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.
Arin Hinman
I absolutely love your zebra striped cake so of course I need to try your other recipes. My daughter wants a half sheet double layer vanilla cake. Questions: Would I make this recipe 1.5x the normal recipe for a 13×18 half sheet? Can this be stacked to make a double layer? Planning on doing lemon curd filling. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Arin! I believe you would need to double the recipe to fill a 13 x 18 pan. This recipe will make about 8 cups of batter so adjust it accordingly. You could stack it. It’s a relatively sturdy cake. 🙂
Sia
Omg! I tried one of your recipes on YouTube and it did not turn out very well but I decided to try this recipe. Boy am I glad I did! This cake is amazing! It’s moist and has the perfect amount of sweetness. I measured the flour and sugar in grams and I think that makes a big difference. I covered the cake with whipped chocolate ganache frosting. I will definitely try some of your other recipes. Thank you!!!
Sam
Oh no! What recipe went wrong and what happened with it? They are the same recipes on YouTube and here, just a different way to access them. I’m glad you enjoyed the cake! 🙂
Haylee
can I freeze this safely?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes! Just make sure to wrap it very well. Enjoy!
Debbie
Made this cake for the first time for a birthday party. Received rave reviews and easy to make. I’ve tried many recipes and this is the best. Thank you!
Lisa
Can I just tell you how ridiculously good this cake is??? I’ve never made a good vanilla cake til now. I followed the recipe to a T, didn’t change a thing nor would I. It’s the directions you give, I feel, that make all the difference in the end result. I didn’t have all of the ingredients needed to make your chocolate frosting, so I just made the one off the back of the Hershey cocoa can…it was perfection. I had a piece for breakfast this morning and it’s still so soft and flavorful. This is a keeper!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lisa! 🙂
Mecca
Hi, I’ve attempted to make the perfect simple homemade cake many times and I’d like to say your recipe is the best and only success. Big shout out to that important tip with not overmixing and folding the dry ingredients slowly. I don’t own a mixer, so I used my hands in all the mixing and it’s the best moist cake I’ve had. Only thing I added was fresh squeezed orange juice to give it an orange flavor on top of the vanilla. Thank you. I’m still in shock I made a perfect textured cake. will repeat again until locked in the brain
May
Hi hope you are my message
I’m making this cake tomorrow for my daughters birthday party
I want to make an extra tall 10” cake … (9-10” tall) need 80 potions
Would this recipe be enough for one tier? Please let me know
Sam
Hi May! This will probably make enough for a little more than 1 10″ pan that is 2″ deep. 🙂
Samina
one of the best recipe for perfect vanilla cake ❤️
Tam
This is my go-to cake for birthday parties. It has a very rich vanilla flavor.
Steve
I’ve always used an electric mixer for my yellow cake (my Grandma’s recipe). I use the same recipe but sometimes get different results from fantastic to just okay. I see that you make a point about not over mixing and to NOT use the electric mixer for the final dry and wet mix. Is that a standard way to make cakes??? (News to me and maybe an important reason for my baking inconsistency.) I do plan on making your cake recipe using some oil instead of all butter like Grandma but I need to have more info on your mixing claim. I’d really appreciate as much detail as you can offer about over mixing. Thanks in advance. Your recipes are the best on the net.
Sam
Hi Steve! For *most* cake recipes that use the traditional creaming method like this one (meaning the sugar and butter are creamed, then the dry ingredients are added later) it is very important to make sure you don’t over-mix and better to not use an electric mixer. I talk a fair bit about this in the post, but know that over-mixing (which is more likely to happen when using an electric mixer) develops the gluten too much so the cake becomes dough and dry. It can also deflate the air that we creamed in the first step and negatively affect the crumb structure, too.
Chaya
I have used your receipe in the past and the cake came out perfect.
since more people are around I need to use the 10inch circular cake pan, suggestions on how to adjust the receipe for the same ?
Sam
Hi Chaya! Are you using two 10″ pans? The baking time will need to be reduced if so. I’m not sure exactly how long as I haven’t tried it, but check it early as the cakes will be thin.
Chaya
just using one, earlier I always made half receipe in one 8inch pan
Sam
The one 10 inch pan will use about 75% of the batter from this recipe so it may be easier to just make the recipe as is and use any excess for cupcakes. 🙂
Sharon
Baking powder is listed in the recipe but in the ingredients list needed to make the cake you state to make sure the baking soda is fresh. will you clarify? Thanks, I love your recipes.
Sam
Hi Sharon! Sorry for the typo there. You only need baking powder. 🙂
Heather
should I refrigerate the cake if I’m not going to eat it right away? So like if I made it the day before for my son’s birthday party at 5: 30pm the next day. or is it okay to leave out and covered?
Sam
Hi Heather! Personally I’d leave it out and covered. I don’t love refrigerating as the fridge can dry out cakes. I hope that helps!
Flor
Hi, I’m making a rainbow cake. Wondering if this recipe would work for so meny layers. Thanks in advance
Sam
Hi Flor! If you use the recipe as it, it should easily hold up, but your layers are going to be pretty thin. 🙂
Nell Pretorius
ooph this is delicious! im not an experienced baker but thoroughly enjoyed baking (and of course devouring) this recipe – thank you. i made your stabilised whipped cream frosting to use here too – what a beautiful pairing
AA
Hi, thank you for this recipe! I wrote on your YouTube channel but thought I could also write here. Can I pls know how many grams are needed for the vegetable oil and buttermilk, and how many minutes should I bake it in the oven if I use a Wilton Rectangular Baking Tray 9 x 13 x 3 inches? Also, when I bake it, do I put the cake pan on the middle or lower rack? I converted the ml to grams myself and used this cake pan but the cake didn’t turn out so well (it was dense!) so I am wondering where I went wrong. I really want to perfect this!
Sam
Hi! I measure liquids like oil and buttermilk in ml not grams so I do not have the weight measurements for that, nor do I recommend using gram measurements for liquid because conversions usually assume the weight of the liquid is the same as the weight of water, which is not the case and can lead for inaccurate measurements (I suspect why your cake turned out dense the first time you made it). I include notes in the recipe notes for baking in a 9×13 pan. Always bake in the middle rack unless otherwise indicated. I hope that helps, let me know how your next attempt goes! 🙂
AA
Thank you for your reply. I will measure the liquids with a liquid measuring cup. I have two more questions: I live in Europe and can’t find an American all-purpose flour. We have “pastry flour” (Type 450, with 8-10% protein) and “all-purpose flour” (Type 550, with 9-11% protein). Which one would be similar to the one you use? Secondly, do you use a single-acting or double-acting baking powder? And yes, I’ll let you know how my next attempt goes 🙂
Sam
I would recommend using the all purpose flour. I use double acting baking powder here. 🙂
Annette
Brit in the US here: US all purpose flour equals UK plain flour