This classic vanilla cake recipe is the absolute BEST! With a moist and tender crumb and real vanilla flavor you can actually taste, it's the perfect cake for a birthday, graduation, bridal shower, or any celebration... or just because. Bake it as a layer cake, sheet cake, or cupcakes - this one recipe can do it all!
After my moist and fudgy chocolate cake went viral on Instagram, I knew I had to create a classic vanilla cake that was just as delicious! If the words dry, bland, or boring come to mind when you think of vanilla cake, then think again. This cake is moist, flavorful, and anything but boring when you pair it with creamy vanilla buttercream (or any frosting you like)!
And if you're baking this cake for a birthday or other celebration, consider adding a DIY edible cake topper!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is vanilla cake recipe makes the perfect celebration cake. It's easy to make, absolutely delicious, and can be made so many ways (and paired with any frosting you like)! You'll love it because it's:
- Easy to Make - This classic vanilla cake recipe is so simple! Cream together butter and sugar, add eggs, oil, and vanilla, and blend in flour and milk.
- Versatile - This do-it-all vanilla cake can be used any way you like! Bake it as a layer cake to for a birthday party. Bake it as a sheet cake for a bridal shower. Or bake it as cupcakes for a birthday party!
- Flavor & Texture - Getting the flavor and texture just right was key! You can actually taste the vanilla in this cake, which was really important to me when I was creating this recipe. And the texture had to be light and tender but still moist, which this cake definitely is.
- Crowd-Pleasing - This cake is perfect for serving to a crowd, especially since it can take many forms. It's a deliciously flavorful and fluffy vanilla cake that everyone will love!
Why This Recipe Works
This vanilla cake recipe is the most heavily tested recipe on this entire website. But why? Vanilla cake seems so simple, right? Wrong!
Getting the texture and flavor just right can be tricky. Vanilla cake has a tendency to be dry - or bland - and I wanted this cake to truly be something special.
I tried some of the most popular recipes on the Internet, finding things I liked and things I didn't with each.
I tested different ingredients: types of flour, types of fat, types of liquid, and types of vanilla flavor. Should I use all-purpose flour or cake flour? Whole eggs or just egg whites? Milk or buttermilk?
I tested different mixing methods, namely creaming versus reverse creaming. Reverse creaming (mixing the butter into the flour instead of beating it with the sugar) did not make a noticeable difference in the texture, so we stuck with the more traditional creaming butter and sugar here for simplicity.
Then I tested different ratios of ingredients until the texture and flavor were perfect.
And then... I tested some more to make sure that this recipe would work when baked as a layer cake, a sheet cake, or as cupcakes. I didn't stop until I was confident I'd nailed it.
So what makes this fluffy and moist vanilla cake recipe the best? It uses the perfect combination of ingredients in just the right ratios, blended together in just the right way. I'll explain more in the "Ingredient" section below.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Cake Flour - This cake uses cake flour, instead of all-purpose flour, for a crumb that is more tender. Sifting the cake flour helps to ensure there are no lumps in the cake batter.
Unsalted Butter - Butter adds necessary fat along with flavor and moisture to the cake batter.
Vegetable Oil - Oil also adds needed fat to the cake batter, and oil creates a cake that is more moist and tender than a cake that uses only butter.
Eggs - This is a yellow cake because it uses whole eggs, rather than just egg whites (which would make it a white cake).
Vanilla Extract & Paste - I wanted the cake to have a prominent vanilla flavor and found that a mix of pure vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste did the trick. Vanilla bean paste also adds beautiful flecks of vanilla bean to the batter. You can substitute an equal measure of additional vanilla extract for the paste, if you prefer.
Whole Milk - I tested the cake with buttermilk, which I love for how tender it makes cake, but I found that its flavor overpowered the vanilla so opted for whole milk instead.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and whisk), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- Two 9 inch round cake pans (or a 9x13 pan or cupcake pans), for baking the cake.
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer, for mixing the cake batter.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth.
Step 3: Add eggs and beat for one minute. Then add oil and both vanillas and beat until well blended.
Step 4: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients alternately with the milk, mixing on low speed until blended.
Step 5: Divide the batter evenly between the two pans sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper.
Step 6: Bake the cakes at 350º F for 25 minutes.
Recipe Tips
For the best cake texture, don't skip sifting the flour. It helps to remove any lumps in the flour, avoiding any lumps in the batter.
The butter and sugar after creaming won't be as light and fluffy as creamed butter often is, since the ratio of sugar to butter is higher than is typical when creaming the two ingredients together.
Be sure to line the pans with parchment paper to keep the cake from sticking when baking and ensuring that it can be easily removed from the pan.
Running a cake tester or knife around the edge of the cake when you remove it from the oven will stop the cake from sticking to the sides of the pan once cooled.
For the most even baking, bake the cake in a light metal pan, not a dark or coated metal pan, which will cause the cake to brown more quickly at the edges.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: This cake can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Refrigerator: Depending on the type of frosting used, you may need to refrigerate the cake once frosted, which will cause the cake to dry out more quickly.
Freezing: This cake can be baked ahead of time and frozen. For round or square/rectangular cake, wrap the completely cooled cake in plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil before freezing for up to 3 months.
For cupcakes, wrap completely cooled cupcakes with plastic wrap before sealing in a plastic bag or airtight container and freezing. Cupcakes can be wrapped together in groups and do not need to be individually wrapped.
Defrost all cake or cupcakes at room temperature before frosting and serving.
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review on the recipe below! And don't forget to subscribe to Always Eat Dessert for even more easy dessert recipes and helpful baking tips.
