A classic vanilla cake recipe, made completely from scratch! Ditch the box mixes — you’ll love how easy, moist and fluffy this homemade vanilla cake is!
I’m back in cold, snow-covered Pennsylvania after a long, wonderful (if not very warm… we arrived in the midst of a cold spell!) weekend in Florida with family. My cousin and my sister both ran in the Disney marathon and I nearly screamed a lung out on the Tower of Terror 😱.
My sister had a bad cold for the trip but still managed to run the Disney marathon and beat her own time, despite being barely able to even talk. I caught the cold on the way back home and don’t seem to be able to muster up the energy to change out of sweatpants or cook myself anything other than vanilla cake. The endurance gene skipped right over me, I swear.
Orrrrr, maybe it just exhibits itself in different ways. There’s no way I could run a marathon, but I can endure recipe fail after recipe fail after recipe fail until I land on the most perfect vanilla cake recipe there ever was.
Completely cloaked in chocolate frosting, naturally.
This vanilla cake recipe has been a long time coming. The journey began with my pineapple upside-down cake and was continued with my marble cake recipe — if you recall it took me almost a dozen attempts to get the vanilla cake base of those recipes right. A few more tweaks were still needed to make this a perfect standalone vanilla cake recipe, but, after a lot of wasted ingredients, we have arrived.
Looks like I can endure after all.
Tips for making the perfect vanilla cake recipe
- It’s best if all of your ingredients are at room temperature. I like to set out my butter, eggs, and buttermilk early in the morning so that they have reached room temperature by the time I am ready to bake.
- Don’t switch out the oil for more butter. This vanilla cake recipe uses both butter and oil because it gives it the best possible taste while still preserving the soft, fluffy texture that you want. Using all butter will actually likely make your cake more dense and dry. You can, however, substitute vegetable oil for the canola oil without issue.
- Make sure that your vanilla cake cools completely before frosting! If it’s warm at all, it’s likely to melt the frosting, leaving you with a big mess (ask me how I know…).
- Store your finished vanilla cake in an airtight container (like an airtight cake carrier). It will keep at room temperature for several days, or longer if stored in the refrigerator.
Be sure to check out my most recent video where I walk through all the steps to make the perfect vanilla cake, completely from scratch (printable recipe is just below the video).
Make sure that you also check out my favorite chocolate cake recipe!!
Enjoy!
How to Make Vanilla Cake
Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (113g)
- ½ cup canola oil* (120ml)
- 1 1/2 cup sugar 300g
- 4 eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (390g)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk room temperature preferred (300ml)
- 1 batch Chocolate Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and prepare two deep 8" round cake pans** by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing the sides. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric mixer) cream together the butter, canola oil and sugar until creamy and well-combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Using a spatula and gently hand-mixing, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined after each addition. The batter should be smooth and completely combined, but avoid over-mixing.
- Evenly divide batter into your prepared cake pans, and bake on 350F (175C) for 30-35 minutes. When the cake is done, the surface should spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with few moist crumbs (no wet batter).
- Allow cakes to cool in their cake pans for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost cake using my chocolate frosting and decorate with sprinkles (if desired).
Video
Notes
How to Make Into Vanilla Cupcakes:
Fill cupcake liners no more than 3/4 of the way full. Bake on 350F for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs or clean.Nutrition
Teressa says
I’ve tried this recipe a few times and it came out great every time. I’ve added grated nutmeg at one time and substituted pineapple juice for the milk and it was great. Thanks for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run says
I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you for commenting, Teressa! 🙂
Janet says
I love this recipe!
Wonder how long can i keep this cake in the fridge without frosting? or can i keep it in freezer for later use?
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Janet! You should be ok leaving it in the fridge for a few days before frosting. I have not personally frozen this cake, but I know others have with success. I think you will be fine to do that as well. Let me know how it works out and what you end up doing. 🙂
Anna Liza says
Hello…Thanks for this recipe. Im making this vanilla cake today for my mother in-laws birthday tomorrow. She loves vanilla cake. 🙂
Sugar Spun Run says
You are welcome, Anna! I hope your mother-in-law has a wonderful birthday celebration and enjoys her cake! Happy Baking. 🙂
Serene says
Hi look so lovely …how many cupcakes will this recipe make ?
