The Best White Cake Recipe
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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 1/2-2 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 3/4 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Iโm not a baker. I bake a few times a year.. mainly holidays. Iโve made this recipe a few times, and each time I could never get stiff peaks, so the cake wouldnโt take shape well BUT it tasted so good that I didnt even care! This year after about 15 minutes of mixing and no stiff peaks, I asked ChatGPT why, and sent a picture of my bubbly egg whites.. Iโve been using egg whites from the CARTON! After I Mede the correction , I got stiff peaks in about 5-6 minutes.. the cake took shape and was still so good! So this is for the person that wants to make this cake and has no clue about stiff peaks.. ๐
Iโd like to try this recipe, but I donโt have clear vanilla can I use regular vanilla?
Hi Theresa! Regular vanilla will work here, but it will impart a bit of the color into the cake and it won’t be quite as white. ๐
If you substitute the all purpose for cake flour should you take the baking powder or anything out or should you leave it all in??
Hi Nicole! You can substitute cake flour, but don’t alter any other ingredients. You will want to use the same weight when substituting. ๐
I made this along with the buttercream frosting for my husband’s birthday cake and OMG it was perfect!! this is my new go-to!!
Used the avocado oil and it tasted so bad ๐ not using this recipe again. Maybe would work if you used sour cream or yogurt instead of oil. Turned the cake green too.
Hi Cathy! Unfortunately it sounds like you may have used an unrefined avocado oil which is not used in baking. ๐
Everything was going perfectly then when the baking was complete, one cake sank in the middle?! The toothpick came out clean. Any idea what couldโve caused it?
Hi Kristen! I’m so sorry to hear this happened! Were your egg whites whipped to stiff peaks? Were you careful to not over-mix the batter? Was the cake slightly over-baked? ๐
Has anyone tried using this recipe for a wedding cake?
Yes! It works perfectly for that. Enjoy ๐
Hello, just wondering if this will work for 9 x13 pan
Hi Marie! We have not tried this recipe in a 9ร13, but others have tried it and reported 30-35 minute bake time ๐
I baked this cake in a 9×13 cake pan and it came out fine. Just increase the baking time according to your oven. I found 32 minutes was adequate for me, but my oven gets really hot.
Can you add food coloring to this recipe? I was hoping to make it pink for my nieces’ birthday!
Yes! Add it at the end and be careful not to over-mix or deflate the egg whites ๐
I love this recipes ahh!! If I want to bake it in a loaf pan how can I adjust the bake time?
Hi Sarah! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the cake! Unfortunately I have not baked it in a loaf pan so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out or how to adjust the bake time. ๐
Very moist and delicious. I used the chocolate icing recipe. Perfect section!
So glad you enjoyed it, Beth!
can you use salted butter if u don’t have unsalted butter?
Yes, but you’ll need to reduce the salt in the recipe to about ยพ teaspoon instead of a teaspoon.
Hello Sam,
Can I freeze this cake?
I have made many times and itโs 10/10 but I have never tried freezing it.
Hi Katherine! This cake should freeze just fine. Enjoy!
A delicious cake but sooooo frustrating to get out of a pan/frost. Almost an angel food like texture so makes sense that it is sticky but was a real bummer as I was attempting to make as a layered cake for a partY and they just did not work
Hi Gabrielle! I’m so sorry to hear this happened! Did you grease and flour your pans well?
Can cake flour be substituted gram for gram instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Penny! That will work. ๐
If I baked as cupcakes any suggestions for bake time?
Hi Jenny! I actually have instructions in the post on how to make these as cupcakes. ๐
Followed it to a T. I made cupcakes, and every single one of them collapsed ๐๐
I’m sorry to hear this happened, Donna! Unfortunately it sounds like the egg whites may have been over-mixed or under-mixed. ๐
Hi! I was wondering if this recipe will work 6in square cake pans?
It will work in a 6 inch square cake pan, but I’m not sure on a bake time. You should have enough batter to make slightly more than 2 6 inch square pans so make sure you don’t overfill the pans. ๐