The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe
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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 1/3 of the mixture into your bowl. Use a spatula to gently stir until just combined. Follow this with about 1/2 of your buttermilk, and stir again until just combined. .
- Add 1/2 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
Equipment
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
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 1/3 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 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.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 1/4 cups of buttermilk.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I made this cake again today and loved it again. So did everyone else! Quick question – how do you store the cake? Thanks.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, Carol! I typically store mine at room temperature in an air tight container. I have a cake carrier that works well, but if you don’t have one I would consider wrapping it in something like cling wrap to keep it from drying out. 🙂
Can I use coconut oil instead of canola or vegetable oil?
Hi Sabrina! I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure. You could substitute the oil with more butter but the cake won’t be quite as moist. 🙂
If I doubled this recipe, do you think it would work for a 13×18 sheet cake? If so, any ideas on cook time? Thanks so much!
Hi David! Doubling it should give you enough batter for your pan, but I’m not sure on a bake time.
Hi…I’ve just made this tonight. I have a smaller 8 inch bundt and made the full recipe but only filled the bundt 3/4 full and in oven for 43minutes. The left over batter I made a few cupcakes. This sponge is fab! Not dense, fluffy and nothing like corn bread taste or texture. This is now my go to vanilla sponge recipe. Thank you!!!
Wow … This is amazing! This is my second cake I’ve baked ( both by you) and it was a crowd pleaser ! Took me no time at all and I had all the ingredients at home except buttermilk! It was seriously so easy… I shared with everyone I know.
I really liked the look of this recipe (in terms of it’s ingredients and proportions), and I’ve tried, meticulously, several times now, to make it in cupcake form, all of which produced perfectly edible cupcakes (particularly in terms of texture and moisture), but for me, these just don’t taste like traditional “cupcakes”. They just don’t. I don’t know what it is (maybe the Canola oil?), but quite honestly, each time, they’ve tasted less like “cake” and more like “muffins” from a box mix.
Hmmm I’m sorry you haven’t enjoyed them as cupcakes, Joe! I’m wondering if maybe the batter was slightly over-mixed and the texture was more corn bread like? Is this what you are referring to? If so a little bit less mixing should solve the issue. I hope this helps. 🙂
Thank you for your response, Samantha! And yes, I’d say the texture was in-fact more like an ultra-fine cornbread, which didn’t bother me in the slightest, because frankly, my wife much prefers her cornbread to be cake-like, rather than the more coarse, cowboy style. So no, rather, it was the actual taste. I don’t quite know how to describe it accurately, but they’ve had an odd, almost synthetic taste to them. Texture was good, moisture was perfect, but the taste needed some work. That’s kinda why I wondered if maybe it was either the Canola oil? The unsalted butter? Or maybe even the buttermilk? I’m definitely stumped, but clearly, many others here have had good luck with it, and I’m no quitter, so I’m gonna keep trying. Thanks again. 👍
Hmmm that is really odd. The flavor shouldn’t change if it’s baked as a cupacke. I’m wondering if maybe one of your ingredients is expired, or just off tasting that could be causing an issue? I wish I could help you more and I hope you figure it out. 🙂
Was looking for a cake mix recipe, I volunteered to make a cake for my 40th HS reunion. Found this one, glad I did… turned out awesome, enjoyed by all!! Thank you for the recipe!!
Hi! I’m making a vanilla cake with strawberry frosting for my niece’s birthday on Saturday, but I also want to make vanilla cupcakes to keep at home for my family to enjoy. Which is your favorite for cupcakes- the vanilla cupcake recipe or the vanilla cake recipe?
All my desserts I make are always from your recipes. Thank you for making so many perfect masterpieces!!
Hi Megan! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed all of the recipes so far. Personally, for a cupcake, I would use the vanilla cupcake recipe. 🙂
Hi – Do you think this recipe would work for cake pops in a silicon mold? I have never made them before but reading up on it I am looking for something that won’t just fall apart when dipped in chocolate…
Hi Charlene! We haven’t tried it ourselves so we can’t say for sure 🙁
Cake turned out perfect 🙂 It was my first time ever making a cake from scratch, so glad I chose this recipe. Def read all the advice before hand and follow each step to a T.
Wonderful! Thanks for choosing our recipe, Ari ❤️
Is this considered a “crusting” buttercream frosting? If not what would need to be done to make it crust slightly? And which do you think does better for decorating, crusting or non crusting?
Hi Christy! It does crust, but our chocolate buttercream will crust more. A crusting frosting is typically better for more detailed/intricate piped designs 😊
Hi there. I’m looking to make this vanilla cake for 30 people. Should I just double or triple this recipe? Thank you
Hi Tania! As is this cake serves 12, so you’d need to triple the recipe for enough servings (with some leftover) 😊
Hi, can I substitute the vanilla extract with vanilla bean pods not paste?
That should work here. 🙂
Hi! I’m planning on making this recipe as 2 – 10″ round pans. Do you know how much I would need to increase to get enough batter? Thanks for your help!
Hi Michelle! You will need about 12 cups of batter for 2 10 inch round cakes. This recipe will make about 8 cups of batter so increasing it 50% should work for you. 🙂
I’ve made this recipe before with great success in 8 inch pans. Could you tell me how to cut it down for 2 6 inch pans? Thank you!
You would need roughly 4.5 cups of batter for 2 6 inch round pans and this batter will make about 8 cups so you should be able to get away with cutting the recipe in half. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi Emily
Love this recipe, I want to make a 10 inch base for my son’s wedding cake can you help me with the specific amounts please.
Thank-you so much
Wendy
Hi Wendy! A 10 inch pan holds about 6 cups of batter, and this recipe as is will make about 8 cups of batter. So you’ll have enough with some extra that you can either toss or use for cupcakes 😊 Hope that helps!
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly!
Excellent, will let you know how it all turns out!
Wendy
Hi, can this be used as a 3 layered cake base.
Sure thing! 🙂
I am going to give this a go… My problem with cake is they are always too dry the next day … kids can’t enjoy the leftovers .. I have tried so many recipes and they all came out perfect and tasty but the next day is my issue … any suggestion?
The best thing to do is keep them in an air tight container, and if possible, out of the refrigerator. Air dries them out really quickly. 🙁