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
Do I adjust the temp and time for the fat daddio pans you suggest.
Hi Beth, this recipe was tested with Fat Daddio pans so you can follow the baking times and temperatures listed.
This turned out delicious
Thank you
Hi Trina/Sally, the black specks are actually on the cake about a quarter inch under the layer of raspberry filling. I use Wellesley farms pure vanilla extract and I’ve never noticed it before in vanilla cupcakes or vanilla cake. I find it hard to believe it’s mold too. It’s really puzzling. Thank you.
Hi Karen, maybe it’s bits of raspberry sinking into the cake through the moisture of the filling? That’s our best guess!
Hi Trina, thanks for your help. I’ll definitely be making it again sometime and maybe use the vanilla cake recipe and see how that works. Regardless it was amazing until the specks appeared. So glad it wasn’t mold.
Hi Sally, I made this white cake twice with adding your raspberry cake filling and was wondering what is causing black specks on the cake. The first time the filling I had in the refrigerator for about 5 days and assumed it was mold. The second one I just made on Valentine’s Day and made the raspberry filling that same day and I saved a slice for the next day and it also had the black specks. Both times when first cut it looked fine and it was delicious. So I’m not sure what is happening to it. Is it mold or what can it be? I used frozen raspberries. Thank you
Hi Karen, happy to help. Do the specks seem to be coming from the cake or the filling? Could the specks be from homemade vanilla or vanilla paste? Could it be the raspberry seeds? We can’t imagine it would be mold after just a day.
This is last minute but I’m wondering if you think it will work in two silicon heart shaped pans. I’m pretty sure it will. It’s going to be so yummy with freeze dried strawberries on the icing. I’m going to put a mixed berry filling between the layers. Thank you!
Hi Belina, it should work, depending on the size of your heart cake pans. Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. A mixed berry filling sounds amazing!
This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made! I’m keeping this one close by. I made it in heart shaped pans, filled it with a mixed berry filling and ground up freeze dried strawberries in both the batter and the frosting. It’s absolutely delicious and everyone loves it! Wish I could post a picture of it. Thank you so much!
This cake was great! My favorite vanilla cake I’ve made, and it did stay good for a long time after! I was able to taste the sour cream but not in a bad way. I don’t believe that cake flour is 30 x finer than all purpose flour, as was written in this post. I would believe 30% finer.. maybe a typo?
Can this be left at room temperature for a couple of days once assembled and decorated?
Hi Tina, you can leave the cake at room temperature for up to 24 hours, but longer than that we’d recommend storing in the refrigerator.
Hello there,
I made so many of your recipies, which are amazing, so thank you for that.
I want to make this cake for this week end but here in France we don’t have sour cream. Would crème fraiche work? Thanks 🙂
Hi Claire! We haven’t tested this particular recipe with creme fraiche, so we’re unsure of the exact results. It can sometimes be a bit thinner than sour cream, so it may require some additional tweaks to the dry ingredients. Let us know if you do decide to experiment!
Help! I only have 8 inch cake pans. Can I use 3 and bake slightly shorter? Use 2 and bake longer?
Hi Sav, see “To Change the Cake Pan Size” FAQ in the post for details on using 8-inch pans. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Planning on making this for my best friend’s birthday this weekend. I typically make my cakes the day before, wrap them in cling wrap and refrigerate overnight and then ice the next day. Would this work for this cake? I’ve got littles and my time in the kitchen is limited so breaking the steps into separate days helps my sanity! Thank you!
Hi Whitney, yes, that will work just fine!
Sally, I love your whipped frosting and I’m looking for a light cake to pair with it and am going to try the perfect white cake recipe. I need to make one of my three layers a few days in advance and then will make the second and third layers and frosting in three days. Should I freeze the first layer or just refrigerate in tight plastic wrap?
Hi Laura, for that timeline, we’d recommend freezing. We hope you enjoy the cake!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I was thinking of how to add crushed oreos to this recipe for my boyfriend for our anniversary. His favorite flavor is cookies and cream. What are your thoughts on adding crushed oreos to the buttercream frosting?
Hi Britt, you absolutely can add crushed Oreos! We do that with our cookies and cream cake.
I made this for my daughter’s second birthday and received SO MANY compliments. I’m not the best in the kitchen so I don’t typically receive many compliments at all so it was so exciting that everyone loved it so much!! Also all the other moms deeply appreciated that it wasn’t overly sweet. It’s absolutely the perfect cake.
What is the difference between your vanilla cake and white cake
Hi Suzanne, the vanilla cake yields a larger cake with a more dense crumb and a a strong vanilla flavor. This white cake is smaller with a lighter crumb. It simply depends on what you’re looking for!
Sally,
How can I make this recipe work with a heart shaped cake pan? I believe it’s a 9″ heart shaped pan.
Hi Michelle, that should work just fine. Fill your pan half way, then use the leftover batter for another layer or cupcakes on the side. Bake time may vary slightly. Enjoy!
