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
Hello Sally,
This recipe looks perfect. I am baking a 3 layer gender reveal cake for my son and daughter-in-law and will use 3- 8 inch pans. Will your buttercream recipe be enough or should I make extra?
Kind regards,
Lorraine
Hi Lorraine, how fun! We would make extra just to be sure – 1.5 should be enough or 2x will give you more than enough.
I am looking at using this recipe for my daughters birthday. I am planning on having two 9″ cakes layered for the bottom, topped with two layered 6″ cakes. Will this be able to handle the weight?
Hi Jen, With the proper dowels/supports it should hold up to a 6 inch tier on top. You can see exactly how we support this size tiered cake in the post on Simple Homemade Wedding Cakes.
Sally: I need your help. Everytime I make this cake, the center falls. I am wondering if this due to a severe temperature drop when I remove it from the oven?
I bake daily and usually do not have these issues. Your advise would be so kind.
Thank you so much!
I made this cake for my daughter’s 21st birthday and it was a big hit! Everyone said how delicious it was! They loved the moisture and texture of the cake. Thank you Sally
Hi Sally,
I was wondering if this cake would make three seven inch cakes? I need a white cake recipe because I want to color my batter. If this can bake as three seven inch cakes what would be the bake time?
Thanks
Hi Lilah! You can use this guide to find out how much batter you’ll need. We’re unsure of the exact bake time so keep an eye on them in the oven.
I made this recipe to make about 15 rainbow cupcakes and let me tell you, this recipe is divine! The texture is soft but still dense, the colors baked beautifully and it rose into a nice round top! My sister-in-law ate one and said it was to die for! Thanks for the recipe!
I love your website. There are so many great recipes. I made this cake for my sister’s birthday. She loved it. It was the perfect texture and weight. The frosting was delicious. I will definitely make this again and again!
I found this cake to be fluffy and fine-textured but dry and with a slightly baking powder/baking soda taste. It was barely sweet and I frosted it with the chocolate cream cheese frosting, which was very bitter. I may have overbaked by 1-2 minutes. I only had heavy cream, not whole milk, so I did 1/2 c water + 1/2 c heavy cream per recommendations on the Wilton site. Maybe these two issues just had that drastic an effect on the final product.
Hi, Sally! I have been enjoying lost of your recipes!! <3 I just want to know what kind of oven settings you use for this cake? Do I turn on both the top and bottom heat of electric oven? 🙂
Hi Sally, how many layers of cake can I get when I use an 8 inch cake pan?
Hi Tamara, you can divide this batter between 3 8 inch cake pans. We’re unsure of the best bake time. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
I made this last night. I am practicing a Smash Cake for my granddaughter’s 1st bday. I used two 6” pans and split the batter between the two pans. The cake came out very dense and heavy though I followed the recipe perfectly. So I’m guessing I used too much batter for the pans? I’ve never baked this size before. Should I use your vanilla cupcake recipe instead?
Hi Rozan, that is likely the culprit — this batter is too much for two 6-inch pans. We’d recommend using our Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes recipe instead. It yields enough for three 6-inch layers, but if you only want two, you can use the leftover batter for a few cupcakes. Hope this helps!
Hi!
Have made this cake a couple times and have followed it to the t but have struggled to have it be done in the 24-25 minute time frame. I have the right size cake pans and it is still super jiggly. Any advice on what I’m doing wrong?
Thanks!
Hello! It could be that your oven runs a little cool – we always suggest using an in over thermometer for best results. For now, you can simply bake the cake longer until it is done. We like to use the toothpick test. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for this amazing recipe. The first time I made it, I’d thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I’m thinking about making it again as part of a Fireball cake. The guides out there use a box mix and sub half the liquid for “cinnamon-flavored whiskey.” Do you think that would work with this recipe? Subbing half the milk? Thanks again!
Hi Kelly, so happy you love this cake! We haven’t tested a Fireball Cake, but a homemade version sounds very fun. Would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try.
Do I just add almond extract to the recipe as-is to make an almond cake? I didn’t see a separate recipe listed for almond cake. Thank you!
Hi Katie, for an almond cake, we recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract. Happy baking!
Cakes and frosting are all ready to go! Can I assemble and frost today for a party tomorrow? Make ahead notes seem to suggest either wait and frost before serving or frost and freeze. Wondering if frost and refrigerate would have a negative effect. Thank you!
Can I add flaked sweetened coconut to this recipe? Would 1/2 cup be enough?
Hi Tom, You could add shredded coconut, 3/4 – 1 cup would be plenty. For the best coconut flavor we recommend this Fluffy & Moist Coconut Cake!
This is hands down the best white cake recipe I have ever used. I have tried many recipes in the past, and they are usually dry or not very flavorful, but this cake is moist and delicious.
This is the 4th time I’ve made this cake. I’ve turned it into a fresh cherry cake with cherry buttercream frosting for my husband’s birthday. I made it with whipped chocolate ganache for my son’s birthday, and with vanilla buttercream for my youngest’s birthday. This last time I did a brown butter cream cheese frosting and covered it with fondant for a friend’s birthday. This recipe is the BEST birthday cake ever. I don’t think I’ll ever use another cake recipe for birthday cake. It is perfect, delicious, and no-fail. Thank you!!
