Perfect Vanilla Cake Recipe
This is the only vanilla cake recipe you’ll ever need! It bakes up soft, buttery, and moist, with a fine, delicate crumb. So easy it’s practically foolproof, and it all comes together in just one bowl. Simple, versatile, and so delicious!
There is no better way to celebrate a birthday, holiday, or big occasion than with a gorgeous layer cake.
I love to bake cakes and my family loves it too. Some of our favorites include Chocolate Cake, Red Velvet Cake, and Carrot Cake.
But lately, our favorite is this simple, perfect vanilla cake.
WHY BAKE VANILLA CAKE FROM SCRATCH?
I am a firm believer that nothing beats scratch-made. There is something so blow-your-mind fantastic about a homemade dessert that is freshly baked from simple, wholesome ingredients.
I grew up mostly on prepackaged desserts and treats made from a mix, but my grandmother used to bake for special occasions. My mom always made a big deal about her from-scratch cakes and would make sure I tasted. She wanted me to see the difference, and I definitely did!
It made a big impression and I’ve wanted to bake from scratch ever since. And best of all, I quickly learned that it’s not any harder than using a boxed mix. If you keep basics like flour, sugar, butter, and eggs on hand, and you know how to properly measure ingredients, then you can totally do this! This recipe comes together in just one bowl, so it’s super easy and you won’t have a ton of dishes to wash. No sweat!
And you will be amazed at the difference scratch makes. This vanilla cake is so incredibly light, soft, moist, and delicate, and the flavor is off the charts. Buttery, rich, and sweetly perfumed with fragrant vanilla. You’ll never go back to the box!
HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS VANILLA CAKE?
You are going to love how easy this vanilla cake recipe is to make.
You only need one mixing bowl, because it utilizes the reverse creaming method. With this method, the butter is incorporated into the dry ingredients, and then the liquid ingredients are added.
It’s kinda backwards from what you might be used to! Most cake recipes start by creaming the butter and sugar, and then alternately adding dry and liquid ingredients in batches. But to me that is unnecessarily complicated! It’s really too easy to under-cream the butter and sugar, and too easy to over-mix the batter and cause the cake to be tough. Plus it creates too many dirty dishes.
I prefer this method because it’s so simple. Just measure your flours, sugar, leavening, and salt into the mixing bowl, then work in the soft butter until the mixture resembles damp sand. Mix in the eggs, then add the dairy (you can use sour cream or buttermilk in place of the Greek yogurt if you prefer) and vanilla extract, and boom! You’re done. It’s practically foolproof!
WHAT FROSTING SHOULD I USE ON THIS VANILLA CAKE?
This cake is so versatile! It can be filled and topped in all sorts of ways. You can really let your imagination go wild!
Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Whipped Cream Frosting
- Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Pastry Cream (filling)
- Raspberry Buttercream
HOW LONG DOES THIS VANILLA CAKE KEEP?
I love a good make-ahead dessert, and this vanilla cake is a perfect example. The layers can be baked up to a few weeks ahead, which really helps to take the pressure off when you’re entertaining.
Once the cake is baked and completely cooled, wrap the layers tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge. They can stay there overnight or up to a few days.
Or, you can freeze them. Slip the wrapped cakes into a zip-top bag and keep them in the freezer for several weeks.
When you’re ready to fill, frost, and decorate, it’s so much easier if the cake is cold. You’ll find it’s much less crumbly that way. I like to frost my cakes straight from the fridge or freezer. No loose crumbs in the frosting!
CAN THIS VANILLA CAKE BE BAKED AS CUPCAKES OR IN DIFFERENT SIZED PANS?
It certainly can! You can find the cupcake version here: Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes from Scratch.
As you can see in these pics, I baked my vanilla cake in three 6-inch pans. I just love the look of a tall cake!
But if you’d prefer to bake it as two 8 or 9-inch layers, you can totally do that. Just keep an eye on the bake time because a thinner, flatter cake will need less time to bake than a smaller, thicker cake would.
I just know you are going to love this vanilla cake recipe! Bake it up for your next big occasion and get ready for tons of compliments!
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- 1 1/2 cups cake flour *
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup Greek yogurt sour cream or buttermilk** can be substituted
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, mist three 6-inch cake pans*** with non-stick spray, and line them with circles cut from parchment paper.
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Place the cake flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer, and stir on low speed to combine.
