With its outstanding vanilla flavor, pillowy soft crumb, and creamy vanilla buttercream, this is truly the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had. And after 1 bite, I guarantee you’ll agree.
One reader, Sarah, commented: “This cake is elite. Texture, flavor, sturdiness for frosting and decorating, freezes well… It was a beautiful centerpiece and dessert for a baby shower. Thank you! ★★★★★“
One reader, Candice, commented: “This is truly the best vanilla cake I have ever tasted! It is among the best cakes I have made in my 20+ years of baking… ★★★★★“
One reader, Rary, commented: “Off. The. Charts. Absolutely scrumptious! ★★★★★“
Out of all the cake recipes on my website, there’s a glaring absence. There’s white cake with a pristine soft crumb, vanilla naked cake with a flavorful tight crumb, and checkerboard cake with a whimsical design.
What about a classic vanilla layer cake draped in vanilla buttercream? I already have homemade vanilla cupcakes and a vanilla 6 inch cake covered and now in all its crowning glory (and after plenty recipe testing catastrophes), I present you with cake perfection:
This is the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had.
What Makes it the Best Vanilla Cake?
Let’s count the ways!
- Soft, light crumb from cake flour
- Fluffy from extra egg whites
- Buttery and cakey from creamed butter
- Stick-to-your-fork moist from eggs & buttermilk
- Extra flavor from pure vanilla extract
Not to mention its versatility: This vanilla cake batter is strong enough for shaped cakes, tiered cakes (see the slight variation in my homemade wedding cake recipe), and holds up beautifully under fondant. Use this batter for vanilla cupcakes, Bundt cake, or even piñata cake. It’s classy enough for a wedding celebration, but unassuming enough for a big family dinner.
Behind the Vanilla Cake Recipe
After years of cake successes and flops, I’m confident in this homemade vanilla cake. During my recipe testing, I combined my white cake recipe and naked cake recipe. These are two reader favorites and I knew they’d be the best starting point. At first there were too many eggs and I quickly learned sifting cake flour was NOT doing any favors.
You need the following power ingredients:
- Cake Flour: If you want a fluffy and soft bakery-style vanilla cake, cake flour is the secret. The cake will be denser and heavier using all-purpose flour.
- Eggs & 2 additional egg whites: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy. I don’t recommend using 4 whole eggs; stick to the 3 egg & 2 egg white combination.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Remember the differences in baking powder vs baking soda and why we use both in some recipes? Using enough baking powder to give these layers height gave the cake a bitter aftertaste. Baking soda allows us to use less baking powder.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is an acidic ingredient and baking soda requires an acid to work. Plus buttermilk yields an EXTRA moist cake crumb. See recipe note about using a DIY buttermilk substitute.
For more prominent vanilla flavor, use homemade vanilla extract. (What a fun DIY gift!) This vanilla cake batter is moderately thick and fits perfectly in 3 9-inch cake pans. We actually use the same exact batter to make snickerdoodle cake.
Do you know how to level a cake? Let me help. It’s really easy. You can use a fancy cake leveler, but I use a serrated knife. Carefully slice off the tippy top of the cooled cake layers, creating a flat surface. Leveling cakes doesn’t require a ruler, talent, or any mathematical equations. Instead, just use your eyes, hands, and a knife.
Leveling the cake layers promises a straight and sturdy layer cake.
How Much Frosting Between Cake Layers?
I always eyeball the amount of frosting between cake layers, but I measured when I decorated the pictured cake. The vanilla buttercream recipe below yields about 6 cups of frosting. I recommend you use about 1.5 heaping cups of buttercream between each cake layer and reserve the last 3 cups for outside the cake. If you are going to add a filling such as raspberry cake filling, you’ll use less frosting between the layers. You can use this detailed how to assemble and decorate a layer cake post as a guide!