This is the first time I have left a comment for a recipe but this cake is soooo good. I have been looking for a white cake recipe to taste as good as my wedding cake (26 years ago)and have had no luck until now. My family is also crazy for this cake… the BEST! I also used your tip to make AP flour into cake flour. That is key to a great texture and crumb. Thanks, Sally!
This is my go to cake recipe for a homemade cake. I like that it’s the right amount of sweet to go with any icing.
Hi! If I’m baking 2 layers of 6 inch cake, how do I adjust the amount of your ingredients? 🙂 thank you!
Hi Kylie, I don’t have the best ratio of ingredients for a 2 layer 6 inch cake– just a 3 layer 6 inch cake and you can find that recipe written in my 6 inch cakes post. You can always follow that recipe, fill 2 6-inch cake pans, then use extra batter to make a couple cupcakes on the side.
Hi! I am excited to try this cake recipe for my sons birthday cake. I am wondering if you have a strawberry filling recipe to go inside? I love your recipes!
Hi Emily, You can use this Homemade Strawberry Sauce between the layers of the cake. Enjoy!
Hi sally and friends what is your recommendation for adding almond flavoring to this recipe? Remove the vanilla and sub a certain amount of almost extract? Thank you!
Hi Shaytell, For an almond cake, we recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract. Happy baking!
Have not tried this recipe yet but am going to make it for my mothers 100th Birthday.
Will decorations stick to the vanilla frosting recipe. Want to put some little wreaths on the side of the cake as she was born in Dec, but not sure if your frosting would hold. If not, what kind of frosting would you recommend.
Hi Joan, Yes that should work! Happy 100th birthday to your mother! 🙂
Hi,
I need your help ASAP, Sally! I’ve alwayS trusted your recipes especially for special occasions. My parents’ anniversary is coming up in a couple of days. I want to make them an alphabet cake! Is this cake sturdy enough to be cut into an ‘O’. I plan to cut the centres out to make an O. Will it work? Or will it not be able to hold the weight of the toppings? I want the bottom layer of cream to be able to hold the weight of the top layer of cake as well as the toppings without looking squishy. I plan to use stabilised whipped cream as the frosting (with maybe some cream cheese for added sturdiness).
Please help!
Hi Harshal, It should work! Happy anniversary to your parents!
Hi Sally and friends!
I made this cake last weekend and it was fabulous! Thank you for this recipe. It is my new favorite. Curious to know if I could make this batter today, put it in the refrigerator and bake it tomorrow? Assuming I let the batter come to room temperature before baking.
Thank you,
Sean
Hi! I made this cake for my family and they LOVED it!I added strawberries and a whipped cream frosting. It was all delicious. Thanks for the recipe. My son really wants a blue cake for his birthday (it is his favorite color). Would this recipe work with blue coloring gel or something else like that? I know that egg yolks would/could turn it green but this only calls for egg whites. Let me know your thoughts. Thank you!
Hi Tawny, We are so happy your family enjoyed this cake! Yes, you can color this batter with gel food coloring.
Hello Sally,
This recipe sounds GREAT! I am not an avid baker but I am attempting to make a birthday cake for my sister and (after a lot of internet searching) I decide to use this cake recipe. It sounds like just what I am looking for minus the fact that the recipe is only for a two layer 9″ cake. Would you please aid me in adjusting the recipe to suit a 7″ 4 layer cake. I am hoping (fingers crossed) that with the smaller pan size and the addition two layers I can just double the recipe and be done. Any suggestions would be of GREAT help because I am all around nervous about this endeavour. I planned to do a practice bake beforehand but life happened and now my deadline (Tuesday November 17th) is around the corner.
Thank you so much for your help. I love your site. It is very engaging and easy to follow. Congratulations.
-Rox
Hi Roxanne, We have not tested this cake in that size pan but you can use this post on Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions to calculate exactly how much batter you would need. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Sally!
I would like to make this white cake this weekend for my daughter’s birthday. I am allergic to soy so I can’t use Pam or cooking sprays to grease the pan. Would you recommend that I use butter and flour or just use parchment paper by itself? I am going to make the 9×13. Thanks so much! I love your recipes.
Hi Amy, You can very lightly butter and flour your pan and also use parchment paper. Just don’t go too heavy on the butter or the bottom of the cake will taste/feel greasy. Enjoy!
5 cups (600g) confectioners’ sugar!
600g of confectioners’ sugar!!!
I only spotted how much of the sugar will be needed while making the cake. While the base is great, the vanilla frosting is just too sweet. I added 350g instead of 600g, added 1,5 tablespoon of lime juice and it’s still too sweet to the point where it’s hard to eat.
You should call it sugar cream cake, as Vanilla Frosting is basically it.
Thank you for trying this recipe and we are glad you enjoyed the cake. Yes, buttercream frosting is very sweet! You can absolutely use a different frosting for this cake (or just a thinner layer of this frosting). For something less sweet but just as fluffy many people enjoy Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Or even a simple whipped cream topping would work well. We hope you find one you enjoy 🙂