Recipe
Moist & Fluffy Vanilla Cake
Special Equipment
- Cake pan (9 inch round or 9x13) or cupcake pan
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (300 grams) cake flour, sifted
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (9 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) fine sea salt
- ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cups (330 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup (227 grams) whole milk, room temperature
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (or other frosting of your choosing)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray two round 9 inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. *See recipe note for baking a 9x13 cake or cupcakes.
Make the cake batter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.2 ½ cups (300 grams) cake flour,, 2 ¼ teaspoons (9 grams) baking powder, 1 teaspoon (6 grams) fine sea salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth.½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter,, 1 ⅔ cups (330 grams) granulated sugar
- Add eggs and mix on low speed until blended. Then turn mixer up to high speed and beat for one minute.3 large eggs,
- Add oil and both vanillas and beat until well blended.¼ cup (50 grams) vegetable oil, 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla bean paste
- With the mixer running on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until blended. Add half of the milk, continuing to stir until combined. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk, and then the final third of flour mixture, blending slowly between each addition. Gently fold in any final bits of flour, being careful not to over mix the batter.1 cup (227 grams) whole milk,
Bake the cake.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
- Bake the cakes for 23-25 minutes, or until the top sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Run a cake tester or knife around the edge of the cake to keep it from sticking to the sides of the pan once cooled. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before frosting or storing.
Mireya says
I’ve just made this for a birthday cake and turned out really moist not sure what frosting or buttercream to use
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Mireya! This cake pairs well with just about any frosting! I use American buttercream most often, and the post I've linked here includes lots of different flavor variations, too. If you prefer a lighter frosting, my whipped cream frosting is also a popular choice!
- Allison
Jackie says
Hi there
I was wondering if this vanilla cake recipe would work with a homemade caramel marbled thru it before baking
A salted caramel cake has been requested 😩
I have baked this cake before and it’s my favorite vanilla cake
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Jackie! That sounds delicious, but I haven't tested this cake recipe with any type of marbled "filling", so I'm not sure how it would turn out. Another option would be to frost this cake with a salted caramel buttercream frosting. You could even add a drizzle of the caramel sauce on top or in the filling.
- Allison
Leslie Escue says
Hi, Allison!
I’d you use regular granulated sugar or bakers sugar? Would one over the other make a difference in how the cake turns out? Thank you !
Leslie
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Leslie! I use regular granulated sugar for this cake, but you could also use a superfine bakers sugar instead. The bakers sugar may give the cake an even more tender crumb.
- Allison
Frannie says
I never have much luck with cakes, but this one is light and delicious. It is very vanilla and I made a blueberry buttercream filling and a lemon frosting. It’s a keeper!
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Frannie! I'm so glad this recipe was a hit! The frosting and filling flavors you paired with it sound delicious!
- Allison
Tas says
Amazing recipe, I have used it so many times. Well pleased with the outcome every time.
I was hoping you would help me with making this in a 11 inch cake , I am hoping to make 6 layers but question is shall triple the recipe?
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Tas! I'm so glad that you love this recipe! I haven't baked cakes in round pans larger than 9 inches, but I'd love to help you. To be sure I understand what you're looking to do, are you wanting to bake a cake that's 6 layers, each layer being 11 inches round? If so, I'd suggest using one full recipe (enough cake batter for two 9 inch round pans) and filling your 11 inch round pan 1/2 full to confirm how much batter is needed and how long the cake needs to bake. I'd estimate that a double batch would give you three 11 inch layers, so you'd need to quadruple it for 6 layers. I don't recommend mixing that much batter at once, though, and would mix the batter just 1-2 batches at a time depending on the size of your stand mixer.
- Allison
Tasneem Syed says
Hi Alison , thanks for getting back to me. You are right, making it in batches will work better. I really appreciate your advice.
Regards
Tasneem Syed says
Hi Allison
Decided to go with 2 tier and strawberry buttercream filling . Everyone loved the cake
I am unable to post the photo of the cake .
Steve says
My wife is the baker in our house. I am normally just the recipient of her delicious baked goods. With her birthday coming I thought, why not bake her a cake? I decided to bake her a birthday cake and followed the recipe for this cake. It WAS easy, and it was delicious! WOW.
Tami says
Can you substitute avocado oil or butter for the vegetable oil as its not an oil I use.
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Tami! I haven't tested this recipe with oil substitutions, but if you do try substituting another oil please let me know how it goes. Replacing the oil with butter will affect the texture of the cake, making it less tender.
- Allison
Kenya Allen says
Hi,
If making 2 9x13 sheet cakes, can the ingredients in this recipe be doubled?
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Kenya! You could, but you'll end up with a lot of batter if you're making two 9x13 cakes, so I'd recommend mixing the batter for each cake separately.
- Allison
Margaret Stephens says
For the cake flour- do you measure & then sift or sift first and then measure?
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Margaret! For the most accuracy, I recommend measuring in grams using a scale. If you do choose to measure by volume, fluff the flour and scoop it into the measuring up, leveling off the top. Sift the flour after measuring. As a rule of thumb "flour, sifted" means measure before sifting while "sifted flour" means sift before measuring.
- Allison
Cathy Parnell says
I've been searching for the perfect white cake recipe since my granny's recipe was lost. Thank you......this is it!!! ❤️ My granny would be pleased ❤️ 💖
Allison Ferraro says
That makes me so incredibly happy to hear, Cathy! Thank you so much for letting me know how much you love this recipe!
- Allison
Linda says
Can I make this in a loaf pans? I want to make a layered “loaf” cake. How long would the baking time be?
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Linda. I haven't tested baking this cake batter in a loaf pan, and since loaf cakes bake very differently I can't way with confidence that it will work out or how long to bake the cake. If you decide to give it a try anyway please let me know how it turns out!
- Allison