A perfectly plush, soft, classic vanilla cake recipe made entirely from scratch! It’s so simple to make, and tastes much better than a box mix! Recipe includes a how-to video.
A Classic Vanilla Cake, Made Entirely From-Scratch
Every baker needs a solid vanilla cake recipe in their repertoire, and today’s recipe is just that.
It’s soft, plush, and perfectly moist. Not to be confused with my white cake, this recipe is a beautiful pale golden color and distinctly vanilla flavored. It pairs beautifully with any frosting, although a traditional chocolate frosting is my favorite finish!
Like my chocolate cake, this has been one of my most popular recipes for years (and you may recognize it as the base for both my pineapple upside-down cake and my marble cake). It’s a simple, classic, and incredible vanilla cake. So many of you have tried and loved this recipe, and while the recipe remains exactly the same, I thought it was about time for a facelift with new photos and a new video.
The flavor and texture of this cake is so much better than box-mix, and the preparation is almost as easy. I’ve included a few tips below to help you be successful, so make sure to read all the notes before you get started.
What You Need
After testing many versions and combinations of ingredients, I’ve found that a good vanilla cake needs the following ingredients:
- Oil AND butter. A blend of these two ingredients gives the cake the best possible flavor and texture. Butter provides flavor while oil adds moisture and keeps it from being too dry. A cake made with all oil would be moist but lacking in flavor, and an all-butter cake may have a more buttery taste, but would be more dry. Any neutral cooking oil will work here, but I typically recommend using either vegetable or canola oil. For the butter, unsalted is best so we have maximum control over the flavor of the cake
- Sugar. Plain granulated sugar works best. Brown sugar would add moisture, but would detract from the classic vanilla flavor and even weigh down the cake a bit.
- Eggs. You’ll need four eggs, and it’s best if you bring them to room temperature before adding them (this helps them incorporate into the batter more evenly).
- Vanilla. You can’t have vanilla cake without vanilla! I recommend using a good quality vanilla extract, so if you’ve got a batch of homemade vanilla extract, use it here!
- Flour. I developed this vanilla cake recipe to be work with all-purpose flour and that’s what I always use. However, you *could* use cake flour instead. To substitute by weight, you would use the same amount, but if you are using measuring cups you will need to substitute your flour properly.
- Baking powder. I know a tablespoon of baking powder may seem like a lot, but that’s not a typo. Always make sure your baking soda is fresh and avoid using a generic brand, which I’ve had mixed results with in the past.
- Salt. You can just use plain table salt.
- Buttermilk. I strongly recommend using full-fat buttermilk for the best flavor and texture. While I do have a buttermilk substitute, it doesn’t really make this vanilla cake quite as moist and flavorful as I like it to be, so now I strictly recommend using real buttermilk. And no, you do not *need* to have baking soda in a recipe in order to use buttermilk; we’re using it for its moisture and flavor here!
SAM’S TIP: One of the biggest mistakes you can make with this recipe is neglecting to measure your flour properly. If you over or under-measure your flour, your cake will not turn out right! Use the right method, be as precise as possible, and use a kitchen scale if you have one.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Vanilla Cake
- Cream the butter, oil, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, add your vanilla and stir to combine.
- Combine your dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add about ⅓ of the mixture into your bowl. Use a spatula to gently stir until just combined. Follow this with about ½ of your buttermilk, and stir again until just combined. .
- Add ½ of the remaining dry ingredients stir, and then add the remainder of the buttermilk. Finish with the final portion of dry ingredients and use your spatula to make sure the batter is smooth–do NOT overmix!
- Divide the batter evenly into two greased baking pans.
- Bake, then use a toothpick to test for doneness. Let the cakes cool in their pans a bit before inverting onto a cooling rack, where they’ll need to cool completely before frosting.
SAM’S TIP: While a toothpick that comes out clean indicates a fully baked cake, an over-baked cake will also yield a clean toothpick. It’s best to pull your vanilla cake out of the oven when a toothpick shows moist crumbs!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This vanilla cake recipe will make 24 vanilla cupcakes. I’ve included instructions for cupcakes in the recipe notes.
A cake that has been over-baked or one in which too much flour was used will be crumbly when cut into. If you invert the cake too soon or try to handle it while it’s too warm, this could also make it break.