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Add the butter, mixing on medium-low speed until the mixture resembles damp sand (about 1 minute.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
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Add the yogurt, milk, and vanilla.
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Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, to aerate the batter and build the cake's structure.
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Divide the batter equally between the prepared pans, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
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Cool completely before filling and frosting.
Recipe Video
* Learn more about cake flour here: Why Use Cake Flour?
** If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute by stirring 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice into 2/3 cup of regular milk. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes, or until thickened and slightly curdled.
*** This layer cake can also be baked in two 8-inch or 9-inch diameter cake pans. The cake layers may bake up slightly thinner, and the bake times may need to be adjusted. Click here for the cupcake version of this recipe: Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes from Scratch.
Some other cake recipes you might enjoy:
There’s nothing better than a scratch made cake!
I absolutely love vanilla cake. I’m not drooling envisioning this cake with some flavored frostings and berry or lemon filling….Yum!
So light and fluffy! The perfect cake!
I would love to just have a cake-making class with you!
What a gorgeous cake! Those layers and frosting are perfect!
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Such a beeeautiful and simple vanilla cake! A total classic, love it-pinning!
i have honestly never made a vanilla cake before my family usually go for chocolate. however this was so easy and yummy… because my son wanted a chocolate cake and a vanilla cake to make up the layers of his cake i substituted the all purpose flour for coco… it seems to have worked a charm… thankyou for such a deliciouse recipe.
So happy it worked out well for you Bernadette! If you’re looking for a great chocolate cake recipe, I’d love to suggest this one: https://bakingamoment.com/simply-perfect-chocolate-cake/. It’s one of the most popular recipes on this site! Thanks so much for the positive feedback, and happy belated birthday to your son!
Hi Allie,
I have a question, does home made whipped Cream works well with this recipe?
As a frosting? I haven’t tried but I think it sounds delicious.
Hi! I’m intrested in making this cake for my friend’s birthday, but I was wondering, why do you use sour cream? What does it do to the cake? Also, I don’t have cake flour, what can I use to substitute it? What would happen if I left it out?
Hey Stephanie! You can use sour cream, Greek yogurt, or buttermilk. Any of those options should work just fine. Please click the provided link to learn more about cake flour, or enter “Why Use Cake Flour” in the search window at the top of this website. The cake can be stored at room temperature for a day or so, after that it should be refrigerated. Hope that’s helpful!
Hi
I need to make a vanilla cake for a clients 70th birthday
She wants “a moist vanilla cake” but sturdy enough to stack at least 4- 8 inch layers!
Before i test this is his crumb sturdy enough to hold that stacked weight, while still being moist?
Thank you
I’ve done it with 3 layers without a problem- I would think 4 should be fine but you may want to dowel it just to be safe! Good luck!
Hi Allie,
I love visiting your website just because I always find something and interest here. Baking a variety of cakes is my passion and profession as well. Keep posting such interesting recipes and ideas. Thanks a lot.
Regards
FaridabadCake
Thank you so much for the encouragement! I sure will!
This is such a lovely cake. I will definitely add this delectable cake to my menu as I am running an online cake shop. I am sure customers would love this.
I made this cake for one of the most important days of the year, my son’s birthday. The cake was a hit!! It was moist, light and delicious. I was so happy with it. Thank you for a great recipe.
So happy you liked it Janna! Thank you for the great feedback & happy birthday to your son!
Can I leave out the baking soda and just use baking powder instead? I want to make this into a purple ombré and for some reason the colour reacts to baking soda and the cake comes out green 🙁
Hi Mariciel! I’m afraid I have not tried that so I can’t say for sure- it seems like it should work but I would think you’d need a little less baking powder. Sorry! I think you’ll just have to play around.
This cake is absolutely gorgeous! The texture is spot on being light but moist! I’ve made a practice cake today for my mum’s 60th birthday. I iced with a salted caramel buttercream and it’s just perfect! My new go to vanilla cake! Better than my last though as it’s super low fuss!
So happy to hear it Mel! Thanks for the great feedback and PS the salted caramel/vanilla combo sounds amazing!
If we dont want to add buttermilk or yougurt or simour cream will the recipe work or not ?
Did you have something else in mind that you wanted to substitute? Or are you asking if you can just leave out the liquid entirely?
Any idea how many cupcakes this would make? I’ve already made the cake before (it’s my new go to vanilla) but today I need cupcakes.
