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
Thank you so much for this brilliant recipe. Soft and moist and best of all no smell or taste of eggs. I halved the recipe and it still came out well. Used it as a base for my pralines and cream cake. Everyone just loved it.
This is a great recipe! Sally, would it make terribly much difference if I used vanilla yogurt instead of sour cream in this recipe? I’m not a fan of the tangy tartness I feel sour cream gives the cake, and I have substituted yogurt for sour cream before. What do you think?
Hi Megan! You can definitely swap the sour cream for vanilla yogurt in this recipe. Same amount.
Hi Sally,
I’m a big fan of your lemon blueberry cake – I even use the batter to make my son’s birthday cake each year (which I decorate with various piped designs using your buttercream). This year, I want to make a two layer 9 x 13 cake with an oreo buttercream in between the layers. One top of the cake I’ll be piping a soccer goal and grass, on top of which I’m going to place a small frosted half-dome soccer ball (baked with the same batter as the cake, but in a 1 qt glass bowl). No fondant – and I plan to use your recipe for “favorite vanilla buttercream” for decorating. I’m just trying to decide which cake recipe will be better suited for this: This one or your vanilla cake shown here: https://route-span.live/vanilla-cake/. What do you think? If the latter, I’m guessing that two batches should do the trick, since 2 x 9 inch pans is equivalent to a 9 x 13 inch and the recipe is for 3 x 9 inch layers?
Thanks!
Hi Jenn! I would use this white cake recipe, simply because these 2 layers transfer to a 9×13 inch cake pan easily. Or try my vanilla sheet cake recipe.
Hi Sally,
Can I use pure vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds like you use in your vanilla cupcakes recipe? Would you recommend using half of the amount of extract your cake recipe calls for and then adding the vanilla bean seeds?
Hi Areli! Yes, definitely. I would use 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract plus the seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean.
Hi Sally, I wonder if you know if frozen (then thawed) egg whites would work in these cakes?
Sorry for the very strange question!! – I was SO excited to make this cake and had used the egg yolks the day before in other things (your amazing key lime pie and choc chip cookies to be precise!!) but then something came up and I couldn’t make the white cake 🙁 so I froze the whites since they were all 5 already together.
I have heard you can use egg whites that have been frozen but have never done it myself so wonder if you have any knowledge on this? Thanks so much! 🙂 I just reeeaaaalllly want to try this cake!
Hi Robyn! Using frozen (and thawed) egg whites shouldn’t be a problem. Let me know how you like the cake!
Hi Sally!
I’m looking to use this frosting recipe to tone down the frosting from the 6″ birthday cake recipe here: https://route-span.live/decorated-6-inch-cake/. This recipe still seems like a lot of frosting for a 6″ cake. Should I adjust the quantities?
Hi Sarah! Use this amount of vanilla buttercream. Will be plenty for the 6 inch cake. 🙂
Hello… thinking about making this cake. But want it to taste like wedding cake… usually vanilla and almond give this flavor. What ratio do you suggest? And I need a wedding cake frosting too… any suggestions?
Hi Rachel! I suggest my vanilla naked cake (and frosting) recipe. You can add a little almond extract to the batter.
I made this cake last night and iced it this morning. It was absolutely amazing!! Cannot wait to make it again! Thank you so much!
If I want an almond flavor for the white cake, do I substitute almond flavoring for the vanilla or do I use half almond and half vanilla?
Thank-you
Hi Margaret! I would use half vanilla, half almond.
Hi Sally!
I’m debating between this recipe and you vanilla cake recipe. I’m wanting a cake that is very light- like a box cake, would you recommend one over the other?
Hi Ashley! This white cake is VERY light, I’d say lighter than my vanilla cake recipe.
Amazzziiinnnggg !!!!
Hi Sally,
This cake is phenomenal!! Can this cake be made two days in advanced and kept in the fridge?
Hi Mary! Cake layers have the tendency to dry out when storing, so make sure you cover it very tightly. It would be best to assemble and frost it the day you are serving it. So glad you enjoy it!
Hi Sally! I had a couple questions for you. I am baking this cake for my brothers wedding.. It is going to be a three tiered cake with big pan sizes( 11″,9″, and 7″). I was reading a few comments and I read that I shouldn’t double the recipe? I should just make the single recipe many times? I see your other vanilla cake recipe, however, I wanted to use this since I have made it twice now and it came out amazing! I am also decorating it tier by tier, so should I cover and refrigerate the cake if it has buttercream frosting, fondant and luster dust? It would only be over night 🙂 Thank you!
What an honor to make your brother’s wedding cake! For most home mixers it’s too much batter to work with at once when you double it – you run the risk of over mixing which can lead to a dense cake. I don’t ever work with fondant but I believe you should keep it at room temperature rather than refrigerate it (the condensation can cause problems for it). Buttercream can be refrigerated or left at room temperature. The frosting will seal the cake and keep it fresh overnight.
Hi! What’s the texture difference between using whole milk and buttermilk (like your vanilla cake)? I’m making a birthday cake for my nephew but my sister in law wants the cake by Thursday when the party is Saturday (she lives an hour away and that’s the only time she can get it). I want to make sure the cake is extra moist so it stays well until Saturday? And suggestions for making the icing last long enough? It will be in a cake box until Saturday.
Hi Victoria! Buttermilk lends a *slightly* more flavorful cake. This white cake is a little lighter and fluffier than my vanilla cake recipe. You can use either. To ensure it stays extra moist, brush the layers with a simple syrup after you level them off and cool them. I do that in this lavender cake recipe. You can skip the lavender addition, of course. Just use the sugar and water.
