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). Itโs 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 thatโs 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 doesnโt 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; weโre 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 โ of the mixture into your bowl. Use a spatula to gently stir until just combined. Follow this with about ยฝ of your buttermilk, and stir again until just combined. .
- Add ยฝ 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. Itโs 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 itโs 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!). Donโt 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!
Letโs bake together! Iโll 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
- ยฝ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ยฝ cup (120 g) avocado, canola or vegetable oilยน
- 1 ยฝ cup (300 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flourยฒ
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 ยผ 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 pansยณ 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.ยฝ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ยฝ cup (120 g) avocado, canola or vegetable oilยน, 1 ยฝ 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 flourยฒ, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, ยฝ 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.ย 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 ยผ 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
ยนCooking 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.ยยฒCake Flour
You may substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour. Use 3 โ cups or 375g of cake flour.ยณDifferent 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:ย 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 ยพ 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.ยFrosting 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 ยผ 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.
Megan
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?
Sam
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! ๐
Jennifer
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
Sam
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!
Constance
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?
Sam
Hi Constance, the baking time will vary. enjoy!
Mleya
I tried this recipe and it worked so well for me. The cake was super moist!!! The secret is to not over mix.
Sam
Not over-mixing is definitely a huge tip to keep in mind! I am so glad you enjoyed the cake. ๐
Biswa Bhromon
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.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it! ๐
Cristina
Hi dearest:)
May cake flour be substituted for all purpose flour? If so, do I use the same amount?
Thanks so much, cheers!
Sam
Hi Cristina! Other people have done it with great success. If using weights use the same amount. ๐
Cathy Hoskins
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
Sam
Hi Cathy! Sorry for the delay! You can use my Buttermilk Substitute if you ever run into this issue again. ๐
Gitanjali
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.
Sam
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. ๐
Annie
What a wonderful cake! Made this for my son’s birthday two weeks ago, and it turned out perfect.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Annie! ๐
Janine
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?
Sam
Hi Janine! I use 8 inch pans that are 2 inches deep so keep the bake time the same. ๐
Jhen
This will be my cake on my birthday ๐๐and it is today๐i did baked it awhile ago and it looks amazing can’t wait to taste it…thank you for sharing this recipe!๐โบ
Sam
๐๐Happy Birthday! ๐๐ I hope you love the cake! ๐
Shanna
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?
Sam
Hi, Shanna! You would need slightly less than double the recipe, so it’s best to just double it! ๐
Sarah
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!) ๐ 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! ๐
Sam
Wow that is ambitious! I am impressed! I am so glad you enjoyed them. ๐
Hanna
Is this a dense cake or a light and fluffy cake? Iโm looking for a dense cake recipe.
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Hanna! This is not a dense cake. I’m sorry I don’t have any recommendations either. ๐
Sarah A
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.
Sam
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. ๐
Jennie
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 itโs amazing!
Sam
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! ๐
Margaret Baumann
look up Grandmas 1,2,3,4 recipe a yummy but dense cake
Elaine J Young
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.
Sam
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.
Brittany
The best vanilla cake, hands down! Itโs also easy to
Prepare compared to so many other cake recipes! Better than Sallyโs baking addiction vanilla cake varieties (Iโve tried a couple of hers). Iโm 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!
Sam
Thank you so much, Brittany! โบ๏ธ I am so glad you enjoy everything you try. ๐