The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe
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My vanilla cake recipe has a soft, plush, and perfectly moist crumb. It has a rich vanilla flavor, is perfectly beginner friendly, and is made entirely from scratch! If you’re looking for a classic homemade vanilla cake that works every time, this is it! Includes a video tutorial.
The BEST Vanilla Cake Recipe (Soft, Moist, and Made 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 recipe, 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!
Why This Vanilla Cake Recipe Works:
- Butter & oil combo. Using a blend of both butter and oil lets the cake reap the best benefits of both worlds: a rich, buttery flavor from the butter and soft, lasting moisture thanks to the oil. This technique worked so well in this cake recipe, I’ve used it in many recipes since then, including my chocolate cake recipe and marble cake.
- Buttermilk keeps the cake tender and adds subtle depth and richness.
- Light, fluffy texture. A full Tablespoon of baking powder gives the cake crumb lift for a soft, plush crumb that’s never too dense or heavy.
- Time-tested & reader-loved recipe. This vanilla cake recipe has been a long-time favorite on my website. It’s served as the base for many of my other cakes, including my popular pineapple upside-down cake.
Ingredients
After testing many versions and combinations of ingredients, I’ve found that a good vanilla cake recipe 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 the crumb soft and moist rather than 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 specifically to 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. It’s key for a soft, lifted cake crumb. Always make sure your baking powder 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 or a very fine sea 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.
As always with my recipes, 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 This Vanilla Cake Recipe (Step-by-Step)
- 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 stir in your vanilla extract.
- 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
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 vanilla cake recipe!
Yes! This recipe will make approximately 24 vanilla cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners no more than 3/4 full and bake one pan at a time on 350F for about 17 minutes each.
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.
A good vanilla cake recipe is a blank canvas for your favorite frosting, it works with just about any icing. Some of my favorites include my chocolate fudge frosting, chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, or classic chocolate buttercream (vanilla cake with chocolate frosting is a classic combo!), peanut butter frosting, cream cheese frosting, vanilla frosting, coffee frosting, or take a fruity spin with my strawberry frosting, raspberry buttercream, or even blueberry frosting. You can also top any of these frostings with my ganache drip.
Why Is My Vanilla Cake Dry?
Dryness is typically the biggest issue home bakers run into when making cakes 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.
Over-mixing the 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 so long as there aren’t any dry streaks and the batter is mostly uniform, 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!
Over-baking the cake:
Even a minute too long in the oven can cause a cake to be too dry and dense. Bake your cake layers on the center rack and use an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is running at the proper temperature.
Don’t check your vanilla cake too early (that can make it sink!), but do keep an eye on it. When your cake is finished baking, 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, 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 finished baking, let it cool in the pan for only 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
More Great Cakes to Try:
If you’re new to making homemade cakes (or just want to delve deeper into the process) make sure to check out my posts on how to decorate a cake and 3 ways you’re accidentally ruining your homemade cake.
Enjoy!
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Vanilla Cake Recipe
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:Storing
Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If refrigerated, it’s best to allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving for best texture and flavor.Freezing
Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and then frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw (without unwrapping) overnight and then bring to room temperature (still without unwrapping) to retain the best texture. Frosted cake slices can be wrapped individually and frozen and thawed overnight in the refrigeratorVideo 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!
This vanilla cake recipe was originally published in January 2019 but has since been updated to include new photos and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Hey there, I plan on making this cake for my daughter’s 4th birthday this weekend. What would your recommended bake time/temp be for a 13×9″ pan?
Hi Megan! Same oven temp, the baking time I am not certain of but it will take longer to bake than indicated in the recipe. I hope you both love the cake! 🙂
I know this is going to sound stupid but, how do you avoid over mixing? Or how do you know if you have over mixed the batter? Also, in how many additions should I add of the flour and buttermilk? 3 additions of the flour and 2 of the buttermilk? How come you can’t use the stand mixer for the whole thing? Sorry for all the questions….need to learn though…Thanks
Hi Jennifer! I would watch the video below the recipe for a visual about how much to mix. 3 and 2 additions of flour/buttermilk would be fine. I don’t recommend using the stand mixer once you are combining the wet and dry ingredients because at that point is when you have to worry about over-mixing, and the stand mixer makes it way to easy to over-mix. Much better and safer to do that part by hand. I hope that helps!
I am wanting to make this for a fundraiser so wanting to bake in long oblong pan, do I need to adjust the recipe at all?