Cake Decoration Inspiration: For a simple look, stick with vanilla buttercream, fresh berries, and mint sprigs. You can also decorate with chocolate buttercream (I recommend the same amount from this piñata cake), rainbow sprinkles, a chocolate ganache drip like on this chocolate chip cake, or even beautiful buttercream flowers.
Homemade Vanilla Cake Success Tips
Learn from my mistakes and bake the best cake on the 1st try!
- Follow the recipe closely. Use each power ingredient listed.
- Use room temperature ingredients. The batter mixes together evenly when all the cake ingredients are roughly the same temperature. This also reduces the risk of over-mixing and over-baking. Set out your ingredients 1 hour before beginning. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Line your cake pans with parchment. Place your cake pans on a large sheet of parchment paper. Trace the bottom of the cake pan with a pencil. Cut parchment paper into rounds. Grease the pan and the parchment paper. Parchment paper rounds guarantee seamless removal from the pan because the cake slides right out.
- Cool cake layers completely. I’ve tried taking shortcuts by assembling a layer cake with semi-warm cake layers. Well, the frosting completely melts and causes the entire cake to collapse. Make sure each layer is cool– refrigerate or freeze the layers if you need to!
- Refrigerate decorated cake. After frosting the cake, place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This is optional, but it sets the frosting and cake layers. You’ll get beautifully clean slices because the crumbs are cool and tight.
Great read: Check out Tessa’s Top 10 Best Layer Cake Tips.
Finding the perfect vanilla cake recipe requires a celebration. Luckily we have cake!!!
More Classic Cake Recipes
And here is my perfected vanilla cupcakes recipe.
Print
Best Vanilla Cake
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 12-14 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With its outstanding vanilla flavor, pillowy soft crumb, and creamy vanilla buttercream, this is truly the best vanilla cake I’ve ever had. Make sure you read through the recipe and recipe notes before beginning. This recipe yields approximately 8 cups of batter which is helpful if you need this batter for different cake pan sizes and conversions.
Ingredients
- 3 and 2/3 cups (433g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs + 2 additional egg whites, at room temperature*
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, a Tablespoon!)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 and 1/2 cups (650g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch 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.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will look curdled as a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, pour in the buttermilk and mix just until combined. 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 batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 23-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire cooling rack. 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 whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble and decorate: 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 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I use and recommend an icing spatula to apply the frosting.
- Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- 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 then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Kitchen Scale (optional) | Cooling Rack | Large Icing Spatula | Cake Turntable | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storing and transporting)
- 9×13-inch Cake: I recommend using my white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake. See recipe notes for the 9×13 inch version.
- 2 Layer Cake: I recommend using my 2 layer white cake batter instead. Both use similar ingredients and produce a deliciously light vanilla cake.
- Bundt Cake: This vanilla cake batter will fit into a 10-12 cup or larger Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time (likely around an hour), but use a toothpick to test for doneness. Same oven temperature.
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19-21 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen. Or try my vanilla cupcakes recipe.
- Cake Flour: To prevent a dry-tasting cake, make sure you are spooning and leveling the flour or weighing it. For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle and I have many more recipes using it. Usually a homemade cake flour substitute works, but this recipe uses far too much cake flour and the homemade substitute is not ideal.
- Eggs: 3 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light and airy. I don’t recommend using 4 whole eggs; stick to the 3 egg & 2 egg white combination. Here are recipes using leftover egg yolks.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Want chocolate frosting instead? I recommend the recipe/amount of chocolate frosting I use for Piñata Cake.
- Sprinkle Cake: To make a sprinkle cake, fold about 3/4 cup (135g) of sprinkles into the cake batter. Avoid nonpareils (the little balls), which tend to bleed their color. Or try this confetti birthday cake, which is quite similar to this recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I just want to make one layer, can I 1/3rd this recipe?
Hi Kinjal, you can try 1/3 of this recipe for one layer, or you might enjoy our one-layer Easy Homemade Sprinkle Cake instead (omit the sprinkles).
