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
Horrible instructions especially on the cake setting. Should’ve read all the comments first before baking.
I have never baked a cake from scratch before but I really wanted to make it for my daughter’s birthday. I followed all the steps. I baked it for about 40 mins and it had a nice golden color and I inserted a knife and came out clean. They came out of cake pans with no problem. I just went to cover them in plastic wrap for the night and noticed that they were stuck to the plate I had put them on. I had to use a knife to cut away so they’re still intact but now I’m thinking they were probably undercooked. Is there a way to salvage it?
Hi Sara, I’m seeing your comment/question now! The cake should fine; how did it turn out? It’s quite moist on the exterior, and it may not have been under-baked after all.
Love your recipes! My MIL turns 70 and wants an almond flavored wedding style cake. I’m planning to do 4 layers. I saw the post about using 1.5 almond flavor and 1.5 vanilla for the cake. For frosting do I sub almond for vanilla?
Hi Holly! We usually don’t find it necessary to add almond to the frosting as well as the cake, but you certainly can if desired. We would try 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond in the frosting.
I don’t bake cake much so I was nervous about trying any recipe but decided on this one and I’m so glad I gave it a shot.
I doubled the quantity and divided it to make 2 different cakes. I added cocoa powder and more milk to make one chocolate and was super nervous that I messed it up by winging it with the cocoa and milk, but it still turned out moist and fluffy. I think next time I’ll try a recipe for chocolate but good to know that this is forgiving enough to experiment with. Also, I live in a small town outside of the US and there isn’t any sour cream here, so I used Greek yogurt instead and it was perfect.
Your recipes never fail . This cake is perfection with a dollup of sprinkles.
Really, really good! Lovely soft crumb that held up perfectly to icing with your chocolate buttercream frosting. Testing for doneness was a little tricky. One pan took several minutes longer – maybe it was my oven- maybe should have rotated pans? That pan did deflate/ have a dip in the center that got filled with frosting :).
Hi Dianna, every oven is a bit different and can often have hot spots. Make sure you’re baking the pans on the same rack and rotating throughout bake time to promote even baking. So glad you enjoyed the cake!
I love this cake! I wanted a slightly almond flavor. How much almond extract would you recommend? And would you combine it with vanilla for a deep, nutty flavor, or just use the almond extract?
Hi Julie, We recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract. Hope you enjoy it!
I love this recipe. How can I use this recipe to make 3 x 6 inch layers? If I don’t have enough baking pans to cook it all at once could I let tge recipe sit out until the first batch is done baking?
Hi Ash! We suggest following the recipe in this 6 inch cakes post for a three layer 6 inch vanilla cake instead. You can bake in batches, leave the batter covered at room temperature while you wait.
Can you use boxed egg whites?
Hi Ingrid, yes, you can use carton egg whites. The carton should give measurements for substituting for fresh egg whites.
Hi Melanie, Are your baking soda and baking powder fresh? We find they lose their strength after about 3 months or so. The cake doesn’t have a ton of rise, but it shouldn’t be completely flat. It’s also possible it was slightly over mixed, causing it to be dense and squat. Let us know if we can help troubleshoot further, and thanks so much for giving this recipe a try!
Hi Sally – My daughter would like a rainbow layered cake for her birthday. Thinking of using this as the base (as I love your recipes) and adding a gel food colouring to each layer. Do you think that will work and do I need to make any adjustments to the recipe? Or is there a different recipe you would recommend? Many thanks, Fiona
Hi Fiona! For a rainbow cake we recommend using this light and fluffy white cake or our vanilla cake. The vanilla cake makes a little more batter, which could be helpful for a rainbow cake. You can divide either batter into 5 or 6 layers to color and bake-– keeping in mind the layers will be thinner and require a shorter bake time. Or, for regular sized (thickness) layers, you can make several batches — keeping in mind that it’s best to make the batches separately rather than multiplying. Hope this helps!
Thanks Trina – Do I need to make any allowances for the food colouring gel?
You shouldn’t need to if using gel food coloring. Happy baking!
I’ve loved this as made, but now I need to make a large cake, with multiple emulsion flavors worked in–preferably a 3-layer 9-inch cake! But I’m struggling with the math. How should I go about adjusting the recipe for that?
Hi Angela, you can 1.5x this recipe for a 3 layer cake, or use our vanilla cake instead. Very similar recipe!
This is the absolute best white cake recipe I’ve tried! I made it for my cousin’s wedding and everyone was raving about it! 🙂
I love all of your recipes and use them often! I’m wondering if I can add almond extract to modify this recipe so it’s a Vanilla Almond cake? Or maybe you have a specific recipe for that? Thanks!
