Today I’m so excited to be sharing the very best white cake recipe! This recipe yields a fluffy, snow-white cake that’s light and soft but still sturdy enough to stack or cover with fondant. Read on for plenty of tips for making the perfect white cake, completely from scratch!
We’ve covered chocolate cake, vanilla cake (one of my most popular recipes, thanks to you guys!), and even pineapple upside-down cake, but up until today we’ve been missing a critical flavor: a classic, delicious, white cake!
This is a classic cake flavor and a personal favorite of mine, so when I say up in the intro that I’m excited to share this recipe with you, I really, really mean it. This cake is delicious, and honestly so easy to make… even if you’ve never beaten egg whites before I’m going to walk you through that below so you too can enjoy a perfect, from-scratch white cake.
In case this white cake recipe seems familiar to you, I should probably mention that it is essentially my Funfetti cake recipe, only scaled down to be just two layers (so if you want a 3 layer white cake recipe, just head over to my Funfetti recipe and leave out the sprinkles!).
Let’s dig in to what makes this cake so incredible.
As I mentioned, this cake is fairly simple, but there is an important technique that I want to discuss regarding the egg whites. To keep this cake pure white, we’re not using any egg yolks and instead we are going to beat our egg whites to stiff peaks (if you’ve made my meringue cookies, you’ve beaten egg whites to stiff peaks before). Let me explain how:
How to Beat Eggs Whites to Stiff Peaks for White Cake
- Place your egg whites in a completely clean and grease free bowl. It’s best to separate your whites and yolks in a separate bowl first, that way if a small bit of yolk escapes you don’t have to start over. Even the smallest bit of grease or yolk can ruin your egg whites and keep them from reaching stiff peaks.
- Reaching stiff peaks will take several minutes, just keep beating and you will see them start to take shape!
- Stiff peaks are formed when the whites have increased in volume (see visual below) and, if you pull a beater straight out of the mixture, a peak forms that does not recede back into itself — its holds its shape. Once you reach this point, stop beating, as it is totally possible to over-beat your egg whites.
Fold your egg whites gently into the rest of your white cake batter. I always recommend doing this part by hand. Make sure that you stir enough so that the egg whites are well-incorporated into the batter, but use a light hand so that you don’t deflate the egg whites, or you’ll end up with a dense cake.
While the cake is baking, don’t be alarmed if it seems that the surface is turning too dark. The outside of the cake will actually bake up to a golden brown in the oven, but don’t worry, the cake will be pure white inside once you go to actually slice into it.
What Kind of Extract Should I Use for My White Cake?
I use clear vanilla. Regular (caramel-colored) vanilla extract will work just fine and your cake will still come out mostly white (check out my above-mentioned Funfetti cake, that one was made with standard vanilla extract), but for this white cake recipe I opted for clear extract for a cake with a pure white interior.
Many white cake reicpes also call for almond extract. None of my family members are huge fans of almond extract, so I leave it out, but if you like the taste you can substitute some of the vanilla extract for almond… since almond extract is quite potent I wouldn’t personally recommend using more than 1 ½-2 teaspoons for this recipe, but feel free to experiment!
Can I use 9″ Cake Pans Instead of 8″
Yes! The baking time will be reduced, though. Start checking your cake at 30 minutes.
Can I Make This Recipe Into Cupcakes?
Yes! Fill each cupcake liner about ¾ full (don’t over-fill) and bake on 350F for about 18 minutes (for mini cupcakes, bake for 14-15 minutes). This recipe will yield approximately 30 standard sized cupcakes.
Enjoy!
How to Make White Cake
The Best White Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) avocado oil, canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 cup (400 g) sugar
- 1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- 2 ⅔ cup (345 g) + 2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (235 ml) milk room temperature preferred
- 6 large egg whites room temperature
- Double batch Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (click link for recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by lining the bottoms with a round of parchment paper and generously greasing and flouring the sides. Be sure to shake out excess flour.
- In a stand mixer (or using an electric mixer), beat butter on medium-low speed until creamy.6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- Add sugar and oil and beat until all ingredients are well-combined and creamy.⅔ cup (160 ml) avocado oil, canola oil or vegetable oil, 2 cup (400 g) sugar
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in your vanilla extract.1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- In separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt.2 ⅔ cup (345 g) + 2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Measure out your milk.1 cup (235 ml) milk
- With mixer on medium speed, gradually alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir until each one is almost completely combined before adding the next.
- Pause occasionally to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
- In separate bowl combine your egg whites and using a hand-mixer on high-speed beat until stiff peaks form.6 large egg whites
- Using a spatula, gently fold your egg whites into your batter. Take care to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that ingredients are well-combined, and take care not to over-mix.
- Evenly divide cake batter into prepared pans.
- Bake on 350F for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean or with few crumbs (should not be wet). For best results, rotate your cake pans halfway through baking to ensure even baking.
- Cakes will be a light golden brown when done baking.
- Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside rim of each pan and invert each onto a cooling rack.
