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.
Adam
This was such a moist, tender cake. I made it as a trial run for my boyfriend’s birthday next weekend. He will love it!
Sam
I hope he does! I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Liv
725 calories in one slice? Is that right?
Also, why so much sugar? That is a ton of sugar. Can anything be substituted for that?
Sam
You can always try calculating it with a different nutrition calculator but yes according to mine it is 725 cal for 1 slice of the cake including frosting (considering that the cake is cut into 12 slices).
It’s a 2 layer cake for 12 people, it’s not exactly health food 😉
For the right balance of texture, moisture, and flavor this is how much sugar I recommend using, I can’t advise for any substitutions though I’m sure you could experiment to find something that works for you. Enjoy!
Taisey
I tried this cake and it came out perfect
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for commenting, Taisey! 🙂
Jenn
I made this for my son’s bday and put a layer of whipped cream frosting and sliced fresh strawberries in the middle…. my son is not a cake fan and he ate TWO huge slices! Soo good! Now my lil girl wants to have it as a “chocolate chip” cake… do you know if adding mini choc chips to the batter will change the baking time?! 🙂 thank you so much for the great recipe
Sam
Hi, Jenn. I think it would be ok to mix some mini chocolate chips into the cake and it shouldn’t affect the baking time. 🙂
leslie najm
What adjustments should I make if I want to make this into cupcakes?? Also, any idea how many cupcakes one recipe will make??
Sam
It will make about 24 cupcakes, keep the temperature of the oven the same, fill your cupcake liners no more than 3/4 full and bake for about 17 minutes. Enjoy! 🙂
Vijay
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour??
Sam
I haven’t tried with cake flour, please let me know how it works for you if you try it that way 🙂
Mary
Can I use a 9×13 I have pan instead of 2 round pans . Or could I use a springform pan .
Sam
Hi, Mary. The recipe will make roughly 8 cups of batter, and a 9 x 13 pan holds about 8.5 cups of batter so you can, it just may be slightly thinner. 🙂
Isabella
Hi, I was wondering if this cake had a good sugary taste, I have made many cakes but this one is for my son’s birthday. The cakes I’ve tried have a very bland taste and just want to make sure this one isn’t before I try it, the recipe sounds good but I just wanted to make sure. Thank you!
Sam
Hi, Isabella. This is a sweet, but not overly sweet cake. Enjoy! 🙂
Eleni
Hi, I made this to the T. Was VERY dense…like ‘need 2 hands while cutting the cake’ dense. My coworkers said they liked it but there was some hesitation. I would not try this recipe again.
Sam
Hi Eleni! If it was that dense then it was either over-mixed or baked too long. I would try mixing it less next time, until the ingredients are *just* combined. Or is it possible your oven is running too hot? It’s really a moist and fluffy cake 🙂
Amanda
Hi Sam, Thanks for this great recipe! My husband said it was the best tasting vanilla cake I’ve made. I used a Swiss meringue buttercream, and they went great together. I had one issue with the final product being a bit closed texture and dense, which I know is something I did. From your experience, do you think it’s more likely that I over-folded the batter or under-whipped the wet ingredients? I tried to fold in as little as possible, but I’m guessing that’s the likely culprit. I didn’t know if I should be getting a lot of air into the wet first, though. It was still an excellent cake, and I’m hoping to perfect the texture for my daughter’s first birthday cake. Thanks!
Sam
Hi, Amanda. If the cake turned out dense, it was probably over-mixed. I hope it turns out perfect next time. 🙂
Alena Brownell
Made this tonight for my son’s birthday tomorrow. It turned out beautiful! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Alena! 🙂
Adriana Vega
This is the first vanilla recipe that has actually worked for me! It’s so simple and delicious, everyone loved it!!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Adriana! 🙂
Evey
This is my first time using this recipe and I didn’t have most of the ingredients but that didn’t stop from me trying I used many substitutes and its in the oven im a little scared to pull it out and do i have to use chocolate frosting
Sam
Oh boy, best of luck! You can use any frosting you would like 🙂 Here are a few others I have:
Cream Cheese frosting
Chocolate Cream cheese frosting
Peanut Butter Frosting
Vanilla Frosting
Jen
Can I use almond milk?
Sam
Hi, Jen. The cake won’t be as moist, but if you do I still recommend following the steps in my Buttermilk Substitute and adding either lemon juice or vinegar. 🙂
Deborah Crabtree
I have some sour milk in my fridge. Can I use that instead of buttermilk? Making this cake today for my hubs birthday. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Deborah. I am not very familiar with sour milk. I believe it is more acidic than traditional pasteurized milk so it may work, but I have not tried it so I don’t know for sure. Let me know if you try it. 🙂
Nathan
To clarify is the buttermilk ‘whole’? In most cases my grocery store only has reduced fat. Does it make a difference to use reduced fat? I assume it does.
Sam
Hi Nathan, yes it should be whole buttermilk. If you can’t find whole buttermilk you can use my buttermilk substitute instead.