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
Absolutely the best! You’ve given amazing confidence as a baker. I always credit you and your website even in complimented. I’ve learned so much from you. Thank you!!!
Hi Sally, Is the vanilla frosting thinner than vanilla buttercream? but less sweet?
If I want to make additional flower frosting can i use the vanilla frosting as well? will it hold shape? should i double the amount?
Also is the taste of white cake similar to the vanilla cake recipe?
Btw, im using 2 9 inch pan
Thanks
Hi Kath, This frosting is the same as our Vanilla Buttercream – this recipe just yields a higher quantity. If you are making intricate flowers you may wish to add a bit more sugar so that your frosting is thicker.
This white cake is fluffier than the vanilla cake. It’s the best recipe for a simple 2 layer 9 inch cake.
This recipe is easy to follow and the cake is amazing. It is light and has the perfect flavor. My only complaint is the layers are on the thin side for two 9” pans and also a thin 9×13. It needs just a bit more batter.
I made this recipe twice (read the comments first thankfully as I would have instinctually doubled the recipe!) to get 4 layers and it worked great for a rainbow layer cake. The cake was moist, fluffy, and delicious and the icing light and creamy, just perfect. Wish I could share a photo. Thanks Sally!
I used this recipe to make my first ever from scratch cake. I just have one question. My cake is sticky on top and it looks like there is sugar carmelized around the edges. I wisked room temperature butter in my kitchen aid mixer and then added the sugar. I’m guessing that I didn’t cream the sugar long enough. Going to try again tomorrow to see if I can get it right! The inside of the cake was light, fluffy, and delicious!
Hi, Sally! I made this recipe once and it tasted amazing. The only problem is that it was really, really dense! Do you know how I could have messed it up?
Would I be able to make these and your perfect vanilla cupcakes two days before and have them still taste fresh? Hoping to make both of these (just the cake parts) today for my son’s birthday party on Sunday as we’re out of town all day tomorrow… If not then it’ll be a busy Sunday morning. I love your recipes so much so I can’t wait to try these.
Hi Sara, If wrapped tightly you should be able to store both the cake and cupcakes in the refrigerator for 2 days. Bring back to room temperature before serving. Honestly, for the freshest taste it’s best to make the day before and store at room temperature if you can’t make it the same day.
I am making a vanilla birthday cake. I want to decorate it with Swiss meringue buttercream. I want a great tasting vanilla cake I am between this recipe and your best vanilla cake. I am making a 9inch two layer cake but I am not set on the layers. What would would you pair with Swiss buttercream and how much buttercream would frost rosettes all over the cake and fill the layers!? Thanks!!
Hi Stephanie! This white cake is fluffier than the vanilla cake. It’s my favorite recipe for a simple 2 layer 9 inch cake. The Swiss meringue buttercream recipe yields enough for the 2 layer cake and you’ll have enough for floral decoration, too. Feel free to make two batches, though– just in case you want a lot of extra frosting for plenty of floral decoration.
Hi,
I made this cake and the flavour was great however half of the layer had avgood texture albeit a little dense whilst the other half had gummy streaks. I did the ap + cornflour substitute and I did open the oven too soon (requires much longer in my has oven) I’ve finally found some cake flour so I would like to attempt it again, but I wonder if it’s possible to use the reverse Creaming method with this recipe and if that would work at all
Thanks
I made this in a 9X13 pan (it’s in the oven right now!) I was going to make the icing tonight but that recipe looks huge! Do I really need that much icing for a 9X13 cake? Also can I just throw some cocoa into the icing to make it chocolate cream cheese?Thanks.
Hi Laura, The frosting for this recipe in enough to frost between the layers of a round cake as well as the top and sides. For a 9×13 inch cake you can reduce the amount of frosting since you will only need it on top if you don’t want a thick layer. Or see this recipe for Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
Another stellar recipe from Sally! I made this cake this weekend for a birthday party where we were making our own strawberry shortcakes. (Also made your pound cake which was outstanding!) Mom is turning 80 and she loves white cake so I wanted to make her favorite. This recipe did not disappoint. Very fluffy and had such a wonderful flavor. I followed the recipe exactly and baked it in a 13″ x 9″ pan for about 35 minutes. It was perfect and we all enjoyed it. Thank you for always having such reliable recipes!
Help…. the mixture curdled when I added the milk. I made sure all of the ingredients were room temperature. Any advice please? Many Thanks
Hi Hannah, 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. I would like to make this cake for my daughter’s 8th bday this weekend. I was planning to make a double layer, 9×13. If I make the recipe twice(not doubling), would that give me enough batter ? Any tips? 🙂
Hi Kim, this recipe as written is enough batter for a 9×13 inch cake (see recipe note). You can make two 9×13 inch cakes separately, yes.
This was a fantastic recipe. One of the best cakes I’ve made, if not the best, and I’ve been baking for 40 years! I followed it as closely as possible. Usually, everyone likes the cakes I bake, except myself! This one is one I could happily eat without sharing
Sally!! Once again a huge hit. Baked the cakes and icing on a Thursday and traveled a few hours on Friday, put it together on Saturday night. Added some fresh berries between the layers and on top. I feel so accomplished. Huge hit for my best friends birthday. Way better than the $60 bakery cake we buy every year. Thank you for all you do to help us home bakers succeed!!
Hi Sally
I am thinking of making this for my birthday next week in two 7 inch cake pans (or 3), as I want the cake to be a tall cake. Do you think the amount of buttercream frosting in this recipe would be enough to frost such a cake in the ombre fashion (i.e. piping then scraping off) or should I make more frosting?