Hi! I usually make this cake all the time but today I noticed that there’s been some changes in the amount of cake flour (increased to 433) and the baking powder to 2 tsp from the printed version I had
I just wanted to know how these new changes effect the cake? (just because it was already so perfect). 🙂
We did correct the gram measurements for flour not too long ago. The cup measurements haven’t changed, we just made the weights a bit more accurate! After making this cake a few more times in newer variations, we found that more baking powder helps keep the crumb lighter which is especially important with a layer cake. Honestly, 1 teaspoon is great but we like it with 2 teaspoons better.
Thank you so much for letting me know!
Baking this today, I love all of your recipes.
I’m getting ready to bake this cake a second time. First time it was a GREAT HIT!!! Even those who typically don’t eat cake took part after hearing the raves from others. Reading through your notes again–very helpful. Thanks for this. I want to try some of your other recipes but can’t give this one up.
Hi Sally, I absolutely LOVE this recipe and have made it countless times now with everyone who tastes them absolutely loving them!!
I wondered if I can substitute the milk, eggs and butter for vegan alternatives and it have the right taste to them still? As who I am making them for this time is vegan. I’m from the UK so will be UK ingredients.
Thanks so much!
Hi Karine, so great to hear how much you enjoy this recipe! We haven’t tested this cake with vegan alternatives, so we’re unsure of the exact results. If you do give it a try, we’d love to know how it turns out for you.
I made this cake today and it is very, very good. However I put just 1 cup of frosting in between the two layers and I did not have enough to frost the sides of the cake.
Hi Bonnie! We’re so glad you enjoyed the taste of this cake. Did you make any changes to the frosting recipe? We typically use 1.5 cups of frosting between each layer and find that there is enough to lightly frost the sides of the cake as well. For next time, you can feel free to 1.5x or double the frosting recipe if you prefer to have more frosting to work with. Hope this helps!
A+++++! I happened across this recipe about 2 hours ago. I baked it into 2 doz cupcakes and one 8 x 12 pan. I am about to assemble the frosting but had to give you praise right away. This cake is amazing, and easy to put together as well. I’ll be lucky if any of it survives to get frosted. THANK YOU for sharing your vanilla heaven with us! Stay safe!
Hello, I wanted to know if I could bake this in a square/rectangle baking tray instead of a circle baking tray, would it make any difference?
Hi Shifa, our cake pan sizes and conversions guide will help you scale this recipe for different sized baking pans.
Made the cake. A TRUE HIT RAVE with all my friends at the party. Now wanting to make cupcakes with the leftover ingredients. An y tips? Use same recipe or modify for smaller cakes? Cooking time, frosting, etc.
Hi Merideth, we’re so happy this cake was a hit! I recommend giving our vanilla cupcakes or smaller, 6-inch cake recipes a try.
Hi! I’m looking to make a 6-layer cake, alternating vanilla and chocolate layers. Is this white cake recipe sturdy enough for that use? Or is there a different white/vanilla cake you recommend? I’m using your triple chocolate recipe with sour cream for the chocolate layers. Thanks!
Hi Alexa! Yes, this cake would be great to layer like that. Enjoy!
Thanks for this recipe, it sounds great! I am using an 11×15 cake pan and I see that this makes 8 cups of batter. Will that be plenty?
Hi Sally
I love your recipes. I’m looking to make a thinner, taller version of this cake. Can I use 3 6inch cake tins instead of 9 inch or do I need to tweak the recipe? I’m having trouble following the guidelines in your cake pan conversion piece.
Thanks so much
Olivia
Hi Olivia, this batter yields more than enough batter for 3 6-inch cake layers. Some readers report having enough batter for 4 6-inch layers but we haven’t tested it. You can halve this recipe for a smaller cake, or you might follow our 6 inch vanilla cake recipe instead. Equally delicious!
Thanks Hilari.
