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.
Kate
What adjustments would need to be made for baking this cake at a high altitude?
Sam
Hi Kate! Unfortunately I don’t have any recommendations for high altitude baking as I am not very familiar with it. Maybe someone else can chime in with some help.
Karen
Hi there. Trying this cake recipe for the first time. Can I freeze the cakes?
Thank you
Sam
Hi Karen! You shouldn’t have a problem freezing these cakes. 🙂
Ana
Can you use cake flour for this recipe?
Sam
Hi Ana! You can use cake flour here if you’d like but make sure to substitute it properly as it’s not a 1 to 1 substitution. 🙂
Nichole Krueger
What size rectangle cake does this make? Like a 9×13? Need to make a half sheet size so thinking I may need to double the recipe?
Sam
Hi Nichole! Yes this batter will fill a 9 x 13. 🙂
Becky
I’m planning on trying this Monday. Do you think Olive Oil would work just as well?
Sam
Hi Becky! I wouldn’t recommend olive oil as it will change the flavor of your cake. You really want to use a neutral oil here. 🙂
Sylvia
Perfect every single time!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy it so much, Sylvia! 🙂
Kiara:)
Hi! My mom was really craving a moist white cake so I decided Id make her some!😂💖 Is this recipe more on the fluffier, dryer side or on the moist-er side ? thank you sm!!
Sam
Hi Kiara! This cake is both fluffy and moist 🙂 To get a really clear idea of the texture it may be helpful to watch the video in the recipe card.
Christopher Garvey
Hello Can I substitute Coconut oil for vegetable to add a slight flavor and make it more moist? Or some combination of both?
Sam
Hi Christopher! I don’t think it would make the cake more moist but if you prefer it you could try it. I haven’t made it with coconut oil so I can’t honestly say how the final product will turn out.
Shiri Gornicki
Is there a dairy free version of this cake? I substituted oat milk and dairy free butter. We’ll see how it turns out.
Sam
Hi Shiri! Unfortunately I do not have a dairy free substitution. 🙁
Amy
What would be the cooking time for cupcakes?
Sam
Hi Amy! It will be about 17 minutes. 🙂
Nana Afua
I tried the recipe and it turned out great though it was a bit sweet for me. I’m baking it again but I think I’ll reduce the sugar a bit.
Amy Srisavaththay
I want to make this recipe into a sheet cake 11×15. How long would your recommended baking it for?
Sam
Hi Amy! Unfortunately I haven’t baked in an 11 x 15 pan so I’m not sure how long it would need to bake. 🙁
Dottie Cassidy
Silly question probably, but will it make a difference in the texture of this cake if they are baked in 8 x 3 inch or 8 x 4 inch pans? Did you use 8 x 2 inch?
Sam
Hi Dottie! The texture shouldn’t change regardless of what pan you bake them in. I use 2 inch deep 8 inch round cake pans. 🙂
Vale Padilla
I loved this cake! The recipe was easy to follow and the cakes came out perfectly. The cake was fluffy and delicious, and everyone who tried it loved it. I paired it with a strawberry sauce and whipped cream cheese frosting I made and it was perfect! Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a new white cake recipe 🙂
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Jennifer
I am going to use this recipe to make a tiered cake. 8” and 10” both pans are 3” deep. I am only filling pan half full. I plan to make this recipe two times one for one pan and one for other. Is that enough cake mix ?
Sam
Hi Jennifer! Just doubling this recipe should be enough to fill an 8 and a 10 inch pan and you will probably still have some left over. You can bake the excess as cupcakes or just discard the batter. 🙂
Leah
Hello,
I want to make this a 3 tier cake instead of a 2 tier – I was thinking about getting 6 or 4 inch round pans instead of 8. Do you think that would work? Any baking suggestions for that? Thanks for the recipe!!
Sam
Hi Leah! You could use this batter and make 3 6 inch cakes as the recipe is written. I am not quite sure what a baking time would be as I haven’t tried it. Just be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t over-bake. 🙂
mis
My daughter and I made this cake. Absolutely the best white cake I have ever eaten. Delicious. I cooked it in a 9×13 ceramic dish for 37 minutes and baked to perfection.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! Thank you for the feedback on baking time in a 9 x 13. 🙂
Carly Compton
I love this recipe! I use it for all of kids’ birthday cakes and it turns out beautifully every time. I’ve used it with 6”, 8”, 9” and even 10” pans, just adjusting the cooking time and sometimes doubling the recipe. It’s very versatile.
The only thing I’ve changed at any point is reducing the cooking temp slightly to 325 or 330 when using a very dark cake pan. I also feel like my oven runs a bit hotter than it says so feel free to disregard that completely 🙂
Sam
I am so glad you have enjoyed it so much, Carly! 🙂