Hi Constance, the baking time will vary. enjoy!
I tried this recipe and it worked so well for me. The cake was super moist!!! The secret is to not over mix.
Not over-mixing is definitely a huge tip to keep in mind! I am so glad you enjoyed the cake. 🙂
This cake is so easy to make!
This recipe has become a family favourite. I’m making it today for my daughter’s 10th birthday thank you so much for sharing us.
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi dearest:)
May cake flour be substituted for all purpose flour? If so, do I use the same amount?
Thanks so much, cheers!
Hi Cristina! Other people have done it with great success. If using weights use the same amount. 🙂
Can I omit the buttermilk and use real milk? I’m making this right now for my husband and I need to get this in the oven! EEK
Hi Cathy! Sorry for the delay! You can use my Buttermilk Substitute if you ever run into this issue again. 🙂
Hi I want to bake this cake in two 9 inches square pan. Would I need to double this recipe.
Can I bake this cake 2 days before frosting it.
Yes you would need to double the recipe and the cake can be made two days before frosting it, just make sure to cover it tightly after they cool completely. 🙂
What a wonderful cake! Made this for my son’s birthday two weeks ago, and it turned out perfect.
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Annie! 🙂
I noticed you said to use deep 8 inch pans but I only have 8 by 2 inch pans, would that work and how long would they need to bake for?
Hi Janine! I use 8 inch pans that are 2 inches deep so keep the bake time the same. 🙂
This will be my cake on my birthday 🎉🎈and it is today😍i did baked it awhile ago and it looks amazing can’t wait to taste it…thank you for sharing this recipe!😘☺
🎉🎂Happy Birthday! 🎂🎉 I hope you love the cake! 🙂
Hi I’m wanting to make this cake 3 layers using a 9″ pan. Can you please tell me do I just double the recipe or do 1 1/2 times the recipe?
Hi, Shanna! You would need slightly less than double the recipe, so it’s best to just double it! 🙂
So my son was dead-set that we had to make cupcakes after his nap yesterday…when he woke up it was still about 3 hours before my grocery pick-up window and I was completely out of butter from making biscuits for breakfast. However…I did have heavy cream in the fridge that was nearing it’s expiration date…so we used 3 cups of cream and whipped up some butter (literally!) 🙂 The 3 cups of cream yielded more than enough unsalted butter and exactly 1 1/4 cup of buttermilk!!! The cupcakes turned out amazing with buttercream frosting.
In fact, next time I make this cake recipe, I am going to do this again! And my 3-year-old was bragging this morning at preschool how he made butter! 🙂
Wow that is ambitious! I am impressed! I am so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Is this a dense cake or a light and fluffy cake? I’m looking for a dense cake recipe.
Thank you!
Hi Hanna! This is not a dense cake. I’m sorry I don’t have any recommendations either. 🙁
Have you used this in cupcakes? I’m making a couple of smash cakes and some large cupcakes and am wondering how well this will work.
Hi Sarah! This recipe works great as cupcakes. I have only ever made them as regular sized cupcakes, so I don’t know how long they need to bake. 🙂
How long do the regular sized cupcakes need to bake for? And I supposed I should ask what you consider regular size also?! Thank you!
BTW-I made this frosting and wow it’s amazing!
Hi Jennie! about 17 minutes, don’t fill them higher than 3/4 full. I use a standard 12 count muffin tin (two, really, as this recipe will make 24 cupcakes). So glad you enjoyed the frosting! 🙂
look up Grandmas 1,2,3,4 recipe a yummy but dense cake
Well I just made this cake exactly as the recipe states. I wanted a light, moist, fluffy cake. Didn’t turn out that way. This cake is so heavy and dense that I was extremely disappointed. Still looking for a moist, light, fluffy cake recipe.
Hi Elaine! I’m sorry your cake turned out dense. This is not supposed to be a dense cake. Could you have over-mixed the batter by chance? That will make it pretty dense.
The best vanilla cake, hands down! It’s also easy to
Prepare compared to so many other cake recipes! Better than Sally’s baking addiction vanilla cake varieties (I’ve tried a couple of hers). I’m someone who tries a lot of food blogger recipes and yours are nearly always my favorite. You are wildly talented, Sam! Thanks for all the hard work you put in to bring us the best desserts!
Thank you so much, Brittany! ☺️ I am so glad you enjoy everything you try. 🙂