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.
Danielle M
After searching for years for the perfect vanilla cake recipe, my search is over. I have made this multiple times now, and it turns out perfectly as long as I follow the directions precisely. I have been experimenting with different sized cake pans and have had success with 3”, 6”, 8”, and 9. I can stack 4 layers with no collapsing, and it’s still the perfect texture and moistness for me.
Celina
This is the best recipe ever. Period. I made them for my son’s birthday party (adding sprinkles to make them funfetti cupcakes, and topped with whipped cream) along with your chocolate cupcakes (topped with chocolate whipped cream). I made 48 cupcakes in total. I had 1 and the rest were devoured before I could have another. Best recipes ever, thanks so much!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy both recipes were such a hit for you, Celina! Hopefully you can snag more than one cupcake next time 😁
Rose
Hello,
Just curious… why does the funfetti recipe have double the amount of sugar than this cake? Would it be ok to add more sugar to this recipe? I loved the taste of the funfetti cake so I am curious about the recipe difference . Thank you
Sam
Hi Rose! The funfetti cake is a larger cake so will require more sugar. It’s also just a little different flavor profile. You could probably adjust the sugars a little bit, but I’m not sure exactly how much before it starts to change the texture. Enjoy! 🙂
Christina
I have struggled with vanilla cake being dense and dry. This is the first time I was able to make really good vanilla cake. Thank you for sharing your hard work and recipes.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you found our recipe, Christina! Congrats on making a delicious vanilla cake ❤
Sophie
Hi, I love this cake and it’s a real favourite amongst family and friends. I have been asked to make a semi naked wedding cake and I was wondering whether the recipe is suitable for to be tiered? Many thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Absolutely, Sophie! We hope it turns out beautifully. Thanks for letting us know how you like our recipe ❤
Cynthia
This cake made me feel like a for real baker. I have been on a mission to make a light and fluffy sponge like this one and not have to go to a cake mix. When it came out of the oven I knew this was going to be a keeper. The color and the lift it got was telling me that this story was going to have a happy ending. Thank you for all the great knowledge you shared. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy the cake turned out so well for you, Cynthia! Thank you so much for giving our recipe a shot. Enjoy ❤
Juliet
Hello, I tried this this recipe and I loved the taste but my cake was a little dense. I am thinking I overmixed the sugar, butter and oil-i creamed for 7 minutes which brings me to ask how many minutes do you cream ur sugar, butter and oil for? Thanks.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Juliet! Typically this happens from overmixing when combining the wet and dry ingredients, but it can also happen from overbaking. We’d recommend taking a look through the troubleshooting section of the post and watching the video to see if that helps. We’re happy you still liked the taste! 😊
Juliet
Thanks Emily, I’d reduce my sugar/fat creaming to 5mins and try not to overmix the cake batter this time around. Forgot to mention I baked your Redvelvet recipe and it was super moist and tasty. Your recipes are very good. Thanks.
Theresa
I love your recipes! They always turn out great so I decided to give it a shot for my son’s birthday this past weekend. I was so happy it came out wonderful! Your recipes are so delicious and the videos are very helpful. Thank you so much for sharing!
Sam
Thank you so much, Theresa! I’m so glad you have enjoyed everything so much! 🙂
Julia
Hi! I’m looking to make this recipe for a half sheet cake. Should I just double it?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Julia! Yes, you can double it to fit that pan. Enjoy 🙂
Hellen K.
Hi.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. My second time trying to bake a cake and I must say, it was perfect. I halved the ingredients in fear of loosing so much if I failed but it turned out just fine.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was a success for you, Hellen! Thanks for trying our recipe ❤
Tina Chorneyko
Can I double the recipe because I have 12” heart shaped pan. Please lmk. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Tina! This batter should make enough to fill one 12 inch pan, so if you’re looking for two layers, you will need to double it. Hope that helps! 😊
Faith
Hello! I’ve made this recipe twice now and wanting to perfect it, but am thinking of trying it in two 6” cake pans so I’m not left with so much cake. If I halved the recipe, would that be enough batter for a two layer 6” cake? If so, could you advise on how long the bake time would be?
As a side note, in my second attempt at this recipe I used moistened strips around the cake pans to avoid doming; and it worked great for that. However I think I left it in too long. It was definitely not ready after the recommended 30-35 min. How much time should I have added?
Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Faith! Two 6-inch pans require just over half of the batter, so you could cut the recipe in half and just make slightly smaller layers. We’re not sure what the bake time will be, so just keep an eye on them.
It’s hard to say how much longer you should have left them in. When the cakes are done, the surfaces should spring back when touched, and a toothpick inserted in the centers should come out mostly clean with few moist crumbs (no wet batter). If they don’t seem done, give them another five minutes or so before checking again. Hope that helps! 😊
ellie-rose
One question : Why shouldn’t i use my electric mixer for this? Just curious. 🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Ellie! Using an electric mixer can cause an over-mixed, dry cake. We talk about this in-depth in the post if you want to learn more 😊
Shinice
I don’t have buttermilk how much vinegar and milk should I use to make a substitute for buttermilk ?
Cause I search it up and they said vinegar and milk is a good substitute.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Shinice! You can use the recipe for our Buttermilk Substitute. Hope that helps 😊
Kenny
Hi Samantha,
Thanks for this recipe. It is definitely a keeper. I want to make a Baileys (Irish cream) cake with this recipe. I’m thinking of replacing some of the Buttermilk with Irish cream, perhaps 1/4 cup. Can you advise what quantity I can replace?
Thanks
Sam
Hi Kenny! Unfortunately without having tried it, I wouldn’t be able to say exactly how to do it. If you do it I would love to know what you’ve done and how it turns out. 🙂
Andy
I’ve made your BEST Chocolate Cake in past and loved it, but today, I want to make a vanilla cake (and frost with chocolate-mocha icing), but I have neither regular milk nor buttermilk on hand. Would sour cream be an acceptable substitute? If so, how much? Thank you.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Andy! You could try thinning out some sour cream until it reaches a buttermilk-like consistency. Hope that helps! Let us know how it turns out 😊
Michelle
I’m sorry I may have missed u already writing this but for dark, coated cupcake pans should I be lowering the heat to 325? I’ve done this recipe twice now and its dens and dry. I kept very close eye on second time but did matter cuz when they were done they were done how sticky and almost undercooked on top but dark on outside. I know its something I’m doing wrong and lowering the heat or time or both was my only thought but I may be wrong. Please help cuz I soooo want to enjoy ur recipe. Thanks so much.
Sam
Hi Michelle! You shouldn’t have to alter the oven temperature for a dark pan, however, I wonder if your oven is reading hotter than it says it is if the outsides were burning and the insides were raw. Also make sure you aren’t over-mixing the batter which can lead to a dense dry cake. I hope this helps.