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.
Sabrina Stirling
Hi Sam,
I made these today and they were delicious even if my baking wasn’t at all close to perfect. I have a question about leaving the batter out while waiting for a batch of cupcakes that are in the oven. As I have a very temperamental oven (really old crappy one at that!), I try to bake in one tray at a time. Having said that, can I leave half the batter out in the bowl on the kitchen bench for until the first batch of cupcakes are ready? Or would that affect the baking or outcome of the cupcakes? Would appreciate your reply! – Sabrina
Sam
Hi Sabrina! You can let it sit while the first batch bakes. I wouldn’t leave it sitting too long, but leaving it out while the first batch bakes will work just fine. 🙂
Sabrina Stirling
Thanks for the quick reply Sam! Yes, i worked it out, i can make 2 dozens medium cupcakes as first batch and then 2 x 4″ round pan as second batch! It’s perfect! Thank you!
Also, is this a good base to say add confetti to convert to confetti cake or blueberries etc?
Sam
I haven’t made it with blueberries, but the sprinkles would work fine you would just want to stir them in at the end before portioning the batter. I think the blueberries may work but I’m not quite sure. 🙂
Sabrina Stirling
Ahhh another question would be, if this will freeze well? Baked, cooled, wrapped and put in the freezer?
Sam
I have had others report freezing this with success, you just need to make sure it cools down completely so you don’t get any extra moisture when freezing. 🙂
Sabrina Stirling
You’re amazing, thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
You are so kind. Thank you, Sabrina! 🙂
Dzenana Basovic
I love this cake and I’m planning on making it for New Years Eve but I was wandering how much ingredients I’m gonna need for 26cm pan. Tho I usualy bake in 1 pan then cut it in two.. Ty love your work
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Dzenana! A 26cm pan is 10″ pan in the US. This recipe will fine as is for that, the layers will just be thinner and require less time to bake. Are you planning to use two 26cm pans? or one? If one, how deep is your pan? I want to say that you will be fine either way, but not certain.
Dzenana
It’s standard 3 inch depths. Sorry for bad English not my language area really 😅. So yes I plan on baking in one pan then cut in two. And frosting same amount or should I increase a bit ingredients?
Sugar Spun Run
No need to apologize, Dzenana! You should be fine with the amount this recipe creates. I hope that you enjoy the cake. Let me know how it turns out. Remember just to keep an eye on the bake time. 🙂
Dzenana Basovic
Thank you, ofc will let u know how it turns out 😋
Mahshid
Hi I tried your recipe and after trying so many different ones yours is the best so I wanted to thank you for sharing it with everyone. I was just wondering if I could uses this and recipe and just add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to make it into chcolate cake or instant coffee and if I did that would I just take out 2 tbsp of the flour? I want to try this tomorrow morning and see 😊
Caro
Hi! Why did my cake turn out bitter ? Is 1 tablespoon of baking powder too much ?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Caro! I am sorry, I have never experience it or heard of this recipe resulting in a bitter-tasting cake. The buttermilk should neutralize the bitter taste of the baking powder. Were your ingredients at room temperature? 🙁
Keisha
Can I use cake flour instead of allpurpose flour
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Keisha! Others have with success, however, I have not tried it so I can not advise. I do know that the substitution is not 1:1 usually. I hope that you enjoy the cake! 🙂
Janice Khoo
I’ve tried the recipe yesterday and it taste so good. I’m wondering this cake can be use to make fondant cake?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the vanilla cake, Janice! Yes, you can use fondant on this cake. 🙂
Rachel
Hey,I would really love to try out this awesome recipe but I was wondering if I can substitute the butter for margarine (butter is really expensive where I live)? Thank you
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Rachel! I am not certain how different margarine is in your country compared to the US, but it should be fine. Let me know how the vanilla cake turns out. 🙂
Rachel
Hi, just tried the recipe and it is really awesome. Family loved it. How do I adjust it for a 6 inch baking pan – ingredients , baking temp and time? Thanks !
Sam
I’m so glad to hear everyone enjoyed the vanilla cake, Rachel! The easiest thing to do might be to cut the recipe in half for a single 6″ pan, depending on how deep it is you still will probably have some leftover batter though and I would not fill the pan more than 2/3 of the way full. The baking temp would stay the same but I am not certain how long it will need to bake as I haven’t tried it myself. If you do try it would you let me know how it works for you?
Chelsey
Finally found a delicious vanilla cake recipe!! It was perfect.
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful, Chelsey! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Mary Brown
Can this recipe be used for a sheet cake?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Mary! Yes, it can. Other bakers have commented that they baked it in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan for approximately 30 minutes. Since I haven’t tried it myself, I recommend keeping an eye on it. I hope that you enjoy the cake. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Kam
This looks wonderful and I plan to make it today for my son’s birthday tomorrow! Can I swap with cake flour?
Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Kam! Others have with success, however, I have not tried it so I can not advise. I do know that the substitution is not 1:1 usually. I hope that you enjoy the cake! 🙂
Alana
Hi there! I was wondeirng if i could make cupcakes with this recipe or will they be too dense? I was hoping to make them to sell at a bake sale, do you mind giving me advice on what i should do?
Thank you for your help,
Alana :))
Carlina
Everyone loved the cake, especially my super demanding and critical kids. It’s perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that the cake recipe was such a hit, Carlina! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Anuja Khemka
Hi,
I’ve made this cake on its own and its delicious!! Can I convert it to a confetti cake? I wanted to bake it for my nephew’s birthday and thought that he would bE pleasantly surprised seeing the colorful interior. If so, how much should I add and will there be any subtractions?
Sam
Yes you can add sprinkles, I would recommend adding either colored quins or “jimmies” but NOT nonpareils as they will bleed through the cake. About 1/4-1/3 cup of sprinkles would probably work well, stir them in at the end before portioning into the baking pans (no need to make any other changes). So glad you enjoyed the cake, Anuja! 🙂
Anuja Khemka
Thanks! I know you dislike sprinkles yellow cake but then I am always left with egg yolks not knowing what to do. 🙁 Will try it out. Do i need to dust them in flour or something to avoid them sinking?
Sam
Nope, no need to dust them. The batter is thick enough to keep them suspended. Enjoy!
Tricia
Hi! I’m thinking about making this cake for my son’s birthday but will have to make it two days in advance. I can bake it and frost it with your chocolate frosting, and then just store it covered at room temperature? Thank you for your help!
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Tricia! Yes, that should be fine. I hope that your son has a wonderful birthday and enjoys his birthday cake. 🙂