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.
Melanie
Hello! Thinking of trying this recipe for my daughter’s 3rd birthday. I want to make a rainbow layer cake. Do you think adding gel food coloring would be a problem? Thanks so much!
Sam
Hi Melanie! You shouldn’t have any issues adding food coloring here. I would stir it in briefly at the end. It is a yellow cake so may distort the coloring a bit. I do have a white cake you could color if you’d like. 🙂
Amina
Hi,
Do I have to double the recipe if I want to use 3 6” pans?
Sam
Hi Amina! The recipe as is should make enough to fill 3 6 inch pans. 🙂
Mary
All the steps are clear and easy to follow. However, there was a faint vanilla flavor and too much flour.
Sam
Hi Mary! See my post on measuring flour, I think that may be helpful 😊
Thank you for trying my recipe!
Natasha
Hello can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Sam
Hi Natasha! If you don’t have buttermilk I recommend using my buttermilk substitute. 🙂
dom
Hi! I tried this recipe today and it is sooo delicious!
However, I have a concern. I have increased the baking time because the batter is still jiggly at the 35 min nark. By the 45 min mark, the top part is browned but the toothpick I poked it with still had wet batter, so I baked for 10 mins more. Because of this, the cake has become uneven in color. The bottom part is more brown-ish and the upper part is a beautiful yellow. How can I fix this? I’m a new baker and I really love this recipe in terms of taste and density. I wish to perfect this when I make this again in the future. Thank you so much!
Sam
O no I’m so sorry this happened! It sounds like your oven temperature isn’t quite accurate. If you are baking it on the center rack it shouldn’t take 55 minutes to bake. I would recommend a couple of oven thermometers in the oven to make sure it is at the right temperature and baking evenly. I’m glad you still enjoyed it! 🙂
Bella
Hello!! I’m making this cake for my sister but all I have is powdered-buttermilk…is there anything I can do with it?
Sam
Hi Bella! I’m not sure how you would use powdered buttermilk here. If you have milk on hand you can make my buttermilk substitute. 🙂
Andrea
Hi! I love this recipe but haven’t tried doubling it yet. Would it work to double the recipe as is or should the proportions be adjusted?
Sam
Hi Andrea! If you double it you need to double all of the ingredients. I’m glad you have enjoyed the cake. 🙂
Hayley Espey
Where did you get these colorful sprinkles from?
Sam
Hi Hayley! I buy them in bulk from a place called Country Kitchen Sweetart and make my own blends. 🙂
Bertha
Hi, I have to male a birthday cale and would like to mske it on 6 inch tins, to create height, will it be ok to use 3 6’tins? And is this cake sturdy to hold the height? I am a little scare it might fall to the side? Which other eecipe would you recommend if this is not appropriate for what I want? Thanks
Sam
Hi Bertha! This cake is pretty sturdy so you will be ok to stack 3 layers high. 🙂
Rupa
My first time making vanilla cake and it was a huge hit!! It was my FILs bday and he absolutely loved it. Rise great, moist crumb, sturdy to handle, great flavour.
Also learned a lot from your clearly stated techniques and tips. My chocolate cakes would always come out dense and I couldn’t figure out why until now!
This cake was perfect. I followed the recipe to the tee. I was so scared of over mixing – there were some bubbles of flour that didn’t seem to dissolve after incorporating the batter but it was fine once baked.
I have a fan oven, used 9 inch pans, and recommend baking for 24 mins at 160-170c.
I don’t like overly sweet cake but I didn’t end up putting much less sugar than the recipe called for and it was good. I paired with whipped cream cream cheese frosting with fresh berries. Perfect for summer. I wish I could share the pics. Thank you for the video and recipe, this will be my go to!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! Thank you for your feedback using a different oven and different size pans. 🙂
Joshua Sanders
Hello, can this be made in a ceramic or glass container instead?
Sam
Hi Joshua! You can make it in a different dish , but it may alter baking times. 🙂
Trinity
Hello,
I was just wondering if I can use cake flour instead of AP flour?
Thanks. I am exited to try he recipe.
Sam
Hi Trinity! You can use cake flour here. If using weights the weight measurement will be the same. If using cups you will need 1c + 2TBSP of cake flour for every cup of all purpose flour in the recipe. 🙂
Jay
Hi! I have a few questions.
1) Can I use Cake flour instead? And if so what do you think it will do to the texture, height and moisture?
2) I usually do boxed cakes, but I add an extra egg, sour cream, and I whip the egg whites.
Do you think whipping the egg whites and folding it in will make a difference in this recipe?
3) Can I use whole milk instead of butter milk. If so, do I need to change the amount used?
Thank you so much!
Sam
Hi Jay! You can use cake flour in this recipe. The only thing it really changes is the crumb of the cake. It makes the crumb a little tighter. You can whip the egg whites but I’m not sure it’s really necessary here. I haven’t tried it. I do not recommend using just whole milk. You need the buttermilk here. If you have whole milk you can use my easy buttermilk substitute. 🙂
Rupa
If I reduce the sugar quantity will it affect the texture of the cake? I don’t like overly sweet vanilla cake and am always conscious most recipes are too sweet.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Rupa! You will have to play around with the level of sweetness. Without trying it, I am not certain about quantity to reduce it to. Keep me posted on how it turns out for you. 🙂
Mrinalini Dutta
Hii!!
I have to make a cake for my grandmother’s birthday so I wanted to try your recipe but I was thinking can I maybe use oil completely instead of both butter and oil.. Like oil ij place of the butter.
Sam
Hi Mrinalini! If you do the cake will not be as flavorful as I like it to be.
Mrinalini Dutta
Okay!!
Thank you so much
Also which rack should I keep the tin in and if I need to switch on both the heating rods?
Sugar Spun Run
I usually place mine on the middle racks, centered. 🙂