Cakes made from scratch require a bit more care and technique than those that come from a box-mix. When making any cake from scratch, take care to not over-mix, over-bake, or use too much flour, or the cake can end up tasting like cornbread. This applies to any cake that is made from scratch, not just this recipe!
What causes dry cake?
Dryness is typically the biggest complaint bakers have when making a cake from scratch, so I thought this FAQ deserved its own space. There are three main causes for a dry cake: over-measuring the flour (addressed above), over-mixing, and over-baking.
- Do not over-mix your batter! Mixing the batter properly can be tricky and this is often where most mistakes are made with homemade cakes. To avoid over-mixing, thoroughly cream together the wet ingredients, particularly the butter, sugar, oil, and eggs. I highly recommend using an electric mixer for this step! However, once you get to the point of combining your wet and dry ingredients, you need to be gentle and fold by hand using a spatula. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, folding thoroughly, but not aggressively. The batter will be smooth and mostly cohesive; there may be some small lumps remaining, but that’s fine! Also, remember that while over-mixing can make your vanilla cake both dry and dense, under-mixing has its own risks and should be avoided as well!
- Do not over-bake your cake! Even a minute too long in the oven can cause a cake to be too dry and dense. When baking, place your cake pans on the center rack of your oven and always make sure your oven is running at the proper temperature (most ovens do not, so keep a thermometer in yours!). Don’t check your vanilla cake too early (that can make it sink!), but do keep an eye on it. When your cake is ready to come out of the oven, the center should spring back if lightly touched–it should not deflate or appear jiggly. You can also use the toothpick test to check for doneness. To do this, simply insert a toothpick in the center of your cake; it’s done if the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Once your vanilla cake is done, let it cool in the pan for only 10-15 minutes before running a knife around the edge and inverting it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
SAM’S NOTE: Under-mixing your cake batter, not baking the cake for long enough, or opening the oven door too frequently while the cake bakes can cause the cake to sink as it cools.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil¹
- 1 ½ cup (300 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour²
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup (300 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred
- 1 batch Chocolate Frosting click link for recipe, or use one of the other frostings recommended in the notes below
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and prepare two deep 8" round cake pans³ 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.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (120 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil¹, 1 ½ cup (300 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined after each addition.4 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract.1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour², 1 Tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon 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 thoroughly combined, but there may be some small lumps in the batter and avoid over-mixing (and do not use your electric mixer or stand mixer for this step).1 ¼ cup (300 ml) buttermilk
- 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 (or see notes for other favorite frosting options) and decorate with sprinkles (if desired).1 batch Chocolate Frosting
Notes
¹Cooking oil
You may use any neutral cooking oil instead of vegetable or canola oil. I generally don’t recommend olive oil, which is heavier and has a distinct flavor that could affect the end taste result of your cake.²Cake Flour
You may substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour. Use 3 ⅓ cups or 375g of cake flour.³Different size baking pans
- 13×9″ pan: This recipe makes enough for one 13×9″ baking pan. Readers have reported the approximate bake time is 30 minutes.
- Two 9″ pans: Readers have reported this cake takes approximately 25 minutes to bake in 9″ pans.
- Bundt pan: Readers have reported this cake takes approximately 40-45 minutes to bake in a bundt pan
Vanilla Cupcakes:
This recipe will make approximately 24 vanilla cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners no more than ¾ 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.Frosting Options
The chocolate frosting I linked to in the ingredients is my favorite pairing with this cake, but here are some other great options:Video note
In the video I mistakenly say to add more buttermilk than is necessary. The written recipe is correct with 1 ¼ cups of buttermilk.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.
Christina
Hello! Can I use this recipe to make it into a funfetti? I have your other recipe, but I have my heart set on this one! Wondering if the sprinkles would “work” with this cake. Thanks
Sam
Hi Christina! You can definitely add sprinkles! Gently fold them in at the end while you’re stirring in the flour. Don’t use nonpareils (the tiny round sprinkles) as they’ll turn the cake batter grey, but traditional sprinkles/jimmies or those round, flat confetti quins will work!
Aya Faghihi
Amazing 😉
Aya Faghihi
I put four stars cease there was to much salt
Sam
Hi Aya, did you use salted butter or self rising flour by chance? I wouldn’t recommend reducing the salt in the recipe.
Ra
Hello,
I was wondering if this cake can be made in a bundt pan and if so, what changes should be made?
