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
Any hints for high altitude?
Hi Laura, I wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Please can you share which sprinkles you used they’re so pretty
Hi Kristy! The pictured sprinkles are discontinued, I believe. The brand is ChocoMaker. There is a similar mix by Wilton called “Wilton Pearlized Spring Sprinkles” that you can find online and in some retail stores. Give it a quick search!
Super good! It is a little more firm than white velvet cake but with a similar taste. I love it!!
Thank you!
I have tried so many white cake recipes and they have never turned out as good as I was hoping for. I finally found this recipe last year and it is so perfect!! Thank you Sally for coming in clutch once again.
This is a wonderful cake! So light and airy! And the frosting is great too!
Heart broken…made this cake twice today and both times it failed
Hi Linda, we’re so sorry you had trouble with this cake! We’re happy to help troubleshoot, what exactly didn’t turn out?
If I wanted to make two layers in 2 quarter sheet pans, could I simply double this recipe and split the batter or would I need to make two separate batches? Thanks!
Hi Briana, for best results, we recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling. Enjoy!
This was a delicious cake. It didn’t rise as much as I hoped but the flavor and texture were wonderful! I paired it with Sally’s blueberry filling and made stabilized whipped cream frosting. Perfect summertime dessert!
Can I sub 1/4 butter with oil?
Hi AT, it’s best to stick with all butter for this cake recipe. Enjoy!
While I love many of Sally’s recipes this one just isn’t it. The cake turned out dense and very sweet
I made this cake as written and it came out great! Served with the strawberry buttercream that is also posted on this site, it went together so well
Hi Sally. Just made this and my cakes didn’t rise properly. What could the problem be?
Hi Jane, I’m so glad you gave this cake a try, though I’m sorry to hear the layers didn’t rise as expected. A few things could cause that: make sure your baking powder and soda are fresh (they lose strength after about 6 months), and try not to over-mix the batter after adding the flour, as that can deflate the structure. Also, double-check that your oven is fully preheated and running at the right temperature (an oven thermometer is so helpful!). Happy to troubleshoot more if you want to walk through the steps together!
I’ve loved LOVED everything I’ve made from your website, but this one was just too sweet for me. (and I love sweet). Next time I’ll cut the sugar in half, and I’ll let you know…
I’m using this recipe but using two 6-inch round cake pans and two 4-inch round cake pans to make a small two tiered cake. I realize that the backing times will vary for each size, so what baking times would you recommend for each?
Hi Rob, you can follow the baking times from this 6-inch cake recipes post for that size; for the others, we’re unsure of the exact bake time, so you’ll have to keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Can I add freeze dried strawberries and blueberries to this batter to make a red, white, and blue cake for July 4th?
Hi Barbara, we haven’t had success adding freeze dried fruits to batter. The taste, texture, and appearance are always lacking. You might be interested in this tie dye cake instead.
I would like to make a 9 inch three layer cake-would I just do this one times 1.5 to make the right amount or would it be better to use the bottom tier of your wedding cake recipe since it’s already scaled for three layers? If using this one and scaling 1.5 times how many egg whites would you use? My only hesitation is that you stated it’s a bit denser to be able to hold weight and I would still like a tender crumb. Thank you!
Hi Samantha, you can 1.5x this recipe for a 3 layer cake (use 7.5 egg white—for the half an egg white, you can whisk and then measure half), or use our vanilla cake instead. Very similar recipe!
Hi Sally,
Just made the cake and everything came out exactly as written, and I love the texture.
I did find the cake too sweet , would I be able to halve the sugar ?
Hi Aisa, while you can try reducing the sugar, it does play an important role in the overall taste, texture, and structure of the cake, so results will vary. We’d start small and then adjust further for future batches. Or, you could pair the cake with a less sweet frosting like Swiss meringue buttercream or not-so-sweet whipped frosting. We’re glad you enjoyed it!
Hi, I’m fine converting recipes to different pan sizes but I’m making a 6 inch 4 layer decorative birthday cake and was wondering if the vanilla cake or white cake would be more suitable for stacking and decorating?:)
Hi Brooke, you can’t go wrong with either!
Hello! I’d like to make a 6 layer rainbow cake. You mentioned that I can divide the batter into 3 8 inch pans, resulting in thinner layers. I would then make another batch to make the next 3 layers. It will be a big cake so I want it to be light! Do you think that will work? Thanks so much!!
Hi Dayna, for a rainbow cake we recommend using this light and fluffy white cake or our vanilla cake. The vanilla cake makes a little more batter, which could be helpful for a rainbow cake. You can divide either batter into 5 or 6 layers to color and bake–keeping in mind the layers will be thinner and require a shorter bake time. Or, for regular sized (thickness) layers, you can do exactly what you suggested, and make this batter twice, and bake in 6 8-inch cake pans. Hope this helps!