A four layer 6 inch cake sounds great! Do you know if the cooking time would be less or more than stated in the recipe for the 9 inch tins? Also if I don’t have four tins is it okay leave some cake mix to one side until a tin is free or does this affect its ability to rise? – I’ve read conflicting reports on this.
Thanks!
Hi Olivia! I recommend following the baking times in in this 6-inch cake recipes post. It depends on how full you fill the pans, but bake time should be about 18-21 minutes. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Use a kitchen towel to lightly cover the batter while the first cake layers bake – that won’t be an issue at all! Let us know how it turns out 🙂
Hello Sally, I’m so looking forward to trying your cake recipe. It looks and sounds delicious! But before making it I do have a couple of questions. I was Just wondering…how come the dry ingredients aren’t added by alternating it with the buttermilk? Also, would this cake and frosting recipe work well with a cooked fruit filling such as strawberry? Thanks so much and hope to hear from you soon!
Hi Amy, We hope you love this cake recipe and thank you for asking about the mixing method! In terms of mixing the dry and wet, we’ve found it does not make a huge difference in some cake recipes. Mixing in 1/3 dry, then wet, etc or mixing in half dry, half wet, repeat, OR even adding all of the dry, then all of the wet and beating together. Of course this depends on the recipe, but the method above works wonderfully for this cake!
This cake is wonderful with a strawberry filling between the layers. We do still like to use a light layer of frosting when using fruit fillings to keep the layers from sliding around. You might also want to pipe a border around the layer to keep the filling from coming out the sides. Enjoy!
Hello and Thank you for responding to my questions The cake turned out Amazing! I made it for a small office retirement party and everyone loved it! I ended up going with a raspberry compote because that was the guest of honors fav filling However I did have one issue with the cake…..although it was not under baked after it cooled off the tops were way too moist almost wet so I had to a scrap off the very top of each layer I followed all the directions EXCEPT I didn’t leave the cake layers inside the pans on the racks until completely cooled off instead I dumped each layer out of the pan after 10 mins and set them back on the wire racks Would this have caused the tops to become too moist ?? Thank you for the delicious recipe! I would definitely make it again!!!
I love this recipe but want to make it a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator iced. What is the best way to cover it so the icing doesn’t get ruined when coming to room temperature?
Hi Kat! You want it to be as air-tight as possible. We usually use a large plastic container, but if you don’t have something big enough, a loose wrap of plastic wrap can work well. Storing cakes in the refrigerator can dry them out – if possible, we recommend letting the cake sit overnight at a cool room temperature. After decorating anything with buttercream, 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.
Hi Sally, I need to make a 10”
Layer cake. Would I double this recipe or do you have a recipe for a 10” vanilla or yellow cake? I’m making a 2 tier 8” and 10” cake. Thanks for any insight.
Hi Janis! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. Happy baking!
Thanks so much!!
Hey Sally,
Great recipe! If I want to use vanilla bean paste, how much would I use?
Hi Liz, vanilla bean paste is a wonderful replacement for the vanilla extract. Most vanilla bean pastes come with substitution instructions– you usually use about half the amount when subbing in for vanilla extract.
very good recipe !!! i like it
How much flour do I put it doesn’t say
Hi Lucia, you need 3 and 2/3 cups (433g) cake flour for this recipe – first ingredient on the list. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, question- I only have 3, 8inch cake pans. Can you I use these instead of 9″ and possible have a bit of batter left over? If so, should I adjust temp and/or time?
Thank you!
Hi Kathryn, you can absolutely use your 8 inch pans for thicker layers. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but it should be just a few minutes longer to account for the thicker layers.
This is my go-to vanilla cake recipe! Can I add melted bittersweet chocolate to a portion of the batter to make marble cake? I know you have another recipe for it, but I need A LOT of batter and this one makes more so I was hoping to use it instead!
Hi Junior, we’d recommend following our zebra cake instead — simply use a toothpick of knife to help create a marbled look there instead of the zebra stripes. Let us know if you give it a try!
