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’ve measured out 3 2/3 cups of cake flour but it is weighing way over 433g. Is this a typo or do I go by the weight?
Hi Samantha, Weight measurements will always be the most accurate form of measurement – you can read more about measuring baking ingredients in this post!
It tasted like dog food. Looked like it to.
Will this recipe be strong enough to hold 6 layers? I was planning on making a rainbow explosion cake for a birthday.
Hi Hanwei, that should work, although you may wish to use cake dowels for extra support (see our homemade wedding cake post for more details on how to do so). Hope the cake is a hit!
Would substituting the granulated sugar for vanilla sugar be good in this recipe or would that make the vanilla flavor too strong?
Hi Mike, vanilla sugar would be fantastic here. Hope you enjoy the cake!
I’m making the vanilla cake with 3 9” layers with the strawberry buttercream icing should I double the recipe or 1.5?
Hi Kristy! For a three layer cake, we would double our strawberry buttercream recipe.
Hi there! I love this vanilla cake recipe and it truly is the best homemade vanilla cake I’ve ever had!
I was wondering what your thoughts were in using this recipe for a pineapple upside cake? I planned to stack 2 of the layers with the vanilla buttercream and the third for pineapple upside cake.
Hi Allison, that shouldn’t be a problem. But I have not tested it. The cake is nice and sturdy though.
I love it.made it numerous times is there any way you can half the recepie. In an event u just want to make for urself
Hi MK, yes, you can halve this recipe. Or you might like our single-layer sprinkle cake (and you can leave out the sprinkles if desired).
Making this this cake for Easter . Is the buttercream sturdy to use with Russian tulip tips?
Hi Lisa, yes, the vanilla buttercream should work well with those tips. Enjoy!
This is my new go to vanilla cake, so delicious! I’m looking to make a 12”18” inch sheetcake for my aunt’s birthday. Do you think this would work?
Hi Alex, so glad you love this cake! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Hi there! I just love this recipe, but was wondering if you could use gluten free flour instead?
Hi Lee-Anne, we haven’t tested a gluten-free version of this recipe. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients. Let us know if you give it a try!
Thanks for your reply and the info! I will let you know how it goes
I hate using food colouring but is it easy to tint this buttercream without changing the consistency? Still need to pipe it on cupcakes.
Yes, absolutely! We always recommend using gel food coloring for the most vivid color without adding too much liquid.
I made this for my son’s birthday party and it was a major hit. Definitely the best cake I’ve ever made, from scratch or box.
I tried this cake recipe. It was dense and thick. The flavor was ok, not a recipe I would use again. Disappointing for all the time and ingredients it took. Now, on the other hand the frosting was delicious and would use it again. I would rate the cake 1 star and the frosting 5 stars, hence, a 3 rating.
Hi Sally and team. Is this a good cake recipe to make for a number cake? I’m making number 21 for my daughter’s birthday. Will the filling hold the top layer?
Hi Lyza, we haven’t tested it but can’t see why it would be an issue! The buttercream is quite sturdy.
Hi Sally, can I add the raspberry filling and forsting between layers to this cake?
Yes, absolutely!
I’d like to bake this cake with lemon curd and raspberry fillings for Easter, but would have to back and decorate on Friday rather than the day before or day off. Will the cake be ok refrigerated from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon or is it likely to dry out?
Hi Ann! The cake would likely dry out if refrigerated for two days. Could you make the elements ahead of time and then assemble on Sunday? We include make-ahead and freezing instructions with all of our recipes – see recipe notes!
Not a fan. Cake is dense and no one in my family enjoyed the taste. We threw it away.
Hi Sally, when making the cake can you replace the buttermilk with sour cream?
Hi Lynne, buttermilk (or the DIY version) is really best here. It’s necessary to help activate the baking soda and it helps create an extra moist cake crumb. You could try a combination of sour cream and regular milk, but we fear the crumb will become much too dense. Hope this helps!
Thanks for your help!
Omg…. Made this cake EXACTLY as written.
Even baked a little less time. It was hard and dense… i could not take it to party. Had to remake cake with another recipe….. i bake alot…. And this was a mess of a recipe!!
Sally, I’m not an expert baker but I am in charge of baking a cake for an upcoming retirement party. Your recipes seem so simple but which one of your favorites is fool proof even for an inexperienced baker like me. I want it to be a success!
Hi Lynn, do you have a certain flavor in mind? This vanilla cake is definitely manageable for a beginner baker, or you could also try our vanilla sheet cake. For a chocolate version, you can make our triple chocolate cake as a two layer or a sheet cake (see recipe Notes there for details). Or you can browse all of our cake recipes here. Let us know what you decide to try!
I am making this cake for a birthday on Saturday. Can I frost the cake on Friday evening? And how do I store the frosted cake so it does not dry out?
