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 g) 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 g) 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.
Brigit
I made this with the avocado oil and also used Lakanto monkfruit sweetener with erythritol (red bag) in place of the regular granulated sugar. I made it as a round 2-layered cake with a cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries on top for garnish! It turned out wonderful and everyone loved it!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting us know how those substitutions worked for you, Brigit! Enjoy 😊
Mike
Mine came out lumpy. Perhaps undermixed it??
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Mike! The batter can have some lumps in it, but it shouldn’t be really lumpy. You can actually see how it looks in the video. You do want to be careful to not over-mix the batter. Hope this helps 🙂
Mae
Hi! Thank you for sharing your recipe. Anyway, may I ask if it is fine to substitute the granulated sugar with brown sugar instead? What difference would it make aside from darker color of the cake?
Sam
Hi Mae! It will definitely change the cake. The brown sugar will make it heavier, richer, and likely less fluffy.
Ashley
Hi! Does this cake color well with gel food coloring?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Ashley! You shouldn’t have any issues adding food coloring just after combining the wet and dry ingredients. Keep in mind this is a yellow colored cake though, so that may distort the coloring a bit. We do have a white cake you could color if you’d like.
Peyton
Hi I want to bake this cake right now, but I want to use a 6in cake pan. Would you happen to know the cook time for that?
Sam
Hi Peyton! Unfortunately I do not know a bake time in 6 inch pans. I would be sure to keep an eye on them as they bake. 🙂
Sham
Hi, I’d like to try your recipe and wanted to know if I should use the fan function on my oven? thank you
Sam
All of my recipes are written using a conventional oven setting, convection would require alterations to the temperature. 🙂
Alexis
delicious!! my new favorite cake to make!! thank you! I did it in a 9×13, it was in the oven for maybe 35-40 mins, I started with 30 mins but it was too under cooked in the middle. but I paired it with the chocolate frosting.
very delicious, could I leave it out on the counter or should I put it in the fridge?
Sam
Hi Alexis! It will be ok on the counter top if placed in an air tight container as long as the frosting is not a cream cheese frosting that would need refrigeration. 🙂
JosieR
Hi, Sam – – I made this cake today for a friend’s husband’s birthday. The taste is wonderful. For some reason, mine came out really flat. It didn’t even rise halfway up the cake pan. My baking powder is new and within dates. Can you think of something I may have done wrong? I followed your directions, as written.
I love ALL your recipes!
Sam
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear this happened, Josie! Is it possible it was over-mixed? Did you make any substitutions? Was the video helpful at all? It’s tough to say without being there. 🙁
JosieR
Hi, Sam– The only thing I can think of that I may have done differently is that I didn’t alternate adding the flour and the buttermilk. I saw in the video–which was very helpful–to do it that way but I inadvertently added in all of the flour and then had to follow with the buttermilk. So that might be what happened. My friend and her husband said the cake was wonderful, so maybe I was just being too critical of my baking. Anyway, I always look forward to your recipes and videos. Thank you so much for what you do!
JosieR
Sam
Unfortunately doing it that way can lead to over-mixing, which can lead to flat cakes. 🙁
Paula K Moore
Could you add blueberries to the recipe
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Paula! Yes, you can add blueberries to this recipe. They will likely sink while the cakes bake though.
Paula
I took a tablespoon of flour to coat the bluberries so they did not all sink to the bottom. The cake turned out perfect and it was absolutely delicious. Thank you
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re glad that worked for you! Enjoy!!
Tam
Hi Sam,
I love this cake and I want to make this as cupcakes to share. I was wondering, when you made this as cupcakes, did you fill the liners 2/3 or 3/4 high? What do you think would work better?
Thanks,
Tam
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Tam! We actually talk about this in the recipe card notes section. Enjoy! ☺️
Tam
Thanks
Tammy
Hi Sam
I enjoy your videos, I not tried the vanilla cake yet. But I going to, could you use vanilla bean for this cake?
Tammy
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Tammy! That will work just fine. You would need the seeds from one vanilla bean 😊
MaryLou Connolly
EXCELLENT vanilla cake LOVED it. Baked in a 9×13, served with masserated strawberries and soft whipped cream. Fabulous! Thank you for the easy recipe ❤️
Darlene
I’m going to make this cake in a 9×13 pan. How long should I bake it? Thanks for your answer.
Sam
Hi Darlene! I haven’t personally tried it, but other have reported about 30 minutes. I would make sure to keep an eye on it as it bakes. 🙂
Anh
In your video you say 1 1/2 cup of buttermilk but on the written recipe it states 1 1/4. Which amount is correct?
Sam
Sorry for the confusion! The written recipe is correct. 🙂
Jenny
This is delicious. The crumb is soft and light.
Jenny
This is delicious.
Tami
Hello Sam. I love your cake recipes, thank you for sharing! So I would like to have thicker layers. Can I add all of the batter to one pan instead of splitting it? If so, should I just fill it 3/4 full? Right now I have a lot of extra room in the pans when I divide the batter between the two.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Tami! It really depends on how deep your pan is. Is it an 8″ pan?
Tami
Yes, they are Fat Daddio 8 inch pans.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
If your pans are deeper than usual, you may be able to get away with putting all of the batter in one pan then. Just make sure you don’t overfill and know your bake time will be longer. Hope that helps!
Nora
Hi! I notice a lot of your cakes use the reverse creaming method, is there a reason you don’t use it here? Do you think the method would not work as well for this recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Nora! The reverse creaming method will work for this recipe, it just makes the crumb a little tighter 🙂
Joanna
Would one be able to add sprinkles to this batter, a la your Funfetti Cake?
Sam
Absolutely, Joanna! I hope you love it! 🙂