If I am making the full cake and assembling it the day before we are going to be eating it should I store it in the fridge overnight or on the counter?
Hi Jaimee, After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, we would refrigerate it. But, use your best judgment and whatever you are comfortable with- we’ve never had any problems leaving frosted desserts at room temperature for a day.
Help! When I added in the egg whites the mixture looked curdled. Everything was at room temp when I started. I didn’t do any substitutions. What might cause this?
Hi Lauren, it likely curdled because the milk was colder than the batter, even a few degrees can make a difference. The cake usually bakes up just fine though! Thanks for giving this recipe a try
Hi Liza, if you find the cakes are crumbling too much when frosting, you can always pop them in the refrigerator to cool for a few minutes and that should help. Is it possible that they need a few extra minutes in the oven? If they’re moist but still falling apart easily, it may be that they are slightly underbaked. Hope this helps!
Hi, Can you adapt this to be an almond flavored cake? Or do you have a recipe already?
Hi Rachel! We recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract for an almond cake. We usually just do this to the cake, but you could certainly swap some of the vanilla in the frosting for almond for an even deeper almond flavor. Enjoy!
Sally i would like to make strawberry frosting for only the in between cake layers not the top there i will use a vanilla cream cheese on a white cake . i can’t find that anywhere. Thanks
Hi Billie, here is our strawberry buttercream recipe that you can use between the cake layers. Enjoy!
Hello again and thank you for your response to my previous question. I can be a bit picky after I make something. The cake was exactly as described, good flavor (vanilla), moist, and not dense. I expected a little more airiness/fluff. When I poured the batter into the pans I noticed it wasn’t filling the pans as high as I thought. When I came back to compare my cake to your pictured cake it was pretty identical (thinner but not thin layers). Is this normal? Most of my cakes are Poofier/higher.
Question for you, how do you get the sprinkles to get onto the side of the cake? I wound up throwing them up against it to get them to stick, as trying to get them to slide down the cake was a failure and throwing made a mess. The sprinkles added color ( I used blue on top and a little more color on sides) and additional texture to the cake which I found pleasing. My mother and wife both approved of it (they are my official cake testers).
Thanks again, this one is getting saved for future use. I usually use buttercream, but I tried your frosting. It didn’t go as far as buttercream does so I couldn’t use my trowel on the sides to make the grooves and swirls I like. My mother and wife loved the frosting.
Hi Ernie, we’re so glad the cake was a hit! When filling the cake pans, they won’t be filled to the top. This allows plenty of room for the layers to rise and bake without overflowing the pan. If you found the height to be a bit shorter, make sure that your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. We find they start to lose their effectiveness after about 3 months of opening, even if they’re not technically expired. As for the sprinkles, we carefully stick them to the sides. It takes some time! Thanks again for giving this recipe a try.
Hi can i use this recipe using 2 8 inch round pan? I want to do a 1 layer cake.
You can use two 8-inch cake pans. There is too much batter here to only use one 8-inch pan. Overfilling your cake pan will lead to the cake not baking properly, it will be too heavy to rise and will likely overflow.
Hi! I’m planning on making this cake but I have 2 8-in round cake pans. I’m a little confused about the wording about the pan conversion. Do you suggest following the recipe as is and only filling the pans 2/3 of the way each, meaning there will be leftover batter? Thanks for your help!
Hi Cristina, yes, this is a bit too much batter for only 2, 8-inch pans. You can use it in 3, 8-inch pans instead (you can bake in batches if you only have 2 pans). Or, if you only want 2 layers, fill your pans about half way and use the leftover batter for a few cupcake son the side. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the cake!
Sally’s Perfect White Cake recipe is so good that when I made it for my 18yr old grandaughter’s birthday party for 12 friends they called me from the party with all cheering the baker! They LOVED the cake, the wonderful vanilla flavor. Best reaction I’ve ever had for a cake!!! Soo, I just got a call from same grandaughter (6 mos. later) asking me to bake two of the same cake for a graduation party for her friends with these instructions: “Mimi, make exactly the same cake as the last time. Don’t change a thing – make it taste exactly the same!” Now, that’s a good review, wouldn’t you say?
Hi Sally,
I’ve made this recipe maybe once or twice in addition to your coconut cake. Amazing!! Nothing I’ve made from your site has ever let me down. I was wondering if this cake would be good for a layered strawberry shortcake? I know you have the strawberry shortcake biscuit recipe and 1 layered strawberry shortcake cake, but was wondering how this vanilla cake would be for a layered one?
Would work beautifully, Jen! We do exactly that with this berry cream cake.
I love this receipe but I want to make it for my son’s bday party in a 13×19 pan! What do you reccomend for cooking time, and doubling the recipe?
Hi Amanda, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Hope it’s a hit!