I love baking and trying new recipes, I made this just for fun this weekend, and this cake is DELICIOUS! I made it exactly as the recipe states (except I used 8-inch pans b/c that is what I have, I did have to cook a little longer with the pan change) and served it with some fresh raspberries. If you are looking for a go-to vanilla cake, this is it; nice crumb, excellent vanilla flavor, and the frosting is an easy buttercream, that goes perfectly with the cake.
Can I make this into chocolate cake by adding cocoa? If so how much? Thanks!
Hi Natty, cocoa powder can be a finicky ingredient so it would take quite a bit of recipe testing to figure out the right amount. We recommend our triple chocolate cake instead — same great texture and moisture as this vanilla cake!
Hi Lexi! I am planning to make this lovely 3-layer cake soon and was wondering if instead of “carving” off a bit from the top layer to get rid of the little mound in the center, I could use 3 Bake Even baking strips around the pans? They are intended to help create flat layers. Thank you!
Dawn
Hi Dawn! Yes, you can definitely use baking strips if you prefer.
I tried this recipe and the cake came out perfectly! But with the icing I’m noticing it lacks a vanilla taste and I’m getting a very buttery taste from it. Did I do something wrong?
Hi Steven, for next time, you can try slightly increasing the vanilla for more of a vanilla taste. How was the texture? If not too thick already, you could also add more confectioners’ sugar to help thicken and sweeten the frosting a bit. Hope this helps!
Hi Sally, this is my go to vanilla cake recipe, I love it! I thought I saw somewhere that it could be made in three 8″ pans. Do you have a recommendation on baking time for that? I just want a taller cake! Thanks so much!
Hi Heidi! You can absolutely use your 8 inch pans for thicker layers. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but it should be just a few minutes longer to account for the thicker layers.
Perfect, thanks so much!
idk what i did wrong but it was kinda dry
Hi Asia, dry cakes are usually the result of over baking, even if just by a minute or two. We also share some other helpful tips in this blog post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes — hope this helps for next time!
This is my go-to cake recipe…. It is so moist, soft and delicious!!! I’m planning to use it as the base for my daughter’s next birthday which is a Disney Frozen theme. I just plan to add light blue and violet gel to color the layers and icing, and add blackberry jam as a filling. I thought about possibly adding lemon flavor too…I just didn’t want to go with a lemon cake recipe as I worry the yellow color would change the colors I’m planning. So I’m wondering if you think I could sub lemon extract for the vanilla, or would you recommend only subbing a portion of the vanilla for lemon extract, or best not to even attempt?
Thanks so much for this amazing sight…it is my favorite source of tips, recipes and inspiration to keep my house full of happy bellies!
Hi Stephanie, sounds like a beautiful cake you have planned! We haven’t tried it, but you can certainly replace some of the vanilla extract with lemon extract (don’t leave the vanilla out entirely). Let us know how it goes, and happy birthday to your daughter!
How far ahead can I bake the cake. I have a function on a Fri, however I don’t have any time before Tue to bake it. (I will be frosting and decorating it on Wed afternoon.
Hi Janet, you can cover your decorated cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Salley,
I’ve been fighting density issues, so I tested something the other day, using the 1.5 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 salt. It turned out great, fluffy and a little moist. Could this be a difference in baking location? I’m in Northern Georgia, not sure where you are but I’ve heard of such odd things with altitude and humidity causing rising issues.
Hi Joshua, you’re correct — altitude and humidity can definitely play a role in how baked goods come out. If you’re having trouble with dense cakes in particular, you might find this post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes helpful to review before your next cake. Hope you find it helpful!
Was the first unbelievable cake I have ever made! Thanks for all the time and testing you do on these recipes! Made it for my son’s forth birthday! Perfect!
This truly is the BEST cake! My husband and everyone raved about it. Many people thought I bought it from a bakery. This is now my “go-to” vanilla cake recipe.
I used my own buttercream recipe (similar recipe, but salted butter). I also added raspberry jam between the layers. It was amazing!