The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe
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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 1/3 of the mixture into your bowl. Use a spatula to gently stir until just combined. Follow this with about 1/2 of your buttermilk, and stir again until just combined. .
- Add 1/2 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
Equipment
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
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 1/3 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 3/4 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 1/4 cups of buttermilk.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I made this cake for my friend’s son birthday party. It was super moist and delicious! Everybody loved it. Thank you so much
I am so glad that everyone loved the cake, Maryam! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
How far in advance can this yellow cake recipe be made to make the ice cream cake? Will the cones get soggy?
Thank you,
Annette
Hi Annette, I haven’t used this recipe to make an ice cream cake so I’m not sure.
I just made this cake for a church function … I was excited as I put in oven … batter was beautiful and tasted great! Filled my two pans 3/4 full – I anticipated two very high fluffy layers. 30 minutes later super disappointed! Did NOT rise one mm. Total failure and no time to start over. Followed the recipe to a “T.” Should never try new recipes for company and functions. 🙁
That is disappointing, Beverly. They should have risen, if they didn’t I am wondering if your baking powder might have been bad?
Hi Sam!
Thanks for the recipe, I would love to know if i can triple the recipe, for instance if I want to bake 1kg, do I need to add or remove anything from the ingredients? Thanks I’ll be anticipating for your response
Hi, Rukayat! I have never tripped this recipe personally, however, someone else who recently tried it did with success. No additional adjustments should be needed. Let me know how your cake turns out. 🙂
Thanks for the reply, I’ll like to know the shelf life of the vanilla cake recipe. How long will it last at room temperature, like how many days?
Hi, Rukayat! The cake should last 3-4 days stored at room temperature. 🙂
Curious about how this recipe would turn out using cake flour instead of all purpose?
Hi, Lisa! I’ve only ever made this with all-purpose and like it that way, but many other people have commented that they used cake flour instead and it turned out great for them! I hope you enjoy the vanilla cake. 🙂
Thanks. Should we adjust the amount of flour when switching to cake flour? I’ve read when subbing cake for all purpose, add 2 tbsp. What would you suggest?
Hi, Lisa! I haven’t tried it myself so it is hard to say. Looking back on the comments left by those who did try it said that they did a 1:1 substitution. Again without trying it myself, I can’t give any recommendations. Let me know what works for you. 🙂
Hi, I was just wondering why the ingredients should be room temperature? Could I still make this recipe without room temperature ingredients? Thanks!
Hi, Freyja! When at room temperature, eggs, butter, and other dairy ingredients bond together very easily since they’re warmer, creating an evenly textured batter. A smooth batter will result in a uniformly textured baked good. Cold ingredients do not incorporate together as easily, therefore I don’t recommend it.
Hi I made this cake multiple times and every time it’s a hit. 😋
Thank you for this wonderful recipe
Thank you so much, Sri! I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the vanilla cake. 🙂
I know right! I’m a figure skater so my coach is keeping me on a diet. This cake is the only exception of sugary foods for me so my coach makes me bring her some every day
Would this work in a 9×13 pan?
Hi, Sara! Yes, it will work just fine in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan, however, the bake time will be different so I recommend keeping an eye on it. Enjoy! 🙂
I’ve been searching for a good moist yellow cake! I’m definitely going to try this tomorrow!! Stay tuned!!!
I am so glad that you came across my recipe, Renee! Keep me posted on how it turns out! Happy Baking! 🙂
I made this cake today! Everything was spot on! Baking time, texture and most of all flavors!! I invited a couple of friends over for a taste test and everyone loved it!! This cake is delicious and definitely a keeper!! Thanks for sharing!!! 😊
I am so happy to hear it was such a success! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how it turned out for you, Renee, I appreciate it 🙂
I made this cake following directions exactly but used 2 9in pans. The cake was tasty but the batter was extremely heavy as were the finished cakes. The cakes did rise but am wondering what might have happened to make them do dense and heavy?
Hi, Liz! I am so sorry to hear that your cake did not rise and was dense. From your description, I wonder if your baking powder is expired or stale? If the baking powder is stored improperly or old it will result in not enough rise, and a flat dense cake. Could this be the issue?
This is a good recipe for when your kids are having sleep overs it’s good to trick them to do math
That’s an awesome idea! I have never thought of that. I am glad you enjoyed the cake. 🙂
This cake was not sweet at all. It tasted like pancake batter, I did everything EXACTLY as the recipe stated all the way down to having every room temperature. I had to throw a whole batch of cupcakes out. Sorry but I truly don’t understand how you’re calling this cake. Disappointing.
That’s very strange!
It’s plenty sweet and tastes like cake, unlike a person who reviewed this recipe stated above that it does not. I never try recipes that have a high sugar content. This cake has 1 1/2 cups of sugar it was perfectly sweet enough to all of us who had the cake. This is a good recipe and I bake a lot and have tested and baked many cakes. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much, Steph! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I would check to make sure that all your ingredients are good, and that you measured the correct amount of sugar. I have made this recipe technically 3 times myself and it was extremely consistent and fantastic. I originally made this 2 batches of this batter to make a 5 layer rainbow cake for my daughter’s 4th birthday, and just used it again to do a single batch for cupcakes for her birthday party. Both times it has come out wonderful. It is perfectly sweet, but balanced, almost reminiscent of sugar cookies. It is not overpoweringly sweet, so if you want a super sweet vanilla cake it is the wrong recipe for you. It is a great balance and certainly does not taste like “pancake batter”. I would recommend maybe trying the funfetti cake? I have made that one before and it is a little sweeter.
I 100% agree. This cake is not sweet, honestly has no flavor at all. Wayy too dense. Too much flour. I won’t be making this cake again.
I’m really not sure why some people are having this happen. My best recommendation would be to make sure you do not over-mix the batter or over-bake the cake and to use weights to measure your flour, as it does sound like too much flour was used but what is written in the ingredients list is correct.
Hi
This is my first time trying such recipes
Sam can I get a fluffy recipes for baking in large quantities If Yes please reply me thanks
Hi, Junaid! If you are asking if you can get the same results if you double this recipe, the answer is yes. The results, if directions are followed, should result in a fluffy cake. When you say large quantities how much are you trying to make?
Is there any reason I could not add colorful sprinkles to the batter like you did in your yellow cake recipe?
Hi, Lucy! Adding sprinkles will not be a problem, however, do NOT use nonpareils or they may bleed through your batter and ruin the coloring of your cake. 🙂
Does this recipe make two cake layers or just one? If just one how thick and how many inches wide?
Hi, Holly! For this cake recipe, I use two deep 8″ round cake pans. The layers are about 2- 2 1/2 inches in height. I hope that helps! Good Luck with your cakes. 🙂
I made this for my twins 2 nd birthday,I filled with strawberry filling and whipped cream frosting. It was amazing!!!! Everyone loved it thank you for the recipe!!!
I am so glad that the cake turned out perfectly for your twins birthday celebration, Nikki! I love the additional strawberry filling and whipped cream frosting. Thank you for commenting. 🙂