Hey Barbara! I’ve actually linked to the cupcake post in the notes section of the recipe card here, as well as under the heading “CAN THIS VANILLA CAKE BE BAKED AS CUPCAKES OR IN DIFFERENT SIZED PANS?.” Here’s the link again, in case you missed it: https://bakingamoment.com/even-simpler-more-perfect-vanilla-cupcakes/.
If using 6″ cake pans, what is the height? Standard 2″? I’m making a 3-tiered cake (8″, 6″, and 4″ layers) and just want to make sure I multiply the recipe accordingly. Thanks
That’s correct Diane! Standard height cake pans should work. Mine are 2-inches high. Good luck!
Every time I’ve made this recipe the sides of the cake collapse! I’ve tried less oil on the pan but I think next time I’ll try none. I made sure not to over beat the batter too. If that doesn’t work I guess I’ll try less milk? I didn’t overbake them and I certainly didn’t over grease the pan this time. If you have any suggestions of how to fix this please let me know.
That is so strange! What exactly do you mean when you say the sides of the cake collapse? Like do they fall inward? When I make it the cake does shrink away from the pan as it cools, but I’ve never had the cake collapse unless it was underbaked and lacked enough structure to support itself. But even then it tends to sink in the middle, not on the sides. ???
Great recipe! I also found that my cake collapsed inwardly. The bottom of the cake layer would pull away from the pan about 1/4” while the top of the layer pulled away by about 1/2”. I’m not sure why this happened but it’s no biggie.
I’ll be using this recipe again! 🙂 thank you for posting!
Happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for weighing in!
I made this cake today, in 2, 9 inch pans. I adjusted the cooking time to about 36 minutes and they came out looking great. After I let them cool, they sunk a little in their pans. What did I do wrong?
Hey Deborah! So sorry you had trouble! Usually if your cake sinks it’s because it hasn’t been baked quite long enough. A lot of times, it will look really puffy because it’s full of steam. But if it’s still too soft or wet in the middle, that steam will dissipate as the cake cools, and it doesn’t have the strength/structure to keep itself “lifted.” Definitely use the toothpick test because bake times are really just a guideline and every oven is different. Again, I’m so sorry, but hopefully next time you’ll have a better result!
The whole thing before the recipe was unnecessary and stupid nobody wants to read all that crap just to get to the recipe put the recipe on top and if people don’t know how to bake they can read past the recipe I had to scroll down to the bottom. Just to see the ingredients I just wanted to see if I had everything I needed
I can’t believe you had to scroll all the way to the bottom! That must have taken you ages and I bet your thumb was really sore. Tell you what, when you start your own website and pay all the fees, hire your employees, and devote 50-plus hours a week to providing FREE recipes to your readers, you can put your recipe right at the top and let me know how that works out for you. Good luck and God bless!
Brilliant reply. I just found your site today, made this cake today and your marble cake. Both are delicious! I love the combo of cake and all purpose flour, and the crumb that reverse creaming creates. And simple directions to follow. **Perhaps old Alex just needs to crack open a cookbook and call it a day. I, for one, love the story of the recipe, the why’s of the ingredients, as well as the beautiful photography and any back stories. Take a chill pill Alex, nobody wants to read your rant!!!
Lol thanks for having my back Paula! I’m so glad you’re liking the recipe!
Alex could have been more tactful, but he has a point. I frequently load up new recipes on my phone before I go to the kitchen so I don’t have to waste paper, and it is a royal drag having to scroll past the irrelevant content. Not everyone has the same level of mobility as yourself, some people are disabled or have vision impairments and depend on a screen reader to read the page for them.
Most other baking bloggers include a “jump directly to the recipe” link at the top of the page, and they still manage to do what they do FREE of charge. It’s easy to add and is helpful for able-bodied and disabled users alike.
I do have a jump to recipe button, it’s right under the title next to the date!
AND everything on here is free of charge. I have never charged my readers a dime for anything I provide.
Best come back ever! I will definitely be making your cake this weekend
Lol thanks! Hope you enjoy it!
Your are awesome, thank you for providing these wonderful FREE recipes. I am still shocked by tge lack of kindness and gratitude by some. Best wishes to you! Trying out recipe now🤞
Thanks for that, Rosa. What can I say… when you put yourself out there you need to accept that you are going to be criticized I guess. Luckily most people are nice and it’s rare that I get a bashing like that, lol!
Wow, Alex. Just wow.