- Allow to cool completely before covering with buttercream frosting*. I used a double batch of my recipe (linked above) to thoroughly cover and decorate this cake.Double batch Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Bran
Made this for my daughter’s Birthday back in February and it was *amazing*! One of my new favorites! I made it with 9″ pass and only made a single batch of the buttercream frosting which was exactly as much frosting as I needed. Perfection. <3
Now, I am going to *attempt* make it again for a friend's birthday with gluten-free flour andddddd as a 9×13 sheet cake. Any idea on the baking temp/time adjustments for a 9×13 cake? 😀
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake! The temperature would stay the same when baking in a 9 x 13, but I don’t know what the bake time would be. I’m sorry. 🙁
Happy Kitchen
Not quite the texture I was looking for. It was good. It seemed to build an all encompassing tougher crust than I prefer. I was able to soften it up a bit with a damp cloth after baking. I did not over bake because one of the 2 cakes fell Slighly in the middle due to being under baked.
lisa paioni
I’m a new baker and wanted to bake a light and moist for my mom’s birthday. I did a trial run and this cake came out wonderfully! My partner isn’t a cake person but absolutely loved this one. I made 12 cupcakes and one layer for the test run and will make a layer cake for mom . I made a lemon zest buttercream frosting. I’m thinking of making lemon curd with the left over egg yolks. Do you think I could use both the buttercream and lemon curd between the layers? Or will the tartness of the lemon curd not work will with the buttercream.
Thanks for the great receipe!
Sam
Hi Lisa! That sounds like a delicious cake to me! Enjoy! 🙂
Kathryn
If you add a little cream cheese to your buttercream and a little lemon zest it will do amazing things with the lemon curd
Rhonda Miller
I made this cake into a bundt cake. It was fabulous!!!!! I cooked it for 50 minutes then added a glaze to it 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼It was awesome.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake Rhonda! 🙂
Irma Solis
Hello Ms Sam,
I have a question if your recipe uses 8″ pans but if the pans were 9″ then it would bake on less time? I’m I reading this correctly an if so pls explain why that is. Thank you Irma
Sam
Hi Irma! Yes if you are baking this cake in a 9 inch pan as opposed to an 8 inch pan, you would need to bake the cakes for less time because the layers of cake are going to be slightly thinner. 🙂
Mel
I made these as cupcakes and they were fantastic! Flavorful and moist.
Sam
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed! Thanks for commenting, Mel 🙂
Bonnie
What kind of adjustments do I need to make to use a bundt pan?
Sam
Hi Bonnie! I haven’t tried in a bundt pan so I can’t tell you for sure how long it will need to bake. Keep the oven temperature the same as indicated and use the toothpick test to check that it has finished baking (a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean or preferably w/ a few moist crumbs). It will need to bake for more time than indicated in the recipe.
Susanne
Just used this recipe to make a funfetti cake for my granddaughter. Was the best and most easy cake. I hope she likes it as much as I liked making it for her. 😀
Sam
I’m so happy to hear it was a success 🙂 I hope your granddaughter loves the cake, Susanne! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Rick
I have s question, if I use a larger cak pan, say a 14-16” pan, how to adjust for recipe or temp/time ? Thanks
Sam
Hi Rick! Keep the temperature the same but the cake will need to bake for much less time. I can’t say for sure how much less as I haven’t tried this dimension, but check early and use the toothpick test (toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs).
Megan
Hi there!
What kind of milk do you use for this recipe?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Megan! Whole milk 🙂
Lexy
Hi!
I’m looking for a great white cake recipe to make into a cookies and cream cake. Would this cake hold small crushed oreos well if folded into the batter? Or will this ruin the cake?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Lexy! I think the batter would hold up to the oreos, and I don’t think they would sink to the bottom either. 🙂
Georgette Stratton
Would this receipe work if I was going to put the big lollipops in the cake for a birthday cake. Don’t want something too moist but not too dense.
Sam
Hi Georgette! It really depends how big and heavy the lollipops are. This is a pretty light cake.
Grace
Hi. I would love to bake this cake over the weekend. Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Sam
Hi Grace! I think you can use it, but I haven’t tried it. There would definitely need to be an adjustment made.
Heather
Used to make this recipe from the old website. I didn’t have cake flour for ages, so I looked this back up via old email links, an viola! This is still my favorite scratch cake. It tastes better after it has sat overnight, (frosted and covered in the fridge overnight hehehe) I think I always slightly overbake because the center always looks wet still and I end up leaving it in a little too long, but even then it’s delicious and moist, so maybe just the edges overbaked. Highly recommend!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy the cake, Heather! The best way to test if it is done is to stick a toothpick in the center and it should come out with a few moist crumbs for best “doneness.” (looks can be really deceiving here) They will finish baking a little bit while cooling. Happy baking! 🙂
Jenni
I baked this cake last night. It came out great. Crush on the outside edges and soft inside. I used vanilla extract since I don’t have the clear or almond extract with me. Ivory outcome.
I adjusted the sugar level to 1 1/2 cup. Turned out great. I frost it with swbc and fridge it. Will see if it dry today.
I have issue with dry cake. It came out soft then it became dried after i fridge it.
Thanks for sharing!
Sam
Hi Jenni! Refrigerators will dry out cakes. You really need to make sure it is covered tightly before refrigerating. 🙂
Jenni
OH No! I didn’t cover. 🙁