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.
Milly
Hi, Iโm just in the middle of baking this cake for my sons birthday. I would like to decorate it with fondant icing, would it hold the weight?
Sam
Hi Milly! It should hold up to fondant. ๐
Syeda
Hi Sam,
I’m looking forward to making this but I was wondering if I can use caster sugar instead of just normal sugar?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Syeda! I think that will be fine in the cake. ๐
Cindy
Hi – Can you substitute applesauce for either the butter or the oil in the recipe? I’ve used applesauce as a substitute in other recipes before so just wondering. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Cindy! I haven’t tried it with this cake, but I think you would probably be ok substituting the butter for the applesauce, but the taste and texture will definitely be different. ๐
Chach
how can i convert this into grams?
Sam
It is in grams, see measurements in parenthesis after each ingredient ๐
Michelle
Such a delicious vanilla cake, it was moist and fluffy and not too sweet. I’ll be saving this as a go-to! I can’t believe cake mixes were so popular when I was growing up, this was perfectly simple to make.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed, Michelle! Isn’t it so easy to make!? Thank you for commenting, I appreciate it ๐
Rachel
I have used this recipe a few times over the last couple weeks and everyone always raves about how good it is! It is light and fluffy but not so much that it doesn’t hold up to heavy fondant. I do tap the pans a little and let them rest for a minute to get any air bubbles to surface. Also, I have not had the opportunity to use actual store bought buttermilk so I have used Sam’s buttermilk substitute (milk and lemon juice) every time, I probably wouldn’t switch, just knowing the cakes come out great as is. Thanks for the recipe!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Rachel! I am so glad you enjoy the cake! ๐
Grace
Hey Sam!!
Can you say an alternative for the heavy cream??
Sam
Hi Grace! Do you mean for the frosting? For the chocolate frosting you can substitute milk (start with just 1 Tablespoon though, and add the second only if needed as milk is thinner). Or you can just leave the cream out, you will just have a thicker fudgier frosting.
Billy Hennessey
Ok, let me start off by saying, I can cook anything but baking and I always had a clear and consistent relationship that we were never meant to be together.
But, I came across this recipe and thought, well, maybe, just maybe… so I tried it.
As I was making it and following the instructions to a pinpoint, I thought, this just doesn’t look right, but I continued.
I pulled the cakes out of the oven, let them cool, put them on the wire rack and thought, holy guacamole, they’re beautiful!
I frosted them with your vanilla frosting but I added Coconut and let me tell you, WOW IT TURNED OUT AMAZING!!!!
It was a huge hit with my dinner guests tonight so thank you for making this recipe! ๐ค
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the cake, Billy! The coconut sounds like a tasty addition! My husband won’t even look at coconut so I can’t quite try it unless I eat an entire cake alone. ๐
Danielle
I do have a question as well. Is this yellow cake or vanilla? Is there a difference? I see it has a yellow hue
Sam
Hi Danielle! It is a yellow vanilla cake. The difference in a white and a yellow cake is the use of egg yolks. Yellow cakes always include egg yolks, while white cakes use only the egg whites. ๐
Jessica
I dont keep buttermilk on hand.
I’ve read somewhere that i can usually replace the buttermilk with whole milk. can i do that with this recipe?
Sam
Hi Jessica, check out my Buttermilk Substitute ๐
Manny
Hi! Can this recipe be used for 6 inch pans? I wanted to make a stacked cake! Thanks, canโt wait to try it.
Sam
Hi Manny! You can bake it in 6 inch pans but the baking time will be different. I haven’t made it in 6 inch pans so I don’t know how long they would need to bake.
Desiree
Will it work with salted butter ?
Sam
Hi Desiree! It will work with salted butter, just reduce the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. ๐
Jay Patton
I made this cake recently. It had a nice flavor, but it was REALLY dry. The batter seemed a bit dry before I baked it, but I know some cakes are like that. I added glycerol monostearate (which helps the cake retain moisture–a ChefSteps trick), and I brushed simple syrup on it afterwards, but it was still dry. I made sure not to overbake it, and I made sure not to over mix the batter.
Any thoughts on why it turned out dry?
Sam
Hi Jay! I’m sorry the cake turned out dry. If you were careful not to over-mix or over-bake the cake, my next best guess is that there was too much of a dry ingredient added somewhere along the lines. Did you happen to weigh your dry ingredients? It’s really easy to add too much flour if it’s not weighed.
Ali
3 cups of flour weighs approx. 500grams. Big difference from 390grams!
Sam
Nooooo, 3 cups is not 500g unless you seriously pack it in (don’t do that), 500g will definitely give you a dry cake. Since writing this recipe, 125g per cup flour has become my standard, but this recipe is accurate and 390 is correct for this cake (though it will also work perfectly with the 375g/125g per cup that now my standard).
Vee
Can you make cake pops with this recipe? Canโt wait to try this recipe out! Thanks!
Sam
Hi Vee! I think that will work just fine. ๐
Karen
Hi Sam,
Can one use this recipe to make cupcakes?
Sam
Hi Karen! Yes this can be made into cupcakes, bake them at the same temperature for 17 minutes. Alternatively, you can try out my Vanilla Cupcake recipe. ๐
Young Kim's
If it’s more than 17 minutes ??
Sam
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs
Loni Rodgers
Hi there!
Curious to know if this recipe will bake correctly in a 9×13โ baking dish instead of round pans?
Thank you I appreciate it!
-LR
Sam
Hi Loni! You can bake it in a 9 x 13 pan, but it will need to bake longer. ๐
Julie
Sam- How long did you bake it in a 13×9 pan? I’m going to make this tomorrow in a 13×9 pan.
Sam
Hi Juie! I have not made it in a 9 x 13 so I don’t know exactly how long it will need to bake.
meghan
Julie- I am making this recipe in a 9×13 for my sons birthday tomorrow. Did you try it? If so, how long did you bake for? Thanks! Meghan
Heather
I just did it in a 9 X 13 and toothpick came out clean in 35 min.