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
Great taste! Thanks! God bless!
This has been my favorite white cake recipe, by when I made it recently, it sunk a lot in the middle. The toothpick test indicated it was done.
Hi Bette, it sounds like the cake could use a few extra minutes in the oven next time. An easy fix! Be sure not to over mix, too, which can cause the cake to become squat. We’re glad to hear this is a favorite for you!
I accidentally used all purpose instead of cake flour!!!! Will they turn out ok or do I need to remake?
Hi Angel, the cake will be a bit dense and heavy using the all-purpose flour.
Hello Sally! I was wondering if it would be fine to substitute the whole milk for buttermilk? Does it change the taste or texture considerably? Thank you so much!
Hi Phoebe, if you wanted 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.
This reply is helpful. Thank you . Will try it out
OH MY GOODNESS!! We loved this so much! I made it and the frosting and followed the recipes exactly as is and it was so delicious! We are typically a pie family but this cake won us all over. I made it for an Easter bunny cake. The one where you use 2–9 inch pans and cut the ears and bow tie out of one of the rounds. Decorated it with various candies and it was adorable and scrumptious. I will definitely make this again and do a layer cake next time.
I’ve made the three layer fun Fetty cake and I’m looking to make two layers instead but I see some differences like the other cake has buttermilk and eggs, rather than only egg whites and sour cream and milk. I’m trying to understand the difference. The cakes will be because I like the flavor of the three layer cake but I only have two pans this time.
Hi Marianna, they are slightly different cakes, but both are light and delicious! This cake would be great with sprinkles added for a two later confetti cake.
Cake is delicious, but not really white. It took more time to bake than 24-25 minutes. At 350 degrees exactly, mine took 28-30 minutes. And you’re so right about how crumbly it is. Didn’t use your frosting recipe, but, overall it was a huge hit.
Can this cake be made in 8 inch pans and how long should I bake it for
Hi Jill, You can use two 8 inch pans instead of 9 inch pans. Bake time may be a minute or two longer as the layers will be thicker — use a toothpick to test for doneness. Enjoy!
Is this recipe suitable for a lamb mold cake?
We haven’t tested it, Teresa!
Can I freeze the batter?
Hi AV, we don’t recommend it. See recipe notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions.
Can I substitute vanilla bean paste for the vanilla in both the cake and icing?
Sure can! I would use the same amount.
I make a lot of your cake recipes. They always turn out perfect!
I wish I loved this recipe. I’d originally wanted to make the “best white cake recipe” but when I read all your comments, it was suggested not to use that one if I wanted a 9×13 cake. It was suggested to use this one. However, no suggestions were offered in this recipe for baking times if doing a slab. It’s still in the oven…….15 minutes past the noted baking times. Sure hope I haven’t wasted all those ingredients. And yes, everything was room temperature, as suggested in the recipe.
I made this recipe for my brother’s birthday, and we absolutely loved it! I wanted to make it for my daughter’s first birthday smash cake. I did a test run today, and it didnt bake the same way in the 6” pans. What adjustments do you suggest I make with baking time and temp? (Brand new oven)
Hi Caitlyn! This will be too much batter for 6 inch pans. We recommend using our 6 inch cake recipe instead!
Hi! Would I be able to used boxed egg whites?
Thank you!
Hi JE, yes, you can use carton egg whites. The carton should give measurements for substituting for fresh egg whites.
Hello, Will this cake hold up under fondant? Keen to do a 2 layer cake decorated with fondant.
Hi Kylie, This cake will hold up under fondant. Hope you love it!
Can I stir in confetti without changing the taste/ crumb? Thanks!
Hi Diane, You can fold in 1/2 -2/3 cup of sprinkles (jimmies, not nonpareils) to this batter for a confetti cake. Enjoy!
Seriously the best cake I’ve ever made. All of my guests loved it!! I made the icing with 3 cups of powdered sugar instead of 5 and it was the perfect sweetness. I will definitely make this recipe again.!
I’m thinking of making this cake and pairing it with the raspberry cake filling and peanut butter frosting for a PB & J cake. What do you think?
Hi JQ, sounds fantastic! Let us know how it turns out for you.
I made this cake for the first time it is in the oven as I type this. Wondering would a cream cheese frosting be good with this cake? Or would it be too rich or sweet?
Hi Hilary, cream cheese frosting would make an excellent pairing for this cake. It won’t be as sweet as the vanilla buttercream, because you get a little tang from the cream cheese.
