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.
Cynthia
Could I use two 9 inch cake pans instead of two 8 inch cake pans? How will that affect the bake time?
Sugar Spun Run
Absolutely, Cynthia! They will need a few minutes less time in the oven, so I reccomend keeping an eye on them. 🙂
Amanda
Can I use regular milk if I don’t have buttermilk? I have not baked with buttermilk before, what does this do that milk will not?
Thank you,
Amanda
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Amanda! Regular milk will be fine, however, I do have a buttermilk substitute if you’d like to make your own. 🙂
Mark Estorino
Hi – I’d like to use to 6inch pans for this recipe, do I need to alter the quantity of anything? Thank you!
Mark Estorino
two 6 inch pans*
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Mark! This recipe was designed to fit 8″ pans so using 6″ pans you will have some batter leftover that can be used for cupcakes. 🙂
Mark Estorino
Thank you!
Cynthia
Thanks for this recipe which I tried this weekend for a birthday party. Very satisfied with the results. I doubled all ingredients though I put a bit less sugar. I transformed it into a marble cake by adding cocoa powder in hot water to 6 scoops of the vanilla batter. That is the first time I used butter with oil( used sunflower oil) and the texture was really good not too dry nor buttery and enough moisture. Will surely do it again. Thanking you loads.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cake, Cynthia! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Amanda
Hi! Can I use coconut oil instead of canola?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Amanda! While I haven’t tried this myself I don’t think it would be a problem. Please let me know how it turns out for you if you try it!:)
Grace
I used coconut oil and it worked well.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it turned out well. Thanks for letting me know, Grace! Enjoy! 🙂
Ilse
Is it granulated sugar or castor sugar?
Sugar Spun Run
I use granulated sugar! 🙂
Valerie
If I bake it all in one 8inch pan, how much should I reduce the temp and increase bake time so that it bakes through without burning? (I only have 1 pan but want that diameter)
Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Valerie! This recipe is designed to create two 8″ pans. If you wish to bake in one 8″ pan, you will cut the recipe ingredients in half. Bake time and oven temperature will remain the same. 🙂
nowzeca
thank you for this amazing recipe. the best vanilla cake i’ve ever tried. thank you again. ♥
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Kate
Thanks for the recipe. I have made this cake on several occasions now, with several types of frosting. It is always met with rave reviews!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Katie! I am so glad that you have enjoyed it!
Amanda Haussmann
this is my absolute favorite vanilla cake recipe! i have now done this recipe a few times – it always turns out delicious and so easy! i had an extra vanilla bean around so i tossed in the seeds and the vanilla was perfect! i used this recipe to make my mimosa cupcakes – vanilla cupcake, strawberry jam filling, and champagne buttercream…delish! thank you for this recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I love the sound of your cupcake creation, Amanda! I am so glad that this recipe has become a favorite of yours. Thank you for the feedback, I greatly appreciate it. 🙂
Hannah
This sounds like a great recipe. What would I substitute for the butter milk if unavailable or doing no dairy?
Hannah
Also, about how many cupcakes does this make?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Hannah! This recipe will yield about 24 cupcakes. Enjoy! 🙂
Hannah
Thank you very much
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Hannah! Unfortunately with the use of butter, eggs, and buttermilk this recipe is not a dairy-free recipe. If you wish to still make this recipe and don’t have buttermilk on hand you can use my recipe for a buttermilk substitute or regular milk will work just fine. I hope that helps. 🙂
Hannah
I found Your substitution recipe after I posted my comment. Thank you very much
Sugar Spun Run
Fantastic! Happy Baking, Hannah! 🙂
Danielle
I am planning on making a 9×13 cake. Will this recipe be enough for one cake?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Danielle! If you plan to bake it in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan it will be enough. Please be sure to keep an eye on it while it bakes, as the bake time will be different than what is listed. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
MamaD
It took 35 minutes in 9×13, delicious. I didn’t use an icing, just love warm cake.
Donna Boucher
Very, very good moist cake.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Donna! Thank you so much for commenting. 🙂
Teresa
I am a frequent baker but this is the first cake I’ve ever made from scratch. I have to say that we’re in big trouble as now that they’re out of the oven, I can’t stop eating them! And if we’re in full admission mode, I did not follow your instructions to wait until they cooled completely; I have been icing and eating one at a time right from the cooling rack! Yum!
Thanks for the recipe. I’ll try to update after I’ve tried some of the batch I added chocolate chips to.
Sugar Spun Run
I love it, Teresa! Enjoying them one by one. Thanks so much for trying my recipe. I am so glad that you enjoyed the cupcakes. 🙂
Tania Castro
Hello, Can I substitute Cake Flour for the All-Purpose Flour? And if yes, what would be the conversion? Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Tania! I have not tried using cake flour with this recipe, however, others have with success. Let me know how it works for you. 🙂
Katie
Can you use vegetable oil instead of the canola oil?
Sugar Spun Run
Yes, that will be fine. 🙂