Hi Sally!
I love this recipe and have been using it for SEVERAL years. I would love to double it but I don’t want to have it turn out dry or dense. What do you recommend? Thank you
Hi Jen! We recommend making two batches instead of doubling the cake batter for best results.
Will this be successful using liquid egg whites from a carton?
Hi Aileen, yes, you can use carton egg whites. The carton should give measurements for substituting for fresh egg whites.
Nevermind I see now that you just answered the question previously! So sorry!
I need to make a 3 layer cake…can you help me with adjustments please? I am using 3 8 inch round pans
Hi Cari, You can use three 8-inch pans without any adjustments, as seen here in our fresh berry cream cake, but the layers are thin. For three thicker 9-inch layers, you can use 1.5 times the batter. Or you can use our recipe for Best Vanilla Cake. Happy baking!
Used this for cupcakes .. after using the same for strawberry cake on your site. This is my favorite type to make now .. so fluffy and delicious!
Hello! I’m debating using this recipe to make a Funfetti cake for my daughter’s birthday, since I’m wanting to use 8-inch round cake pans. I had seen you recommended this recipe to those asking questions about making an 8-inch cake out of your 6-inch Funfetti cake recipe, and I’m curious about the amount of sour cream, which both call for 1/2 cup. I see the two recipes have identical ingredients, but all increased except the sour cream. I’m just curious as to how this will alter the overall texture of the cake compared to your 6-inch Funfetti recipe, because my family absolutely loved when I made that one last year. Just wondering if we’d likely get a similar result?
Hi Nicole, the confetti cupcake/6-inch cake recipe produces fluffy cupcakes that maintain their soft, plush crumb. The white cake recipe needed more liquid to sour cream, to keep the batter a good consistency. I’m sure you could use more sour cream in the cake than what is given, but I don’t mess with it. It’s perfect as is!
Can you make a 4in cake with this batter?
Hi Jackie, You can, but we’re unsure exactly how many it would make. The cook time will be shorter. This Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions post might also be helpful!
I only have a glass 9×13, how should I adjust the temperature or time for the perfect white cake?
Hi Heather, 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.
Hi, I will be making this cake for New Years. What is your “goto” size cake plate typically when serving most cake slices? I want to buy 8 new ones and not sure what size is most versatile. Thank you.
Hi Den, around 7 inches in diameter is a typical size for dessert plates. Hope this helps!
This cake is amazing but after 25 min at 350 it was uncooked in the center, I gave it 5 more minutes, still soupy, raised the temp to 375 for 10 min and finally the the knife came out clean. I’m wondering if this is because I didn’t use the ingredients at room temp? Maybe my new oven is not getting hot enough?
The cake was delicious, but I was thinking maybe would have been fluffier if it had cooked appropriately.
Hi Suzie! The room temperature ingredients are so they combine properly – more on that in this post. It is more likely the oven temperature – most ovens are not the temperature they say they are. We always recommend using an in-oven thermometer for this reason.
Hi Sally I’m making an English Trifle. What’s best option between the best white cake and the perfect white this cake recipe?
Hi Vicki, this White Cake recipe should be great!
Can I use this cake for carving and sculpting? I love this recipe and want to make the Bluey Duck Cake for my toddler, but I’m concerned this might be too fluffy. If so, could you recommend another recipe that is delicious and good for carving? Thank you, love your site!
Hi Victoria, we think it will work. Let us know how it turns out!
The cake layers took 5 min longer to cook so that made it drier and brown on the edges of the layers
Litt
Hi there,
Could I use this recipe for a banana pudding poke cake? I would sub the vanilla for banana extract and pour the pudding over the cake
Can’t see why not!
Even though there are nearly 1300 comments already, I am still compelled to leave a review utterly RAVING about this cake. Oh my Word, it was incredible. So tender, so moist, absolutely delicious. I made it for my Father’s 80th birthday celebration and everyone, especially my Father, just devoured it. Thank you Sally for sharing this. If anyone reading this is on the fence about trying it, don’t be. Just make it and you’ll be so glad you did. Follow the directions closely on allowing ingredients come to room temp first. I think that made all the difference. This one is a definite keeper!!
I subbed eggnog for the milk to make it more festive for thanksgiving. It came out incredibly good! Moist, not too airy – I like a more dense texture – with a wonderful crumb! This will be my go to/base recipe now! I can’t wait to try different variations as well as the original!
Hi Cheryl, that sounds amazing! I would love an eggnog cake! Our eggnog oatmeal cream pies are some of my favorite Christmas cookies to make (and eat).
Is it possible to cut the recipe in half?
Hi Felicia, you can halve the recipe for only one layer.
How do you cut the amount of egg whites in half?
You’ll need 2 and a half egg whites. Our general rule for halving an egg is to crack it open, beat the yolk and white together with a fork, measure the volume (should be a few Tbsp), then use half. The same would apply to halving an egg white – try to measure half of one.