I’ve made the recipe before and LOVE IT! I am wanting to bake a 9 x 13″ cake, then use a jar lid to cut circles of cake to put into a jar, frost the cake circles and ship. If I bake these on a Thursday, ship on Friday for a Sunday delivery will these hold up, freshness wise. Thanks, Michelle
Hi Michelle, we do recommend that the cake/frosting be refrigerated after about 24 hours, since there is butter in the frosting. If you have an overnight option, that may be your best bet—but use your best judgement!
Thank you for letting me know.
hi, (love your recipes) your FAQs say to comment below a recipe if you have a question, (as i dont see any email contact), but the recipe I have a question on has closed comments, so I am commenting here instead. (might be good to fix that) The question I have is for your strawberry cake recipe – the cake which uses this white cake recipe as a base. So my question is – can this application apply to other fruits/ berries? under your strawberry recipe, you mention your technique for first cooking the strawberries down to avoid a watery batter. So if i wanted to make a raspberry cake instead of a strawberry cake, would this be achievable? For Valentines day I would like to make a layer cake with the bottom layer being your red velvet cake recipe, and then for natural color variation, to do a raspberry cake layer and strawberry cake layer. Thoughts? thank you
Hi Sydney! We haven’t tested other fruits/berries in our strawberry cake recipe, but it should work for raspberries. Keep in mind that a lot of the flavor for the strawberry cake comes from the frosting, so we would consider adding another raspberry element to really let that flavor come through. You could try a raspberry version of strawberry buttercream if you can find freeze dried strawberries, or this raspberry cake filling would be a great option as well. Let us know what you try!
I have used this recipe to make two of my children’s birthday cakes. The taste is delicious, but even using cake flour both times the texture came out just a little tight and dense. Sally, do you have any recommendations for if I wanted to go for a slightly softer texture? Whole eggs maybe, or a combination? Thank you! I love your work!
Hi Celeste, over-mixing 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 try!
I loved this recipe! I am curious though, I want to make a “rainbow” inside, so I’d like 4 smaller layers so I can colour them differently. Can I split the batter into 4 cake pans instead of 2? Will they burn before being fully cooked? Thank you
Hi Natalie, that should work fine, but I’m unsure of the bake time. Keep an eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Fabulous frosting! I added additional vanilla (clear, as you suggested) for that POP! Recipe allowed me to generously frost a two layer cake, and have some extra to smear on date/nut bread!
Sally, I’d like to make two of these recipes for a four-layer cake. My question: Is the cake sturdy enough to take the weight of four layers? Thanks so much!
Hi Diane, that should work just fine! You may want to use cake dowels for a little extra support, like we do when making homemade wedding cake. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Eager to make this. Any experience using Gluten Free Flour? Also, can this be made in 8×8 inch pans for a square shaped cake?
Thanks!
Hi Lyndsay, we have’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. This cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful for scaling the recipe for different sized cake pans. Hope you enjoy it!
Your recipes are always my go-to ones. They have always been delicious and turned out awesome. This cake was amazing. I was going to substitute the cake flour by making my own, but bought the cake flour instead. The cake baked absolutely perfect. Came out of the pan so easily and was able to cut top off with no problem. The frosting was the exact amount I needed. Thank you for this recipe I will continue to make it over and over again!
I’ve made this cake twice now and it’s come out perfect each time! I saw other people in the comments had issues, but I can’t imagine why. Follow the instructions exactly- white cake is hard to get right, so being meticulous is crucial. Thanks Sally!
I love your recipes! I just started baking around March of 2023, and this cake comes out perfect for me every time! I always swap 1.5 T vanilla for 1.5 T of Almond extract because my husband loves the almond flavor. I also use a different frosting, but the cake is perfect.
I’ve tried so many recipes from you and they never fail. I baked this for 25 minutes at 350 using an oven thermometer and it was still soft in the centre. I eventually took it out around 40 minutes when a toothpick came out clean. However, I’ve now cut into it and while the flavour is amazing, the bottom looks very underbaked. If I try this again I’ll have to bake it in 3 pans instead.
This website is my go to for good baking recipes. Unfortunately this recipe was a disappointment. $34 on ingredients, hours wasted. I followed the recipe meticulously and the bottom of the cake was not cooked all the way and the top was soft, unlike any cake recipe I have ever made before. I do not recommend this recipe!