Also, I am looking for a simple cake recipe that could be topped with homemade lemon curd, can i use this one? (I would probably make one 8″ cake by only using half of everything)
Thanks. Love all your recipes 🙂
Sam
Hi Ra! That would be fine, I believe others have commented that it takes about 45 minutes in a bundt pan but keep an eye on it to be safe. This would certainly work with lemon curd. Enjoy! 🙂
Alyaa
Hi, can I substitute the butter milk with anything?
Sam
Hi Alyaa! See my easy buttermilk substitute 🙂
Deborah
This was an amazing cake! I poured the entire batter into a 9×9 inch cake pan and let it bake for around approximately 47 minutes at 350 F and let it cool for 20 minutes. It was perfect! I baked it for my mom’s birthday and she loved it too! I also used your cream cheese frosting recipe- which was also very popular with my family. I haven’t been disappointed by any of your recipes- I follow them exactly and they turn out so amazing…thank you for sharing these amazing recipes!!
Sam
I am SO happy to hear this, Deborah!! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how it turned out for you, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Mia
I may sound dumb for asking, but for the sugar is it granulated or confectioners? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Mia! It is granulated, I will make sure to clarify that, thank you! I hope you love the cake!
Chassy
Can I substitute the canola oil with anything?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Chassy! You can, but you want to use a neutral-flavored oil, like vegetable or grapeseed. 🙂
Ash
Hi Sam, I baked my first cake using your best chocolate cake recipe and it turned out great. I’m going to try this vanilla cake recipe next but I’d like to make one of the layers chocolate. Can I split the batter in half and add cocoa powder with the hot coffee at the end? Or do I need to make two separate cakes?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ash! If you like the chocolate and vanilla combo, I would suggest trying my marble cake instead. You can choose to marble the cake or bake the two flavors separately. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Ash
Thanks!, Keep up the good work! 👍🏼
Bhavya Singh
Hi I have tried this exact earlier and it has been perfect but I have to make the cake eggless this time … Can you suggest any substitute ?
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy that you enjoyed the cake, Bhavya! Unfortunately, I have not tried making this recipe egg-less so I can not provide you with any personal recommendations. I have not tried it, but you could try substituting with apple sauce. The rule of thumb is that for each egg that the recipe calls for, you will use 1/4 cup of applesauce. I am not sure how this will alter the taste or texture, but I hope that it helps. Keep me posted on how it turns out if you try it. 🙂
eve
How would I divide this recipe is I want to make a 6 in cake instead. I have 2 6inx3in pans?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Eve! This recipe is designed to fit make (2) 8″ cakes. My best guess would be to divide this recipe in half. Since than pan since is different than what is listed the baking time will also be different so you’ll want to keep an eye on it. I hope that you enjoy the cake! 🙂
Arella
I loved this cake so much 🍰😋😊😊😍😘
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cake, Arella! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Rachael
Hey. Can I add pink dye to this recipe and sprinkles to make it a pink sponge funfetti cake or better to use ur funfetti cake recipe for the colours to come out better. It’s for my babies first birthday on Sunday.
Rachael
Also if I can only fit in two cake tins (8inch) is the batter ok to store in fridge or best to bake at same time. Feel like it might not come out as good if it’s been sitting.
Sugar Spun Run
Happy first birthday to your little one, Rachel! What an exciting birthday to be celebrating! If you wish to dye the cake batter pink, for more vibrant results I would use my funfetti cake recipe instead. The vanilla cake has a yellowish hue making the colors dull. Something else you could try is my strawberry cake. The pink color and flavor of the cake is amazing. Either recipe will work well. The funfetti cake uses (3) 8″ pans. Since you only have two on hand, you will leave the other cake in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it and other cakes have finished. I hope that it comes out amazing and you have a nice celebration. 🙂
Chin
Hi, can I use a 9” cake pan to make this recipe? If so, how do I go about doing it
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Chin! You may use 9″ cake pans instead, but watch the cooking time as they may need less time in the oven. 🙂
Victoria
Ok, so I’ve made this recipe several times and I always get to the buttermilk part and remember I don’t have it. So I’ve made it with half and half and red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar… whatever I happen to have. Each time it turns out amazing! I have yet to ruin this by not having buttermilk. It always turns out amazing. It’s the best vanilla cake recipe I’ve come across!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that this cake recipe has turned out perfectly every time that you have made it, Victoria. I am so happy to hear that you have enjoyed it. Thank you so much for commenting. 🙂