Hi Maya, we’ve left frosted cakes at room temperature for up to a day with no problems. Otherwise, you can store it tightly covered in the refrigerator until then (if you have a cake carrier or cake box, that’s how we usually store our cakes!).
Hello Sally and Crew! 🙂
I need to bake and decorate a cake within the next couple of weeks for a fundraiser at church. I was wondering if you had any experience with mirror glaze or know any blogs who have a reliable recipe? I tried one and it was just a sticky mess.
Hi Renee, we wish we could help more but don’t have any experience with mirror glaze. We would search for a recipe with great reviews!
Okay, thank you for your response. I’m using this cake recipe so I’m sure it will be great no matter what!
I am going to make this for my daughter’s 8th birthday this week. Is this cake sturdy enough to do the piñata style cake? I think she would love it. I looked at your actual piñata cake recipe but alot of people said it came up thin or dry so I was a bit worried.
If I divided this cake up into 4 8 inch pans and did the same cutting for the other recipe will it hold up I wonder? Thanks so much for all your recipes. Your site is my go to when I am looking for a new recipe.
Hi Gina, you can certainly use this recipe to make a 4 layer 8-inch cake and assemble it pinata-style. The layers will be a little thinner so reduce the bake time. Or you could try using our slightly sturdier vanilla naked cake instead. Hope it’s a hit!
Sally, this is the absolute best, most perfect vanilla cake! I have been searching for the right recipe for weeks. I am a home baker and sell my cakes to friends and friends of friends, for fun. I had someone order a vanilla cake, but I didn’t feel like the recipes I have used are up to my standards. I tried 3 other recipes before I got to yours and the cake is due for delivery on Monday. Tried yours out today and I am so relieved! This cake is definitely up to my standards and I don’t think I’ll ever use another vanilla recipe. I made three 8 inch layers and had enough batter left for 6 cupcakes and it works perfectly for cupcakes too! Thanks so much for sharing your talent and delicious recipes! I have a great chocolate cake recipe – perfectly light and moist but doesn’t do so great for cupcakes – they don’t seem to want to rise, so that is my next quest! Let me know if you have any suggestions. Thank you again!
Planning on making this for an upcoming family birthday! Do I need to alter it in any way if I added roasted strawberries to the batter? Thinking of just folding them in at the end
We haven’t tested it that way, so can’t say for sure. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Going to make this recipe tomorrow with my granddaughter. Can I use three 8″ pans instead? Perhaps put some leftover batter in a smaller pan to bake for a preview taste?8
Hi Joan, you can use this recipe with 8 inch cake pans for slightly thicker layers in a three layer cake. You may need an extra minute or two of bake time since they layers will be thicker – use a toothpick to test for doneness.
The cake was delicious but it sank in the middle. Directions followed; cake was done when toothpick inserted. But I live at 5900 feet. Do I need to make adjustments for altitude? Could this be the culprit in the sinking?
Hi Kathy, yes, it definitely could! We have no experience baking at high altitude, but some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Hi, I wanted to make this recipe into four layers, could I use 4 8-inch pans instead of three 9-inch?
Hi Shreya, you can certainly use this recipe to make a 4 layer 8-inch cake. The layers will be a little thinner so reduce the bake time. If interested, we do have a 4 layer cake recipe- our pinata cake!piñata cakee! It’s just as delicious and makes a little more batter than this vanilla cake.
I’ve made this recipe as a 9-inch round cake 3 times (following everything exactly, and even by weight), and it always felt too dense – almost undercooked, even if I increased the baking time. However, today I used the recipe to make cupcakes instead and they are the perfect cupcakes! This will be my go to for cupcakes. I’ll try the big cake version again one day, in a different oven perhaps. Thanks Sally 🙂
Can all purpose flour be used instead of cake flour?
Hi Marlene, the cake will be denser and heavier using all-purpose flour. See recipe notes for details!
how can I alter this recipe for single layer cake
Hi Margie! We would use this recipe for a one layer cake instead of trying to adapt this one (you can leave out the sprinkles).
I was disappointed in this cake. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out so dense and heavy. it did have good flavor but it was so heavy in texture. Not what I expected
Hi Gloria, overly dense cakes are usually the result of over mixing the batter and/or using too much flour. These posts will be helpful to review: How to Prevent a Dry and Dense Cake, How to Properly Measure Baking Ingredients, and Tips for Baking Cakes. Let us know if you have any other questions — we’re happy to help you troubleshoot further!
Hi Gloria. I too made this cake and found it to be firm. I followed Sally’s instructions exactly and was disappointed in the texture although the cake tasted good. I honestly think it is because of the butter. I’ve made other cakes from Sally like the dark chocolate mouse cake and her marble cake which uses oil and sour cream and those cakes are perfect; soft and light. So I think we may need to find a vanilla cake recipe that uses similar ingredients to get that texture.