OKAY….. this has to be easiest recipe to follow because I made it and it turned out FABULOUS! I’ve had so many baking fails, so when I come across a recipe that works it’s a big deal. This cake is so moist and delicious. Will be using this recipe for many more occasion to come. Thank you for sharing =)
So happy to hear that Tee! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback!
Wow. Amazing. Thank you for sharing. Pairing with custard and chocolate ganach for a boston cream pie cake for my moms birthday.
So happy you enjoyed Ty! I actually have a Boston cream pie recipe on this site that does use this recipe as a base: https://bakingamoment.com/boston-cream-pie-recipe/. Happy birthday to your mom!
Honestly this recipe deserves a 5 stars. Every vanilla cake I have baked in the past hasn’t quite made it up there but this one is a keeper!
That is so great to hear Kyoni! Thank you so much for the positive feedback!
Hi,I want to try to make this cake for my son’s BD party but I just wonder if this cake is ok to be covered with fondant.
Made this cake last night, doubling the recipe so I could get a three layer 8” cake (plus a few teaser cupcakes). It is FABULOUS! I used to think vanilla cake was for bakers lacking creativity… I’m officially a convert, this cake is a winner!
Wow, so glad to hear it Crystal! Thanks so much for the great feedback!
Which icing recipe did you use for this cake?
Hey Kelsey! For the pictures you see here, I frosted the cake with Whipped Cream Frosting.
Thank you for this delicious recipe. I’ve been looking for years for a perfect vanilla cake recipe and I finally found it. I bake cakes for my kids and hubbys birthday and this will be my go-to recipe from now on. It’s perfect all around (perfectly moist, great texture, delicate and not too sweet). I can’t wait to try your other recipes. Thank you again!
I’m so happy you’ve been pleased with it Kana! Thank you so much for the great feedback!
Hi, i noticed your butter is 3/4 cup but you wrote that its equivalent to 1 1/2 sticks of butter. 3/4 cup butter is 170g but 1 1/2 sticks of butter is 340g. Im so confused!
Hi Jade! I’m not sure where you are getting those numbers from, but the correct amount of butter for this recipe is 3/4 cup. In the US, butter is sold in 1/2 cup sticks, so that would be 1 1/2 sticks of butter.
Hi! This recipe sounds really good and I’m planning on making it soon. I just have a few question that I want to ask.
Is it okay if I use less sugar? Whenever I bake cakes from recipes I find online, they usually turn out too sweet, so I’m wondering if the same thing would happen to this cake.
I don’t have an electric mixer so would using a whisk and a wooden spoon work for this recipe?
Hi Carmen! Thanks for reading and for the thoughtful questions. To be honest I would not recommend decreasing the sugar on this recipe. I know that a lot of times dessert recipes come out overly sugary, but I kind of pride myself on developing recipes that are less sweet. I like to taste the flavor of all the ingredients (the butter, the eggs, etc.), and not just overpower desserts with a lot of unnecessary sugar. If you use less sugar, you run the risk of a dryer, less moist cake since sugar is hydrophilic and it holds moisture. And you can definitely try making this with just a wooden spoon but your arm will get a good workout! Just make sure that the butter is blended really well into the dry ingredients. It should look almost like damp sand. Good luck and I hope you enjoy!
What is the height of the pan? 2 inches or 3 inches?
Hi Aron! Either will work- but my pans are just 2 inches high. Hope that’s helpful!
Dear Allie, I made this cake with my 3 y.o. on the weekend and it was the best cake we have ever made, by a mile. My in laws run a cafe with a large cake cabinet so I was surprised when my mother in law wanted to bring a piece to work with her for my father in law, but she said they have nothing this nice from any of their suppliers!
My son wants to make a “brown” cake next weekend and I just can’t go back to the Hershey’s recipe knowing how much better this cake is, so we will be trying your simply perfect chocolate cake. I compared the two recipes and was interested to note the double quantity of eggs. Can’t wait to try.
Thank you so much for sharing, you are an amazing baker!!
Wow congratulations Rita on outdoing your inlaw’s suppliers! That’s definitely a win! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed. Thank you so much for the 5-star review and I hope you like the chocolate cake every bit as much!
Hello..
Your recipes look amazing..I love making cakes with cake flour and it was my first time not creaming the butter with the sugar first…so I was really excited to try this technique out but unfortunately the tasted and smelt doughy..i baked it in two 8 inch pans and baked until the cake tester came out clean..it didnt rise much though I followed the recipe exactly…do you know why that could happen.