Hi Sally! I’ve made this before with almond and vanilla extract to make a white almond cake–it is AMAZING! I’d like to double this recipe but am one pan short without time to buy a new one–do you recommend mixing a double batch and leaving the excess out while the rest bake, or making two separate batches and baking accordingly? Thanks, Abbie
Hi Abbie, I always recommend making it twice instead of doubling any cake recipe. When you double a cake recipe there is too much batter to work with at once and you run the risk of over or under mixing.
Hi Sally,
For the 9×13 version, could I also add shaved chocolate or mini chocolate chips?
Thank you!
Absolutely! I recommend mini chocolate chips. 3/4 – 1 cup would be plenty.
I made this recipe, with several changes, and it was fabulous! I wanted an Almond Amaretto cake, so these are the changes I made:
– SINGLE recipe.
– Replaced 25% of the Cake Flour with Almond Flour.
– Replaced 1 cup of Whole Milk with 3/4 cup Whole Milk + 1/4 cup Amaretto.
– Used 2 teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste + 1 teaspoon Almond Extract.
– Divided batter between TWO 6-inch tin and baked at 325F for 64 minutes.
– Torted into 4 layers that were 1-inch tall each. For taller layers, I would make 1.5x the recipe next time!
I was a little nervous when I took the layers out of the oven, as they domed a bit in middle, the tops were slightly sticky, and the sides did not pull away from the cake tin edges. But the smell was so mouth-watering! When I trimmed off the cake tops and sampled it the next morning, the taste was fabulous and it melted in your mouth! Incredibly moist, tender, and just the right balance of Almond and Amaretto! This is definitely a keeper!
Do you think I could add blueberries to this batter or is it too thin? Would they sink?
You can, yes. I recommend 1 cup of fresh blueberries. Frozen blueberries can be pretty heavy. Toss them in a little flour before stirring into the batter.
This cake recipe is a keeper! I added a box of orange flavored gelatin to it and it still worked perfectly! Then I decorated it using the frosting and other decor so it became an Easter cake for my Friday night Bible Study. I’m going to make it again for my family this week using chocolate pudding mix to turn it chocolate. This recipe is decently versatile.
I made this cake for my hubby’s Birthday….and he loved it…my son also loved it..It came out perfect and even……best cake ever…REALLY!
Hi!! I want to make this cake this week for my friend’s birthday. How should I adjust the recipe for two 10″ pans? Thank you!
Hi Allyson, this cake batter will fit into 2 10-inch cake pans. The bake time will be a little shorter since the cakes will be thinner. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
YES!! I have to make a Gluten Free vanilla cake for a friends kids birthday. So I made this one with a generic Coles brand gluten free plain flour mix……..and it tastes and looks like a NORMAL cake! I was so happy. I had a few other recipes lined up in case but now I don’t have to bother with them. This one browned beautifully, rose beautifully and is all round beautiful. The crumb is great and it’s nice and spongy and moist.
To commenters who say this to people who ask about gluten free changes: “Why don’t you just Google a gluten free recipe to begin with?”
Just shush please. People want to use a recipe they trust and they’ve probably used Sally’s recipes before. So they trust her. There are so many recipes out there that don’t work well at all so why wouldn’t you want to use a trusted person’s recipe.
Thank you for this cake Sally! =)
Hi Sally! Can you use a carton of egg whites for this recipe, or should they be fresh egg whites? Thank you!!
Hi Elyse! You can use either, but fresh is best.
Hi Sally! I absolutely love this recipe and have made it twice as a 9 inch layer cake. Tonight I made it as a 9×13 and I’m concerned I over baked it. It’s a bit darker than the rounds. I followed the time recommendation of 40 as the rounds usually bake in my oven for about 26 minutes. The cake center bounces back despite the darker shade. Should I be concerned that it over baked?
The longer bake time can definitely cause the top to brown more. You can cover it with aluminum foil half way through if you notice it beginning to brown before the center is done. How did it taste?
Best cake ever! Moist, flavorful and baked like a dream!
Use fat daddies 8×2 pans . 3.5 cups batter in each pan. Full 2 inch cakes.
Also did a dozen cupcakes!
Perfect white cake!
Hi, I would like to bake this cake in a 9X13 pan for my son’s birthday but I am wondering how thick it will be?
Thank you!
Hi! It’s about 2-3 inches thick.
I just made this cake for my son’s birthday. It turned out AMAZING. It will definitely be my go to vanilla cake from now on. We did a “trial run” with a few other recipes and each were fails. I am so glad i found this. The texture of the cake is exactly what i was looking for. I did completely forget to buy cake flour so i followed your diy on how to make it. Thanks again! I look forward to trying other recipes. I definitely recommend this cake to anyone looking for that perfect vanilla cake.
Sally,
I would like to know how much batter to put in a 6 inch pan? I will be using 3 pans. How long should I bake the cakes?
Thank you Sally
Hi Dawn! For a 6-inch 3 layer cake, use the corresponding cupcake recipe. These vanilla cupcakes taste identical to the white cake. The recipe fits perfectly in 3 6-inch pans, divide it up evenly. Bake time at 350F is 18-21 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hi Sally,
I am wondering if you could make this in to a 3 tier cake? — Just 1.5 x the recipe? I like your funfetti cake, but liked this recipe a little better. Thank you!
Hi Shannon! You can divide between 3 cake pans. The layers will be thinner. Or try my vanilla cake recipe— uses the same ingredients, just slightly increased.