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
Hi Sally, would I be able to use the left over batter to make cupcakes?
Absolutely!
Hi
I would love to make this cake in 8 inch round pans. It doesn’t matter of there’s leftover batter. I would just like to know, how long I should bake it for?
Thank you
Hi Franci, Bake time may be a minute or two longer as the layers will be thicker — use a toothpick to test for doneness. Enjoy!
can I use margerine as a subsitute for butter?
We don’t recommend margarine here.
Sally, I’m a guy. And since it is just me here, I do my own cooking and baking. I love your page and have made some of your great recipes over the past couple years.
I love this white cake recipe. It reads like perfection! I’ll be baking it, and probably this coming week! Thank you!
the top was done but bottom gooey. why
Hi Claire, You can bake the cake longer until it is done. We like to use the toothpick test. If you notice your top getting done quickly, try tenting a piece of aluminum foil over the top about half way through the bake time so that the top doesn’t get so brown as the center bakes. Hope this helps!
If the top was done and the bottom was gooey it sounds like either the batter was not mixed well enough and most of the liquid settle to the bottom of the pan,
OR you used the broiler setting of your oven instead of the normal oven setting for baking.
This looks great! Would it be possible to switch the cake flower to gluten free flower?
Hi Karin, We have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour but let us know if you try it.
Hi Sally, can I put simple syrup on this cake? I also want to freeze the cakes ahead of time before decorating, so would I put the simple syrup on the cakes before I freeze them or after I take them out of freezer? Thank you, Brenda
Hi Brenda! You can add simple syrup, we would add it after thawing.
I loved this recipe so much!
I love this recipe
Is this recipe sturdy enough to hold a good amount of frosting on a cupcake ? Everytime I bake from scratch the cupcakes are so light and fluffy that when I pick them up the cake squeezes in while I am holding it and it can’t hold the frosting either.
Hi Lisa, yes, this batter bakes up sturdy enough to hold a heavy swirl of frosting on top.
What can I substitute the sour cream for to make it for dairy sensitive people?:)
Hi Rachele, you can try a plant-based sour cream or yogurt, or using the directions in the recipe notes for buttermilk, you can use a buttermilk substitute with dairy-free milk.
I have a question about your Marble Cake recipe, but I couldn’t leave a comment there. What do you think about me adding chocolate chips to the batter? Can you recommend how I would do that successfully? Also, does it matter if I use a metal disposable sheet cake pan?
Hi Amy, you could certainly add anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter. A disposable sheet cake pan will work just fine. Enjoy!
Hi! I was wondering if you could add sprinkles directly to the batter for a “funfetti” style cake. If so, what kind of sprinkles and when do you add them?
Hi Ashley, after the batter is mixed, you can fold in 1/2 -2/3 cup of sprinkles (jimmies, not nonpareils) to this batter for a confetti cake. Enjoy!
I’ve never baked, cooked or spent time in the kitchen…ever! I’ve never been interested in cooking but I got a rush of blood to my head and started baking for my family. I made this perfect white cake with buttercream icing and I even made a very successful pink marbled fondant. It tastes amazing. I also made the cherry pie which turned out perfectly and the cheese cake was beyond delicious. So easy to follow the specific instructions. I can’t believe I’m on a cooking site giving feedback. Who would have thought!
Hi Sally
Do you have a recipe for matcha cake? Or do you know how to add it to an existing recipe?
Thank you
Hi Steve, We don’t currently have one but let us know if you find one that you love!
I am really looking forward to making this cake. Would you please specify what type of salt I should use? Kosher? Table? Sea Salt! Thanks so much!
Hi Carol, all our recipes use table salt unless otherwise noted. Happy baking!
Perfectly scrumptious! I made exactly to directions only change was 8 inch cake pans. Added raspberry filling (Also Sally’s recipe)between layers with thin smear of the buttercream. Terrific!
Hi! Can I make this into a sprinkle cake? My daughter would like a sprinkle cake for her bday and I need to make a double layer cake instead of triple so was hoping I could add sprinkles to this? Do you recommend that? If so, how many cups of sprinkles? And any other considerations to keep in mind? THANK YOU!!
Hi Sarah, You can fold in 1/2 -2/3 cup of sprinkles (jimmies, not nonpareils) to this batter for a confetti cake. Enjoy!
Hi! This recipe looks fantastic. I can’t eat eggs, do you think it would be possible to use vinegar instead? Thanks:)
Hi Nora, we haven’t tested any egg substitutes in this recipe. Would love to hear how it goes for you if you give something a try!