Hi Amanda, This frosting should be enough but you can always make 1.5 times the amount if you want extra to decorate with. Enjoy!
Would the frosting work with whole milk instead of heavy cream? Thanks
In a pinch, yes.
Hi, I apologize if you have answered this somewhere but I am wondering how many cups of batter this recipe yields. Thank you so much
Hi Tina, about 7 cups.
Hi Sally!
I am making a birthday cake this week, three 8″ layers with Swiss meringue buttercream. I am trying to decide between your white cake recipe, vanilla cake recipe, and your yellow cake recipe. I was thinking yellow cake would be the best contrast of flavors and textures, but I really can’t decide between them. Can you please share your thoughts? Thanks for all the amazing recipes!
Hi Lauren! It simply depends on what you’re looking for. The yellow cake is a little denser than this white cake with strong buttery flavors. The vanilla cake is lighter than the yellow cake, but a little denser than this. It has strong vanilla flavor. This is the lightest of them all.
I made this cake for my husband for Father’s Day & of COURSE it was a hit BUT…I was NOT prepared for JUST how much I’d LOVE it! I’ve made your mini vanilla cupcakes as per your book , THIS was different, or at least for ME. I grew up eating Pepperidge Farms Vanilla cake etc. both parents were chefs but we LOVED their cakes. Well, FINALLY I can make it BETTER than theirs…THANKS to YOU! As I grew older, I’d buy 2 of them, one for the family the other for ME! I was worried that I may have beat the batter too much as it wasn’t thick like you said BUT looked just like yours. I also brought clear vanilla for the frosting & you were RIGHT…AGAIN, the difference in color was as you stated. BE SAFE & HAVE A BLESSED DAY!
My cake came out very dense. I used your 6 inch round cake recipe. Flavors were great and loved the buttercream recipe. Not sure why the cake was not more light?
I am going to make this cake for Father’s Day. Would it be OK for me to eat in a little bit of almond extract along with the vanilla extract. I’m almost sure it is by always like to have that little bit of reassurance. Thank you
Definitely. I would add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons at the most and the other 1 and 1/2 teaspoons can be vanilla extract.
Great recipe!! Can I add some passion fruit curd to the batter to make a passion fruit cake? Do you think I should maybe put less sugar in as well due to the weather passion fruit?
Will it also be ok to substitute the butter for oil?
I don’t recommend adding curd to the batter as that would make your batter too wet. You can however layer the curd between the layers. For the best flavor I recommend sticking with butter but you can try coconut oil as you need a solid to cream with the sugar.
Wonderful cake! I made this a few weeks ago and it was a big hit. The best white cake I’ve ever had. Do you think it would hold up as a tiered cake? I was thinking of making this recipe (but maybe 3 layers) and putting a 6 inch tier on top like in your wedding cake recipe. I would use dowels.
Hi Michelle, I’m so happy it was a hit! With the proper dowels/supports it should hold up to a 6 inch tier on top. Let me know if you try it!
Hi Belma, No recipe changes are necessary if using 10 inch cake pans. The bake time will be slightly shorter since the layers will be thinner, though I’m unsure of exact time. Use a toothpick to check for doneness!
This is the best cake ever, having worked in restaurants and hotels my whole life I can attest this is the best homemade cake I have ever eaten. The cake is versatile as a base with anything mix in or frosting, the chocolate and vanilla buttercream frostings are fantastic as well if you cut the sugar down. I only put in 2 1/2 to 3 cups and it was plenty sweet I thought. Added a knob more butter and two spoons of sour cream to thicken without sweeting or changing the flavor. This cake and frosting works great to layer with curds also. Great job sally!
How would I go about making a 3 layer 8 inch cake of this recipe? Is the frosting stable enough to support this??
Hi Keke, For three layers you can use 1.5 times the batter. Or you can use my recipe for Best Vanilla Cake. Using 8 inch pans your layers will be a little bit thicker and may take an extra minute in the oven – use a toothpick to check for doneness.
So I’m trying to use this recipe to make cupcakes (since it makes a lot), but I’m following the baking instructions for your vanilla cupcake recipe. When I look at the instructions for your vanilla cupcake recipe, you mention not to sift the cake flour or the cupcakes will look deflated like in one of your “recipe disaster” photos. But this recipe for the cake says that you have to sift flour to get it light and fluffy. I also don’t have cake flour so I’m planning on using your cake flour substitute which calls for sifting the flour. So how should I make cupcakes, sift or not to sift? Thanks!
I made this cake as a test cake for a birthday cake I need to make soon. The cake turned out beautiful except I had a little problem creaming the butter and sugar with my kitchen aid mixer, even by using the paddle attachment. There is just not enough butter and sugar for the big mixer but I managed to complete the cake. The next time I will use my smaller mixer. The cake turned out perfectly, baking for 35 minutes and will certainly make again.
I am now searching for a recipe for the 6″ cakes from your site.
Thanks for your help.
Hi Sally, the cake was incredible. It came out smooth and perfect. It cooled down on a wire rack. I put them on serving dishes in an air conditioned room to be ready for frosting. But my perfectly moist and soft cakes got stuck to the dishes and fell apart. I had to hide them under the frosting. But I need to know what I did wrong. I do want to mention that the the batter looked liquidy when I poured the milk. Thanks so much for all your amazing recipes.
Hi Sadaf, It’s possible that the cakes were not 100% cool so condensation formed between the plates and the cake. And easy fix for next time is to cool for longer and/or place a piece of parchment paper under the cakes until you are ready to frost them.
Perfect! Thanks so much.