That could happen if your oven temperature is off, or if your baking powder/baking soda are not fresh. It can also happen if the layers don’t go into the oven right away after mixing up the batter. Sorry you had difficulty Loulou!
Made this for a birthday. Easy to make, delicious moist cake, easy to work with icing. Made a great impression when the cake was cut and the layers revealed. A hit all around. MasterCakes
So happy you were pleased with the recipe! Thank you so much for the 5-star rating!
Hi, do you know if using sour cream creates a different texture or taste than using Greek yogurt or is it the exact same? What do you recommend using?
Also, do you know if freezing the cake a couple weeks in advance does anything to affect the quality? Do you recommend thawing it before frosting or frosting it frozen?
Hi there! I freeze cake layers all the time. Not only does it not seem to have a negative effect, I actually think sometimes it can improve the quality! And I really like frosting a frozen cake because it won’t shed as many crumbs into the frosting. It’s a great technique- I highly recommend it!
Hi Nora! Honestly I have never done a side-by-side comparison, but sometimes I make it with Greek yogurt and sometimes with sour cream. Either way I find it delicious! If you like a rich flavor, I would probably suggest sour cream. Or you could use a full-fat Greek yogurt and I think the result would be nearly identical.
I’ve done a side-by-side taste test on a different vanilla cake recipe using full fat sour cream, Greek yogurt (label says 6% M.F.), and 2% milk with no additional dairy (ie. all sour cream, all yogurt, or all milk). The milk version stood out from the other two as having a finer and less moist crumb. The sour cream and yogurt versions were very close. We had a very hard time telling them apart, but felt that the sour cream was slightly better.
I preferred the wetter batter that the yogurt makes when it comes to cakes and it’s lower in calories, but I’m more likely to have sour cream in the house for other recipes and a stiffer batter makes it easier to scoop for cupcakes (though batter thickness might be moot if you’re using a blend of milk & sour cream like this recipe calls for). Both are good, so use whichever you like.
Baked it yesterday!!!! I must say its the most amazing and easiest recipe I’ve come across!!!!!
Divided into 3 parts and added Green and Red colour! Since it’s Christmas time,thought would make it colourful!!!
Came out just perfect!!!
That sounds so fun! I’m so glad you had a good result. Thanks so much for the 5-star rating Manasi!
Hi, do you have a fondant recipe you use/ recommend?
Hi Jess! I’m afraid I don’t. As of yet! Thinking about creating one in the coming year though 😉
Hi this is going to be my first attempt to bake a cake from scratch just wanted to know how long can i keep the prepared batter as my oven is small and wont be able to bake all 3 layers together
The batter really needs to go into the oven right away- sorry! The leavening gives out over time.
Can the vanilla cake be baked in a BUNDT pan? My sister made it and baked it in a BUNDT pan and it came out very dense and heavy? Was that why or did something else cause the difference in texture?
If you are looking for a bundt cake recipe, I would recommend this one: https://bakingamoment.com/traditional-pound-cake-recipe/.
Hi there!
If I don’t have cake flour, should I just use 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour? (I added the amount of all purpose flour + the amount of cake flour)
Thanks!
Hey Courtney! If you don’t have cake flour you can just substitute all-purpose in equal measure. Your cake won’t have quite the same fine, fluffy texture, but it will still be really good!
Hi,
What % of milk did you use?
Any kind will work but I typically use whole milk for baking.
Can this recipe be used as is to make cupcakes?
The cupcake version is linked several times throughout the post.
I have made this cake twice once using 3 six inch pans turned out beautifully. Yesterday I made it and I doubled the recipe to make in 2 9” pans baked it for 35 minutes @ 325 turned out great, made a cream cheese coconut frosting for my granddaughters birthday. Was a major hit ??
Sounds delicious and so nice for spring! Thanks so much for the tips on how to make a bigger cake!
Anna,
Was wondering why you had to double the recipe to make two 9″ cakes? Since you can use it to make three 6″ cakes, there should be enough batter to make two 9″ cakes. I would like to make 9″ cakes as well but thought I could double the recipe to end up with four 9″ cakes.
Forgot to rate the recipe in my previous review
Thank you!
Hi, I’m new to baking, can I know the measurements for the ingredients if I’m baking a 10-inch size cake?
