount of sugar, but keep in mind it will not only affect the taste but the texture and structure of the cake as well. It would take some testing to properly incorporate applesauce into this recipe. If you’re interested, you may find this post helpful where Sally talks about a 1st birthday cake she made with some modifications to make it slightly healthier. Hope it helps!
Hi Sally!
I am baking this and BTW – obsessed with this recipe. Do you think this will feed 25 people? I made two layers in a 9 inch round pan!
Thanks!
Hi Rylee! We usually get about 10-12 servings out of this cake, but you could get more depending on your slicing technique.
Looking forward to making this recipe for a 70th birthday party cake! Do you have an egg white weight in grams to use for this? Was going to use store bought egg white, its what i have on hand and wanted to make sure i have the correct amount.
Hi Deb! A large whole egg weighs about 57g (or 50g out of the shell) and a large egg white weighs about 30g. So you’ll need 150g of egg whites. The carton should give measurements for substituting for fresh egg whites as well. Hope it’s a hit!
Hi! I plan on making this cake for my daughter’s first birthday. It looks delicious! I will make the one layer 9 X 13 inch. Can I use a glass Pyrex?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Amelia, yes, just make sure your specific pan can withstand the 350-degree temperature needed for this cake. Hope it’s a hit for your daughter’s birthday!
This is a go-to for family birthdays. Everyone loves it. Great texture and flavor. My question is, rather than freezing a frosted cake, would freezing a layer without frosting work? I feel I wouldn’t need as much freezer space this way as I wouldn’t have to keep it pretty
Hi Shonda, absolutely! That’s actually our preferred method. This how to freeze cakes post will be helpful.
I love the white cupcakes and would like to make this cake in a half sheetcake pan. This size is not on your pan conversations. What do you recommend? How long would you bake it? My pan is going to be 17.3 x 12.4 x 2 inches. Thank you. I really want to make this cake. Also, I would like to know if you think seven minute frosting would taste good with it. My son thinks buttercreme is too sweet and likes seven minute.
Hi Amy, The exact amount needed is actually between 1 and 2 batches of batter. Although the easiest thing to do would be to make the recipe twice (for best texture don’t double it) and then fill your pan 2/3 full and use the leftover batter to make some extra cupcakes
Hi Sally. I’ve made this cake so many times because it’s THAT good. I’m planning to make it again today but I want to flavor it almond. I know almond extract is more intense than vanilla but I’m not quite sure how much almond to add for this amount of batter. I also want to use some vanilla extract but I want the flavor of this cake to be more almond forward. How much of ea should I add? Please reply as soon as possible as I need to get started soon. Thanks in advance…
Hi Tammie, We recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract for an almond cake. Hope you love it!
Thanks so much for replying back so quickly. I really appreciate it. I’m sure I’m going to as this is my favorite white cake but I’ll come back to let you know how it turned out. Have a great day/weekend to come. Thanks again…
Can this be used for the checkerboard cake? I only need 2 layers of vanilla, as I am using chocolate for the other 2 layers.
Yes, absolutely! For a chocolate cake we recommend you use the sour cream version (detailed in the recipe notes) of this recipe.
I have been baking for over 60 years (yes I was a child when I started:)) and this is by far the BEST
white/vanilla cake I have ever made. , It is beyond light and delicious.
Now to find the BEST chocolate cake ( of course on my favorite website for baking-Sallys’.
??? I need to color your lovely cake, I’ve made it before, delish! My grandson wants Spider-Man , so, how many drops do you think I should add ? I’m splitting the batch in half for two different colors. Red & Royal blue. I know it can be so touchy, and once it’s in, you can’t go back. Thank You, use your recipes religiously!
Hi Brenda, it’s a bit hard to tell the exact amount of food coloring, but we’d recommend using gel food coloring for the most vibrant colors. Start small, with just a drop or two, and then add more as needed. Hope the cake is a hit!
Hi!! Made the strawberry cake last weekend and absolutely loved it. I’m thinking about trying it with peaches – do you think blending and reducing the peaches will work the same and would you think take the skins off or leave them on?
I would love to make this recipe but coming from the U.K I was wondering instead of cake flour, which we can’t get over here, what should I use instead. Thank you in advance
Hi Karen, you can use our homemade cake flour substitute with no other changes to the recipe.
Hi,.Can I use buttermilk instead of sour cream.in this receipe.?
Thanks
Hi Sana, The best way to use buttermilk is to have it replace both the sour cream AND milk in this recipe. Use 1 and 1/2 cups of buttermilk, then leave out the sour cream and whole milk. Enjoy!
I made this! It was very yummy!