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.
Anna
Im going to try this cake for my son’s 1st birthday but im doing a tiered cake with a 10″ pan, and 8′ pan and a 6″ pan. Can you please help me figure out how much I need per pan – I need to make two of each size. The pans I have are wilton so a regular aluminum ones – does that affect the baking time? Do I cook this on convection or regular bake?
Sam
Hi Anna! I use the same wilton pans so it won’t affect the baking time. The size of the cakes, however, will affect the baking time. I am not sure what a bake time on a 10″ or a 6″ pan would be. As far as the amounts of batter to use, wilton actually has a post that gives you volumes of each cake pan. I would refer to that page for how much to make. Enjoy! 🙂
Komal
Hi !
I dont have buttermilk.. is that okay?
Sam
Hi Komal! I recommend using my Buttermilk Substitute, then. I hope that helps!
Daddy
This was a good cake . I really took my time mixing it . The flavor was good. But the consistency was not what I expected . It was dense more like a poundcake . Not fluffy and light .
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed! However, I am disappointed to hear it wasn’t light and fluffy as it should be for you. Usually the culprit is over-mixing or over-baking, but it sounds like you did not do that. Is your baking powder still good? if it’s old that could be the culprit. I hope that helps!
Tiffany
This cake is sheer perfection. It was moist and the crumb was just right. LOVED IT!!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed! Thanks for commenting, Tiffany! 🙂
Danielle
Want to use this recipe for my son’s birthday but want to add food coloring.
Sam
You can add food coloring. Enjoy!
Twyla
Could I use vegetable oil instead of the canola oil? Just wondering
Sam
Yup! Enjoy!
Sarah
Would this cake still taste good with vanilla buttercream? Reviews all look amazing but wanting to do vanilla butter cream and a strawberry filling?
Thanks
Sam
Absolutely! Enjoy 🙂
Barbara
I made this cake yesterday. I have 9 inch cake pans, and only cooked the cake for 27 minutes. It still turned out dry. The batter was thicker than other cakes I make, and I folded in the flower mixture and buttermilk very carefully. I used the spatula to scoop it up and put it in the pan because it was so thick. It has a great flavor, but it’s not moist.
Sam
Hmm, it should be moist. Does your oven run hot? I would put a thermometer in there and check the temperature, if it’s running hot even 27 minutes could be too much (or even depending on the cake pans you used, it might’ve needed a bit less time than 27 mins).
Bianca
I’ve made this cake as the recipe said and it was delicious. I’ve also made it dairy free substituting the butter for more oil and the buttermilk for tinned coconut milk and for some reason I actually prefer the taste. Either way, this is my go to cake recipe and everyone loves it!
Sam
Thank you so much for the feedback, Bianca! I am so glad you enjoy the cake. 🙂
Marie
I’m about to bake a birthday cake requested by one of my student’s parents for tomorrow .. And just by reading the comments I’m certain it’ll be perfect! Thanks.
Sam
I hope everyone loves it! 🙂
Melissa
Omg this recipe is amazing!!! I had given up on making cakes from scratch. They were always dry or tasteless. So it’s been cake mixes for the last 10 years. It’s my sons 8th birthday today and he asked for a vanilla cake. So I decided to google found this recipe and thought I’d give it a go. It was a big risk cause i didn’t have time to bake another one, but this cake is perfect and so easy to make!! Full of flavour and so moist…I love it!! I don’t think he’ll be disappointed when we try it tonight.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Melissa!! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how it turned out, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Shawn
Fabulous! I have been trying yellow/vanilla cakes and this is the best, so good and moist. Really close to box cake texture. My hubby loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Sam
I’m so glad to hear it was such a hit, Shawn!! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Lisa
Could this be made in a simple 9×13 cake pan?
Sam
Hi Lisa! It can be made in a 9 x 13. I haven’t tried it myself, but other readers have reported a 30 minute bake time on the same temperature. Enjoy! 🙂
Lisa
Thank you! A friend recommended this recipe for meeting my son’s birthday request for a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting! 🎂
Karen
Can I use a bundt mold instead? What would you recommend for cooking time? And, sorry one more question should I line it with parchment paper?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Karen! You can make it in a bundt pan, just make sure you grease and flour the pan really well, especially if there is any fluting in the pan. Parchment paper won’t really work here. I don’t know a bake time because I haven’t tried it, but I would think it would take longer than 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!
simi
I recently discovered your website and everything I have tried so far was a HIT (chocolate cake, pineapple upside down (this cake is so good that i baked one three days in a row!!!). When you say “best”…it is the best!
This cake is no different-moist, good texture, flavorful! I made it before as is but yesterday I made a tweak- I added 11/2 tablespoons of McCormick orange extract instead of vanilla. This is the BEST orange cake I ever had! I used a simple butter frosting…Divine!
Sam
Thank you so much! I am so glad you are enjoying all of the recipes! I really appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Emily
Wow! Super recipe. Great tips. I used this to make ice-cream cone cupcakes (where you fill an ice cream cone 2/3 with batter and then bake in oven), and they sold out very quickly for a fundraiser where proceeds were donated to a charitable organisation in India. So thx from Frankfurt, germany!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Emily! I love ice cream cone cupcakes! 🙂