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 or avocado oil (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.
Kinsey
I messed up the recipe a bit because my 2 year old chef was helping me make this cake, but it is still delicious!!
I have been practicing different recipes to try and make my daughters 3rd birthday cake from scratch.
This is the winner!
I added a bit of almond and it’s still very yummy!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Aw, sounds like it was worth it though, Kinsey! So glad our recipe was the winner 😊
Megan Mollett
Looking to make a two tier cake with this recipe. For a three layer 8” cake, should I just double the recipe? Looooove this vanilla cake so much. It fits perfectly in three 6” cake pans.
Sam
Hi Megan! You can just increase the recipe by 50% to get your third layer. 🙂
Cass
The only thing that this recipe is missing is a little more flavor – and hey, maybe that’s due to the quality of vanilla I’m using and it’s not the recipe’s fault. Who knows, otherwise this cake is near perfection.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Cass! The quality of your vanilla could be the issue here, as this cake should have a nice vanilla flavor. Over-mixing could also be a factor. We’re glad you still enjoyed it though!
Gloria
Super easy, moist and flavourful. I added lemon zest to make lemon cake.
I reduced the temperature to 330, added 5 more minutes to bake to ensure level cake top.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Gloria! Love the lemon zest addition 😊
NA
This is a great recipe. Moist and delicious. I was wondering if I could add melted white chocolate to the buttermilk to turn this into a white chocolate cake? If yes, how much white chocolate would you add?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We haven’t tried this, so we can’t say for sure how it would work or how much to use unfortunately 🙁
Angela Stachowski
This is now my go to vanilla cake recipe!! The crumb is tight but delicate. The texture is what I imagine eating a combination of a cloud and velvet would be like. The flavour is soft but pleasing and not overly sweet but enough to fix the sugar craving. It was so satisfying watching the creaming of the fats and sugar turn to this beautiful pillowy soft batter.
If you’re like me and always taste your batter before baking to ensure the right balance, careful, it is delicious and feels like a whipped mousse.
One of my favourites!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for such a thoughtful review, Angela! We’re SO happy you love the cake! ❤️
Megan Mollett
Can I divide this cake between two 8×8 pans?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Megan! You’d need to increase the recipe by 50% to fit two 8×8 pans. Hope that helps! 😊
Lindsey Callia
Cake had good flavor. Unfortunately I don’t what happened, the cake was super dense. I followed the recipe to a T. Not sure what I did wrong.
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened, Lindsey! The most likely culprits of a dense cake are over-mixing or over-baking. 🙁
Patrick Jane
Can this be prepared in a 10×2 1/2 cake pan without tweaking?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Patrick! You will probably have a little bit of batter leftover. Just make sure you don’t overfill the pan 😊
Patrick Jane
Thank-you so much!
Linda R Struble
This cake was very good and a hit with my family. You could’t have done a better job explaining how to make this cake! Excellent.
Sharon Hardison
Can you use cake flour instead of all purpose?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Sharon! Yes, although you will need to follow the proper substitution if using cups. If measuring by weight, it will be the same. We discuss this within the post under the “What You Need” section 🥰
Alliya
Hello. Could I use Sour Cream instead of Buttermilk? Thank you
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Alliya! If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, we would recommend making our buttermilk substitute, as we’re not sure how sour cream would work here. The buttermilk substitute may be a bit thinner, but it will work. 🙂
Angela
Hi, I make my own buttermilk using 3/4c sour cream and 1/4 milk. I find it keeps a rich consistency like real buttermilk and the sour cream gives it that authentic tang flavour.
Lisa
Can this recipe be cut in half?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes! Enjoy 😊
Amanda
you weren’t lying when you said this is the best vanilla cake recipe! i used it to make a toasted coconut cake, i did coconut oil for my oil and then 4 tablespoons of mayo since i can’t have eggs! the cake is fluffy and DELICIOUS! this is my going to be my go to recipe for cakes from now. thank you!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for coming back to leave a comment, Amanda! We’re so happy it turned out for you ☺️
Terrycon
How many kilograms is this recipe?
Sam
Unfortunately I have never weighed it.
Ada
Hi
Could you please tell me how tall each cake is?
Thanks
Sam
Hi Ada! I use 2 inch cake pans so each cake is slightly less than 2 inches. 🙂
Wendy
Can I use three 6″ pans to make this cake?
Sam
Hi Wendy! That should work. I’m not sure on a bake time. 🙂
Katie
Can melted coconut oil be used instead of vegetable/canola oil?
Sam
I haven’t tried with coconut oil, but I don’t see why not. You could also use avocado oil instead.
Zohay
Hello! Could I double the recipe, or do you recommend making each batch separately? thank you!
Sam
Hi Zohay! It is possible to make a double batch, just be really careful to not over-mix it. It may be safer to just make it in 2 batches. 🙂