Hi Bridget, We recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract for an almond cake. Hope you enjoy it!
Oh good! That’s exactly what I thought it would be so I’m glad you confirmed. Can’t wait to try this out 🙂
Can I use egg white powder instead of egg whites?
This is the best cake I have made. The reason I chose this one is because you listed the weight for the ingredients and I have always felt this might be where I went wrong. The cake was light and the icing was delicious and perfect. You made me look good!
I’ve made this cake 5 times as is and it’s perfection and a huge crowd pleaser! I have to make it gluten free now. Can I use measure for measure gluten free flour or will it not be the same?
Hi Julie, we haven’t tested it, so can’t guarantee the result, but quite a few readers have commented that they’ve had success with measure for measure flour! If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!
I’m making a number 18 cake for my son on Monday. I have stencils and making them in 13×9 sheet tray. How much would I need for 2 layers of number 1 and 2 layers of number 8? Would I need to do 2 batches separately and bake one at a time?
Hi Sharon, it will depend on the exact size of the stencils. If you do need more than one batch, we recommend making them separately rather than doubling. Hope the cake is a hit!
I made this cake twice in the last two weeks and it seemed to be dense for me. Did I over mix or what did I do wrong? It was a very good vanilla flavor.
Hi Lisa, overmixing is often the culprit for overly dense cake, especially in recipes like this one that are light and fluffy. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes will be helpful to review before your next batch!
I’m just shy of the amount of cake flour needed for this recipe- would it be ok to use AP flour for the difference or would that ruin the cake? Thanks so much!
That would be fine! How much?
Can I use a carton of egg whites or do they need to be actual eggs? The egg whites I have are pasteurized and on the box it says they’re not recommended for meringues or angel food cake
Hi Vee, yes, you can use carton egg whites. The carton should give measurements for substituting for fresh egg whites.
Excited to try this, just wondering, if I plan to add food coloring to the frosting would I need to make any adjustments?
Hi Andrea, no adjustments needed. We do recommend gel food coloring, as a few drops will not alter the consistency of the frosting. Hope you enjoy the cake!
I made your one layer strawberry shortcake cake, and it was really good! I’m looking for a cake recipe to use in a 9 x 13 pan also for strawberry shortcake. Would your “favorite white cake” recipe work for that, or is there another recipe you would suggest for larger scale baking?
Hi Danya, this vanilla sheet cake was developed for a 9×13 pan and would work wonderfully!
I want to make this a 3 layer cake. Do I multiply this time 1.5?
Hi Andrea, that will work, or you can use the recipe for our 3 layer vanilla cake instead. Enjoy!
There is no where in the instructions on when to add in the whole milk.
See towards the end of step 3! With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined.
This is one of my favorite recipes! Wondering if could I add white chocolate chips and fresh raspberries to the batter and if so any suggestions on amounts? Thanks!
Hi Nav, sounds delicious! We’d keep the total amount of add-ins to about 1 cup.
Hello! Your recipes are my favorite go-tos! I was going to use this for a 2 layer 9×13 cake…does it rise well enough to be cut to be used as 2 layers? Or would you recommend making two cakes for better height?
Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth! Either way will work here – just depending on how thick you want your cake to be.
I love this recipe and am thinking of using it to make a large, 2 layer sheet cake for a gathering. Do you think it could support and a layer of lemon curd between the layers?
We haven’t tested it so can’t say for sure, but that should work!
This is by far the best white cake recipe I have made and I’ve been looking for one for a while! The instructions were so clear and I followed them to a tee (except I used 3 pans instead of 2 and shortened the bake time for thinner layers). Huge hit with the family! Thanks!
I use this recipe for every birthday in our house in a 9 x 13 pan and it is so delicious! This time, I need to make a two layer cake, but I only have square 8 x 2 inch pans. I know the volume will work (based on your pan conversions link!), but just wondering if you have any thoughts on the bake time? Thanks!
Hi Jenn! We’re unsure of the bake time, it will be similar, but keep an eye on the cakes in the oven and use a toothpick to test for doneness!
Hi Sally! This weekend is my first time baking this cake! The recipe was passed on to me from a friend, she made it for her daughters birthday! It was fabulous! My question is storage related. I am baking the cake Saturday, my daughters birthday party is Sunday at noon. Should I leave the cake at room temperature and ice the following morning and then store in fridge or do I store it room temperature until the party 3 hours later?
Hi Cara! After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, we would refrigerate it. Hope the cake is a hit!