Hi there! You can bake this recipe in a different sized cake pan if you’d like. The quantity of ingredients need not change, but the bake time probably will. You’ll know it’s done baking when a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Good luck!
Still baking but so far so good!
Hope you love it Cecilia!
Just wondering if it could go into a jelly roll pan 11×15? I’m needing to make a barn shaped cake, so I thought if I could do two layers of the 11×15 I could obtain the barn. Can’t wait to try this for my son’s first birthday cake!
Happy birthday to your son! I think this might work but I can’t honestly say for sure- I have not tested the recipe in that size pan. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Other than kosher salt what should I use?
What is the purpose of using kosher salt over table salt? And is this cake firm enough to be handled without falling apart or is it more delicate?
I don’t really use table salt at all- it has a bitter taste from the iodine they put into it. This cake is delicate when it’s fresh from the oven but it will become more firm as it cools. I like to refrigerate the layers before frosting. It helps it to hold together better without crumbling.
Delicious! This will be my “go to” recipe from now on.
So glad to hear it! Thanks Betty!
Is this cake suitable for sugar paste? does it support the weight of Many cakes? Thanks
Hi Allie,
I need to make my son a garbage truck birthday cake, do you think this recipe would be able to be carved?
Thanks Lianna
Hi Lianna! Happy birthday to your son! You can probably pull it off if you allow the cake to chill overnight before carving, but if you want to be absolutely sure, you might have better luck with a pound cake. I have a few on this site; just type “pound cake” into the search window at the tippy top. Good luck!
SUPERB. My 70 year old mother said it was “the best cake” she has ever eaten in the United States and she has tasted some of the finest cakes all over the world. We especially love how your baked goods aren’t overly sweet. A flaw I find far too often in a lot of recipes and retail bakeries!
I found you through your Halloween cake and will never go back to using boxed cake mixes again.
I’ve found great success with this using a kitchen scale since baking is equal parts art and science. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and talent!
Thank you Emily, for the sweet compliments and kind words. It means so much to me that you and your mother are enjoying the recipes. You’ve brought me a big smile today!
Hello! I noticed in your photo you have a 3 later cake but your recipe is only for a two layer cake. Did you double the recipe? Did you bake all four at the same time? Can you use vanilla bean paste? Thanks!
I’m not sure what you mean, Stephanie- this recipe is for a 3-layer cake. The first step of the instructions says to grease 3 6-inch pans. ???
Anyway to make the layers thicker if using 9inch pans?
hi we dont get cake flour here in the UAE, what can be the substitute???
If you click on the link provided you will find lots of info there.
Hi. I plan to make this cake with cookie dough frosting in between layers and on the outside, a chocolate ganache drip on top, as well as crushed cookies on top. Will this cake be sturdy enough for this?? It’s for a friend’s birthday, so it would be great to know.
Hi there Issie! I’m not really sure what the recipe is for the frosting you want to use, but I think it should work well. Good luck and happy birthday to your friend!
This is definitely THE Perfect Vanilla cake recipe! I’m an RN but have started baking on the side as I find it just as rewarding to see the smiles and get great hugs for baking someone something sweet and delicious as I do caring for my patients!!!!!!! Also on my iPad I mark all the awesome recipes I find online and love in the “favorites “ section in the browser…. your website has provided over half of the hundreds of my saved recipes!!!!!!!!! Anyone looking through the tab would know just how much I respect you as an amazing pastry chef & media influencer and love love love your recipes!!!!! Please keep them coming!! I know I have greatly improved my baking skills and confidence learning from you!!!!! Baking has saved me in many many ways, fighting off severe anxiety and depression since a recent medical diagnosis changed my life. Your videos and recipes are always easy to follow, full of great tips & tricks and the best part, taste amazing. Thank you Allie.
Ges
Wow Gesina! This has to be one of the nicest reader comments I’ve ever received. Thank you so much for brightening my day with your kind and heartfelt words. Wishing you all the best with your job, your health, and with baking. Hugs to you!
This is the best cake! Super light – whipping the batter is a thing of genius. I put all of the batter in a 9×13 and it cooked in 45 mins. I “iced” it with homemade honey whipped cream and topped with blueberries and strawberries. Will definitely be making this again!
That sounds fantastic with the honey and berries! So happy you enjoyed the recipe, and thanks for including the bake time for a 9×13. I’m sure this info will be really useful to other readers!
Such a great tasting cake!
