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 unsalted butter softened to room temperature (113g)
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil¹ (120ml)
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar (300g)
- 4 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk room temperature preferred (300ml)
- 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 pans² 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 until thoroughly combined 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 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).
- 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).
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.²Different 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: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.
Amber
An you add a out 1/2 c of sour cream to this recipe? Or a box of instant vanilla pudding, unprepared?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Amber! I’m not sure how they would go. I haven’t tried it. Let me know how it turns out if you do try it.
KellieG
I add 1/4 cup of sour cream every time I make it and it is wonderful. I have used this recipe for my custom cakes probably 100 times. It’s perfect every time.
Julie
Made this cake today and it was delicious! I thought it might have an oily taste but it was perfect. I’d like to make this into a funfetti cake. Can I add sprinkles to this?
Sam
Hi Julie! You could stir in some sprinkles close to the end. I would recommend something that’s not going to bleed, or alternatively you could check out my funfetti cake. 🙂
Bryanna
I love this recipe! I tried it out for Thanksgiving. I used a southern Caramel icing to frost the cake. I made it two layers, and it was gone within 24 hours. So much for leftovers!!! Because it was so good, I made ANOTHER cake the following day. So TWO cakes in TWO DAYS! The second cake I made into 3 layers (I recommend, it comes out a bit more moist).
Thank you for the recipe. This is my new GO-TO.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Bryanna! 🙂
TJ
I made this cake for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! I followed it exactly for ingredients but I made 3 layers in 9 inch cake pans. I used dark, non stick pans and probably should have cooked at 325 F instead of 350 F because the cake browned too fast around the edges but it was still delicious! Cake is very moist and the texture held up well with my frosting. I filled the layers with lemon curd and outside frosting was a vanilla cream frosting made with heavy whipping cream. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Bryanna
I made it for Thanksgiving too!
Venita Featherstone
Hi thank you for this recipe but I did not see recipe for the frosting.
Sam
There’s a link on the words “chocolate frosting” in the ingredients. 🙂
Colette
I’ve been looking for a recipe for my granddaughter’s wedding cake. I’m making 4 layers and I’ve been testing out different recipes I’ve found online. This one wins !
Thanks for sharing! It’s going to be gorgeous.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Colette! Thank you so much for trying my recipe, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Cora
The best vanilla cake recipe out there! No Kidding I love it. Not great for freezing or it loses its moisture but for a last minute cake it’s great.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you love it, Cora! Make sure you wrap the cake really well and seal it in a plastic bag before freezing–that should help keep it moist. 😊
Ines
Hi Sam,
I’m planning on using your recipe for a two layer 12 inch birthday cake. How much batter would I prepare for each layer?
Thank you for helping us become better bakers!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Ines! If you are doing two 12 inch round pans you will need to double the recipe to have enough batter. The baking time will also be different but, we are not sure how long they would need to bake. 🙂
Angie
So beautiful. Perfect crumb. I turned it into a coconut cake. I did weigh my ingredients. Game changer. Thank you for sharing your recipe
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So happy it turned out for you, Angie! Thanks for your five star review ❤️
Chelsea Wright
I am so happy to have found these recipes! This one and the chocolate one! I make these cakes for all occasions and know the recipes by heart! I’m so grateful you have shared them for all of us to enjoy them!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Chelsea! Thank you for your kind words! We’re so happy you’re loving our recipes–please let us know if you try any others ❤️
Jasmin
This is my favorite vanilla cake! Thank you very much. I have two questions. How many cups and grams of batter does this recipe make? What adjustments would I need to make to the recipe if I want to use 3 8-inch cake pans?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jasmin! It makes about 8 cups of batter. We suggest you increase the recipe by 50% to fill 3 8-inch pans!
Jasmin
Thanks again!
Michelle
Can I use cake flour instead of All purpose flour?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes you can. We hope you love this cake, Michelle!
Maryann
I made this cake with stevia and added bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts for a friend’s Birthday. It turned out great. It was soft and springy, it had a great crumb. I find most white/vanilla cake recipes are more like biscuits or bread and not like cake. So I usually use cake mixes, that I modify. This will be my new go to cake recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you liked it, Maryann! We have lots more that you’ll probably like, including our Banana Cake and our Hummingbird Cake. Give them a try and let us know how you like them too! 😊
Kiki
I’ve always used your vanilla cake recipe. Do you think I can add finely crushed oreos to this cake to make an Oreo cake? Or how do you think that would impact the baking or outcome?
Sam
Hi Kiki! You could add broken pieces of Oreo to the cake and that should be fine, if ground too fine they may give the cake a funny texture. I do also have an Oreo cake recipe that you might be interested in. I hope that helps!
Colette McBeath
Maryann I would love to know what you did to Stevia and bananas instead of sugar. My grandgirl just can’t have cane sugar; her bones will painfully ache.
I’d be grateful !
Mary
Hi Sam,
I was wondering if I can bake this in a sheet cake pan?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Mary! This batter will fit in a 9 x 13. Others have reported a 30 minute bake time. Enjoy! 🙂
Aileen
Can I use plain yogurt unsweetened instead buttermilk?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Aileen! We have not tried it, however, others have done so with success. You could also use our buttermilk substitute. Enjoy! 🙂
Roxann Gomez
Hi good day, I tried this recipe and my cake came out very heavy. All ingredients was at room temperature. I made my own buttermilk with 1 cup milk and 1 1/2 tbsp vinegar. I used evaporated milk because i didn’t have full cream milk. I was wondering how i used the evaporated milk was the reason for the cake coming out heavy.
Sam
Hi Roxann! I would definitely try again with regular milk, the cake should not be heavy. Also make sure you do not over-mix the batter. I hope that helps!
Viki
Hi,
I will try your recipe this week, and I want to make a little bit bigger cake, 3×9 inch. How much more ingredients will I need for that? Thank you in advance, looking forward to make it 😊
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Viki! You will need to increase the recipe by 50% for three 9-inch pans. The bake time on the cakes may be slightly less in a 9 inch pan. 🙂