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.
Cheryl
Hi!
Your recipe looks delicious! How many cupcakes do you think one batch will make? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Cheryl! This recipe will yield about 24 cupcakes. Bake them on the same temperature for about 17 minutes. ๐
Venus
What does the buttermilk do to the cake?
Sam
Hi Venus! It helps make the cake moist and flavorful. ๐
Heidi
How long do I leave it in for a bundt cake?
Sam
Hi Heidi! I have not tried baking it in a bundt pan so I am not 100% sure.
Alyssa Plettenberg-Smith
Loved this recipe, this was my first time making a proper birthday cake and it went very well. Everyone loved it! I made it with vanilla buttercream icing (requested) in 9inch pans, 30 mins.
Will certainly use this recipe again!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Alyssa! ๐
Dhalia
I am wondering why it’s necessary to stir in the buttermilk and flour mixture by hand-I used self-rising by the way and so no baking powder, was that OK? Anyway my arm got tired mixing it by hand and it took a long time to keep switching off on those 2 ingredients. What does that while process do for a cake?
Sam
Hi Dhalia! I am not sure how the self rising flour will work, but the purpose of alternating the additions of buttermilk and flour is so that you don’t over mix the batter, but everything still gets combined well. If you over mix the batter the cake will turn out very dense.
Dhalia
Thanks! And I learned a lesson about what you said about why butter should be unsalted because following your recipe I forgot my butter was salted and added that extra salt and I noticed it in the leftover cake batter! I havenโt tasted the cake yet, that will be tonight!โบ๏ธ
Sam
I hope you love it! ๐
Dhalia
I did love it and it cut so smoothly, wasnโt crumbly like most of my past cakes! But I was wondering about how many times did you switch between the buttermilk and the flour for your cake, why is buttermilk better than regular milk-this is the first buttermilk one I made and could I use my stand mixer on low speed instead of hand mixing the flour and buttermilk?
Sam
Typically when I am adding the the flour I will do it in about 3-4 parts and the buttermilk in 2-3. I really don’t recommend using the stand mixer when stirring them together. If you over-mix the batter, your cake can turn out to be really dense. The buttermilk really helps with keeping this cake moist and soft and really helps to develop the flavor. ๐
Linda
Do you have any idea how much longer the bake time would be for
9 X 13 cake pan
Thanks Linda
Sam
Hi Linda! I’m sorry I do not know how much longer it would need to bake in a 9 x 13. ๐
Andrea
I’d like to make this cake, but I’m looking to make it in a 9×13 pan. Would that work?
Sam
Hi Andrea! Yes this will work in a 9 x 13, but you will need to bake the cake longer. ๐
Tina
Hi, is this recipe enough batter for a 12×18โ half sheet pan?
Thank you.
Sam
Hi Tina! A 12 x 18 sheet pan will hold about 16 cups of batter. This recipe makes about 8 cups of batter, so you would need to double it to fit it in a 12 x 18. ๐
Renea
Hi there! Would I need to make any changes to this cake recipe if I added key lime juice (6 tbsp) and key lime zest? Would I need more leavening?
Sam
Hi Renea! I am not quite sure what you would need to do if you added lime juice to this recipe. That’s a lot more liquid in the cake so I couldn’t advise how to adjust the recipe without trying this myself.
Raufikat
I just made this cake, with lemon and orange zest. I didnโt have buttermilk so I made mine with 2 tbsp of orange juice, 2 tbsp of lemon juice, then I topped it off with one cup of evaporated milk. I havenโt cut the cake yet but it looks wonderful on the outside and smells very citrusy. I hope this helps
Gabby
If I wanted to turn this into cupcakes instead of cake could I just shorten the beans time? Would anything else need to change? I’ve done it as a cake with great success, but am feeding a lot more people this time!
Sam
Hi Gabby! You won’t need to change anything, just bake the cupcakes for 17 minutes at the same temperature. Enjoy! ๐
Emine
Hello would this work if I use a deep cake tin instead of two tins? How much longer do you recommend baking? Thank you x
Sam
Hi Emine! As long as the pan is deep enough, it would work just fine. It would need to bake much longer, but I am not sure on what the baking time would be.
Alexis
Can I replace buttermilk with regular milk?
Sam
Hi Alexis! If you don’t have buttermilk, I really recommend using my buttermilk substitute. ๐
Jen
Hi Sam,
How far in advance can I make the cakes and leave them undecorated? Can I make it 2 days before and leave them at room temp wrapped in cling film?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Jen! 2 days will be fine if they are wrapped tightly. ๐
Michelle
Hi! I would like to try to use cake flour, would I use the same amount of cake flour instead of regular flour for the recipe? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Michelle! I have not tried it with cake flour. I know others have tried it with success, although I am not sure if any alterations were needed. I’m sorry. ๐
Isabel
Can I use margarine instead of unsalted butter?
Sam
Hi Isabel! That should work fine. ๐