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
HelIo, I was wondering if I could use whole milk instead of buttermilk and what the difference would be. Thank You.
Buttermilk is an acidic ingredient and baking soda requires an acid to work. Plus buttermilk yields an EXTRA moist cake crumb. If you have whole milk, you can use it to create your own buttermilk by adding lemon juice or vinegar (see recipe notes for details).
I made your white cake and buttercream frosting and it was divine! I’m curious… is there a distinct difference in taste or texture in the vanilla cake?
Do you have a preference? Why choose one over the other?
Hi Paula, our white cake is made with only egg whites for a pristine white crumb. It’s just ever so slightly a bit lighter. That one produces 2 layers (or a 9×13-inch sheet cake), whereas this vanilla version produces 3 layers. Both are fantastic, can’t go wrong with either!
5 eggs total (3 full eggs + 2 egg whites) plus 1.5 cup of buttermilk is the most liquid I’ve ever added to a cake batter. Consequently, my layers are soggy, sunken and undercooked in the middle. Had to bump up both the oven temperature and bake my layers an additional 15 minutes each, multiple times. They are finally baked in the middle. Next time I’ll add less buttermilk / and or bump up the temperature and/or time. Just very disappointed that this isn’t turning out — I followed the recipe to a “T”
Hello! I love this recipe and use it every year for my daughter’s confetti Birthday cakes and everyone always loves it. I am looking to make thicker/taller layers. Are there any adjustments that I need to make to the recipe?
Hi Keith, We are glad this cake has been a hit! You can make it as written in 8 inch pans for slightly thicker layers. We don’t recommend over-filling the pans to make them much thicker than that, or you will run into problems with the cake not rising properly and end up with an uneven and dense cake.
Made this according to recipe for my nieces bridal shower. Huge hit and several ladies wanted the recipe.
I did add seedless raspberry jam and between layers along with the icing, along with 2 drops of red food coloring to tint the icing pink. I was amazed to serve about 20 guests and still have almost 1/2 the cake remaining! Would definitely make again for a special occasion.
Hi, so I made this recipe many times before and I want to make it again for my father’s birthday but he wants a coffee flavored cake, so can I can coffee powder or coffee-flavored chocolate?? Or is there a separate recipe for this?? Thank u for everything
Hi Allison, yes, we have the perfect cake for your father! Try this espresso cake. Hope he loves it!
Morning Sally,
I’ve already pre-ordered you book (I have the last on). My question is I LOVE the vanilla cake but I want to put it in a 1/2 sheet cake pan (18×26). The cut it with my 6in cake rings. I also need a sheet pan for granddaughters bday and the white cake was req. Do I double the recipe?
Hi Judy! Here’s the same cake pan conversions link! Cake Pan Sizes.
If I am making my cakes two days in advance should I refrigerate and take out the next day or day of frosting it? Or just leave on countertop wrapped for two days?
Hi Allie! If baking cakes more than 1 day ahead of time, we recommend freezing them. Otherwise they will dry out.
how to get Video Tutorial for this cakes?
You can find the video tutorial in the recipe card under the instructions!
Hi Sally,
Love your recipes and have my order in for your new cookbook! Wondering what you might suggest for this? I made the cake per recipe, but I did put the 3 layers in the frig for 2 days waiting to assemble before serving. I used your chocolate frosting recipe which was delicious. However, the cake was heavy and dense! Do you think I overbaked it or was storing it in the refrigerator the cause for the heaviness and density (almost like a pound cake)?
Thanks for your feedback….
Hi Barbara, storing cakes in the fridge will dry them out. See recipe Notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions!
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
About 3 dozen – see recipe Notes for details.
Did this recipe change from 1 tsp to 2 tsp baking powder, over the years?
Hi Ray, we added more baking powder to help achieve a slightly lighter crumb. No change in taste or flavor! Let us know if you try it.
Hi Sally. Am I able to use the disposable aluminum cake pans to bake these in?
Hi Allison, that you should fine. Baked goods will generally bake a little faster in those disposable pans, probably by a few minutes.
This is the very best vanilla cake I’ve ever made. I used some of the icing for the crumb coat and didn’t have quite enough for the cake itself. Is there a particular icing for the crumb coat? Also, I WANT to buy a book and see you have many. I’m no pro baker but really did a good job on the cake I made for my daughter. I like making cakes and would like a recommendation.