Sam says
About 24. Enjoy! 🙂
Serene says
Thanks
Kaylin says
This cake recipe is delish! I sub about 1/3 of the flour with cake flour to get a bit of a more dense and sturdy crumb, which is great for my professional cakes that are usually stacked and carved. I can’t wait to make this with the recommended chocolate frosting for my own consumption!
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Kaylin, for the 5-star review! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the cake. 🙂
Janet says
I made this cake before for my daughter’s birthday last year, it was perfect, love it so much!
I’m planning to do a doll cake for her this year, do you think i can use this recipe too? I have the wilton doll cake mold.
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Janet! Yes, this cake recipe should be fine for that. I hope she loves it and has a wonderful birthday celebration. 🙂
Ed says
Today is my birthday ,and i would like to make this cake for myself. Is there enough batter to make a 13×9 and what temps and time do i need to use.
Sugar Spun Run says
Happiest of Birthday to you, Ed! Yes, you can bake this cake in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Based on others who have done so, the cake will take about 30 minutes. I recommend just keeping an eye on it. I hope that you enjoy your birthday cake! 🙂
Janet says
Thank you so much! Made it yesterday and it worked, the shape stayed.
Wonder how long can i keep this cake in the fridge without frosting? or can i keep it in freezer for later use?
Sam says
Awesome, I’m glad to hear it!
The fridge tends to dry out cakes, I generally recommend storing in an airtight container (or well-wrapped) at room temperature if you intend to enjoy within a day or two. If you store in the fridge it will keep longer but tends to dry out, make sure to keep in an airtight container in there as well. It will keep for up to a week but again, the cake will dry out, especially without a protective layer of frosting. If you intend to keep it longer than several days I would definitely freeze, make sure to wrap well with plastic wrap before freezing.
I hope that helps!
Latoi R Logan says
Can I substitute regular milk for the buttermilk?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Latoi! Yes, that should be fine. Happy Baking! 🙂
Kay M says
This really is the best cake I’ve made from scratch!! So fluffy and moist. Sadly I didn’t wait for it to cool before I flipped it out of the pan so it fell apart. Either way my family devoured it. I did use this as a base recipe for a lemon cake but adding 1.5 tbs lemon extract and 1 lemon zest, and adding more vanilla and sugar. Then i made a lemon glaze on top, perfect!
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Kay! I am so glad that you enjoyed the cake recipe. I am sorry to hear that it fell apart in the processes of flipping but glad a it didn’t go to waste! 🙂
Jag says
Hi Sam,
Can you use cake & pastry flour? Also, should you sift the flour? I did and it was more than 3 cups after sifting it.
Making the cake for my daughter’s 21st birthday!
Sam says
Other people have used cake flour with success, and nope, no need to sift the flour. I would recommend checking out my how to measure flour post, that might be helpful. I hope your daughter loves the cake! 🙂
Vivian says
Oh my goodness gracious. This certainly is “the most perfect[est] vanilla cake recipe there ever was.” I made it yesterday, and I legit couldn’t wait to get home from work today so I could help myself to another 2 generous servings. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe and the very helpful details 🧡
Sam says
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks for letting me know what a success the recipe was, Vivian, I appreciate it 🙂
jean says
made this yesterday 11/11/19. It’s a keeper. I have an excess of pecans so I powdered them in the last dry addition and added to the batter. Turned out really good. Every pecan cake seems to wants you to roast them in butter first, but I opted for just the yummy pecan taste. thank you. I think the picture made me want to try it.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Jean! I am really glad that you enjoyed the cake recipe and I love the blend of pecans. Thanks for trying my recipe and for your comment. 🙂
Mary says
Hi Sam,
I’ve just made this beautiful Vanilla cake. I have tried many recipes and haven’t been happy until now. I made the recipe into 2x7inch tins to get some height.
My question is.. do you think this cake recipe would work for a wedding cake as a top 6inch tier. I was thinking of doing a semi naked buttercream frosting. Do you think this cake recipe would stay moist and light for a few days.
Thank you in advance.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Mary! I am so glad that you enjoyed the Vanilla Cake. Yes, I think it would work well as a wedding cake. I love the sound of the semi-naked cake, it will be perfect! 🙂
Mirna says
Hi Sam! , this is Mirna I loved your cake so much I tried to make it and it turned out perfectly . At first I didn’t have heavy cream to make the frosting and my mom and dad were busy, so I just went out to the store and bought one 😅😋
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Mirna! I am so happy that you enjoyed the Vanilla Cake. 🙂