I’ve recently discovered that cake flour measures COMPLETELY differently before and after sifting. Many recipes call for sifted cake flour, this one does not. Do you spoon the cake flour, unsifted, into the measuring cup, and level off? Or do you sift it before you spoon into cup and level off?
Hi Connie, if you have cake flour, you can measure it by the spoon and level method without sifting for this recipe. If you are planning to use the cake flour substitute, it will be sifted. Hope that helps!
How did you get the buttercream to be so white?
Hi Sonia, the exact color of buttercream can be greatly influenced by the brand of butter and how much air is whipped into your frosting. If you find it looking a bit too yellow, a (very!) small drop of purple food coloring can help offset those hues and produce a whiter buttercream.
Can I make this cake with clear vanilla or vanilla powder for a whiter result? Will it change the texture or taste?
Hi Pam, clear vanilla will definitely work here.
What would you change for high altitude? Thank you!!
Hi Jenny, wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
This is a great recipe. But when I have used a 9×13 metal pan to make a sheet cake it barely baked a layer that is 1.5” high. Then after leveling I’m left with just a 1” layer. I ended up having to make a second cake so I could do a 2 layer sheet cake and actually have a cake with height. Should I double batter for the 9×13 pan. It’s a standard 9×13 Fat Daddy pan. Btw I’m a huge fan of your site and recipes.
Hi Mercedes, a single batch is all that’s needed for a 9×13 pan (we fear a double batch will too much volume and the cake won’t bake evenly or will even risk over flowing). Were your baking powder and baking soda fresh? We find they start to lose their power after 3 months, even if not technically expired. However, it’s not an especially tall sheet cake, so you can certainly do 2 separate batches and stack them to achieve your desired height. Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try!
Can you make this recipe pinnable so I can store it on my Pinterest board?
Hi Colet, tap/click the pink Pinterest button under the recipe card.
I thought my family members were chocolate lovers. My son recently requested a white cake with white frosting. Who knew?! Can wait to try this recipe with him. Am I supposed to sift the confectionary sugar before measuring for the frosting or do I just scoop and measure? Thank you.
Hi Eileen, no need to sift the confectioners’ sugar, but you certainly can if you wish (or if yours looks particularly lumpy). Hope the cake is a hit!
Can I use clear vanilla in this recipe?
Definitely.
I think I would have loved the recipe but how to cream butter & sugar with a whisk!
Hi Marion! It takes quite a bit of arm muscle to cream butter and sugar without a mixer. A wooden spoon works best in our experience.
I agree but the paddle on the stand mixer works great. Your recipe specifically says “ Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy—about 1 minute. ”. I spoke to my son , Culinary Institute graduate & he said you cream with the paddle not a whisk! Is this a mistake in your instructions? I will make this and frosting again but creaming with the paddle attachment,
Your recipe specifically calls for using the whisk attachment on the mixer. “Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy—about 1 minute
Again did you make a typo in saying use a whisk attachment on your mixer to cream ? You specifically say ‘ Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy—about 1 minute.
Hi Marion, A paddle attachment does work best for creaming, and in this case a whisk attachment is really helpful when it comes to the egg white step. The mixture tends to stay separated when using a paddle, and a whisk is much more helpful. Let me reword this to ensure it calls for the paddle as well.
Yes using the whisk at egg whites makes sense! I will definitely make this recipe again. Thank,you for clarifying!
This recipe is great. I made the chai cupcakes into this cake as suggested. I’d like to do it again, but with 3 layers in 8″ pans. You said that would make really thin layers. Could I do 1.5 times the recipe to get normal sized layers?
Hi Lisa, that should work just fine. Be sure to only fill your pans half way, and if you have any leftover batter you can make a few cupcakes on the side. So glad you enjoyed it!
I would like to use this recipe but in a 12” pan. I didn’t see a 12” pan listed on the pan conversion page. How would I need to adjust the oven temperature because it is a larger pan?
Thank you!
Hi Heather, a 12-inch round cake pan has a 15 cup capacity, and you’ll want to only fill your pans half way. This recipe yields about 7 cups of batter. Same oven temperature, but you will need to extend the bake time. We’re unsure of the exact timing, but keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Thank you! That really helps. Have a great day!
I’m sorry – I forgot to mention one thing. I got a heat rod for the pan. Would that make a difference to the baking time?