My son wants a unicorn cake for his birthday, I tried this recipe in advance. Sadly in my country there is no cake flour, I made it with a mixture of wheat flour and cornstarch and it still turned out great but I was wondering if you have a different suggestion?
Also my son is not a fan of buttercream so I tried out your raspberry filling and iced it with buttermilk frosting. Best cake I ever made, thank you so much for the recipe and the detailed instructions!
Hi Christine, Here’s our DIY cake flour substitute recipe you can follow. We’re so glad you loved it!
Do you sift the flour/dry ingredients?
Hi Leanne, if it isn’t specified in the recipe, you don’t need to sift.
Hello! I want to ask if the batter will be ok set aside for a bit while making multiple batches for larger pans? I was worried about the leavening agents not baking properly if I set it aside while I make more batter. Will this affect the batter or the way it bakes in any way?
Hi Megan, the cake batter should be fine left covered at room temperature while you make more batter.
Could you bake the layers on Thursday (then wrap tightly and keep at room temperature), frost and decorate the cake on Friday and keep at room temperature, to serve on Saturday night?
Hi Sarah, that would be fine!
Great, thanks so much. One more quick question – would it be better to frost it on the Thursday so the frosting protects the cake until Saturday night?
Does it matter what type of buttermilk, 1% or whole?
Hi Marie, we usually use the low-fat 1% buttermilk.
This was not good at all. Not sweet and kinda tasted like cornbread. Disappointed.
Hi Wendy, Cakes can take on the texture (and even the flavor) of cornbread if the ratio of ingredients are off, so be sure that you’re properly measuring your ingredients. Additionally, pay close attention to your mixing methods as well as the types of ingredients you’re using. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes may also be a helpful resource. Thank you again for giving this one a try!
Loved it! The instructions were easy to follow and the cake was easy to make. The extra eggs make a big difference. I’ve saved the recipe and will be making it again for sure. Next time I will reduce the sugar and also the salt.
Hi Sally!
I’ve made many of your recipes and have found every one easy and delicious. Unfortunately at this time I need nutrition information due to kidney disease in my family. Is there a chance you’ll be adding this information to your recipes any time soon?
Hi Lisa! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I made this cake and frosting for my son’s graduation party cake, and added in some of your homemade raspberry sauce as a filling between the layers. It turned out so well! I appreciate the clear steps and info you provide in the post. Everyone loved it! Thank you very much for great recipe.
Why doesn’t anyone use “bake even” strips (Wilton and others make them) around their cake pans to prevent crowning and having to level a cake with a knife. I think they work great, and you don’t waste cake.
I made this today for our July 4th barbecue meal. My daughter says it’s the best vanilla cake she’s ever had. I personally thought it was a bit dry, but I think that’s because I used a 9×13 pan instead of 2 layers. I had to bake it a bit longer to get it done in the center, hence the dryness. I wish I had read your recommendation to use a different recipe for a sheet cake!
But that’s on me. This recipe is outstanding.
A wonderful recipe! I made it for a graduation party and the flavour was great and the texture was beautifully light!
I made this delicious cake and want to cover it with buttercream. The cakes are in the freezer. I also prepared thebuttercream already, its in the fridge. Can I cover the cake with the buttercream already with and put it in the fridge? For how many days? Will the cake dry out? Should I rather freeze it?
Hi Lea, see the Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions in the Recipe notes for our recommended timeline. Frozen cake layers should thaw overnight in the refrigerator and be brought to room temperature before decorating/serving. Frosting that has been prepared ahead should be covered and can be refrigerated overnight. Let it sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Hope this helps!
Would it be possible to use cream cheese frosting instead of the buttercream?
Hi Annie, absolutely! Here is our cream cheese frosting recipe.
I need a tall cake – can I multiply everything by an extra third and make this into a four layer cake? Thank you in advance for your guidance!
That should work, Sarah!
A lot of effort and ingredients but thought the cake had a taste of too much flour. I measured using a scale and followed the instructions. Not my favorite
Every recipe I make of yours turns out so great. This cake was so darn delicious!!! I added a raspberry filling I also got from your site and man it went so well together. This is my go to site for any recipe ideas or baking questions I have.
Thank you so much for making our recipes, Khrissy!