I am planning to make a 3 layer 8″ (I have made this as 3 6″).
Is this recipe ok to be doubled? I was told my chocolate cake recipe should be made twice, instead of doubling, to avoid possibly overmixing.
Thank you!
As long as your mixer is big enough to handle that much batter, I think it would be fine to double the recipe. Good luck!
Hi Allie-
I made the cake today, recipe doubled, and it’s gorgeous in flavor, texture, aroma and color. My definite favorite vanilla cake…and believe me…I have made A LOT of vanilla cakes.
I have one small issue that has happened whether single or double recipe, which maybe you can offer some insight?
I bake until done. Toothpick or skewer test. Only a few, or pretty much no, crumbs attach to the skewer or pick, but the very bottom of the cake layers are always slightly underdone. I poke the thickest part of the cake. I’m perplexed. Tins are lined with parchment. Baking at temp in recipe, until done. Hummmmm….
Hey Paula- are you pushing the toothpick all the way to the bottom of the pan when you test?
Eeekkkk…probably not. Just into the middle…
In adding to my post/question, I wonder if I am just overfilling the pans and there is just too much batter to bake completely? I like tall layers, so I do tend to overfill. It seems to work with my chocolate, but that is oil based, and so maybe a batter that can bake all the way through?? So, if I want to make these 6″ layers into a tall cake, would you recommend that I use less batter per pan, and just have shorter layers but more of them??
I would probably suggest the latter, put the correct amount of batter in the pan as per the recipe, and if you want it taller, bake more layers.
Will do, and thank you. Great recipe! Best tasting vanilla cake ever!!
I have made many vanilla cakes and you are right thei ingredients make a difference.the first time I used this recipe it was glorious so I made it again but changed it just a bit I used all cake flour,and I used buttermilk and milk and it was my mom’s vanilla cake that I remembered as a child.my mom never measured so I New what she used but not how much.i enjoy both of the ways for this very light and fluffy ,moist all at the same time.i thought I would never find the cake I have been looking for and this is it! Thank you for all the work you put in your recipes.please keep doing what you do.now if I could get a good chocolate mayo cake recipe my quest would be over.
Hey Charlene! That is amazing! I’m so happy you were able to recreate your mom’s cake from this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing your story! I have a great chocolate cake recipe that I think you’d love. It doesn’t have mayo but it’s so delicious. You can find it here: Simply Perfect Chocolate Cake. You’ll have to let me know what you think of it!
This is such a lovely cake. I will try this cake for one of the most important days of the year for my brother and for me also, Raksha Bandhan. Bit i have a question that which icing recipe you use for this cake??
That would be the whipped cream frosting, which is linked under the heading “What kind of frosting should I use for this cake.” Enjoy!
I will be making four 9″ cakes or perhaps five 8″ cakes for a funfetti batter, rainbow iced pinata cake.
Will this cake stand up to stacking that many layers ( or does it require the use of dowels) and to altering the structure? (I will be cutting out a 3″ circle in the two middle layers to add the candy.)
I can’t use a soft fluffy cake and I have already tried one new recipe that was an utter failure (many expensive ingredients wasted) so I don’t want to have to experiment to find out.
Thank you
Hi there! For a cake with that many layers, I would always recommend doweling. Good luck!
Hi, Allie
I’m making a Halloween cake and i was planing to dye the batter a few different colors, will it affect the batter if i use gel dye.
Thank you 🙂
I don’t think it would Marcus. Good luck!
It looks yummy recipe. I must try it..
Hope you enjoy!
Thanks you for this recipe. Is the BEST!! After 5-6
Different recipes I tried I found the ONE. IS SO DELICIOUS.
AMAZING! This is really a mouth-watering recipe and the cake looks really delicious. My sister loves vanilla cake, I will definitely try it on her birthday. I am sure she would like it.
Thanks a lot!!!!!!
My pleasure Ritika! Hope you both enjoy!
Hello Allie,
I’ve just discovered your blog and the recipes look amazing! I would like to do a novelty character cake for a child’s birthday party. Do you think this recipe could be baked in a rectangular tin and cut into a shape easily? Or is there another recipe you’d suggest? Ideally I’d make and decorate it the day before.
Yes I think that would work well! Good luck and I hope you enjoy!
Is it possible for you to give the ingredients in metric ? Than youl
Yes just click the “Metric” button just below the list of ingredients.
I made your chocolate cake and it turned out amazing. Then I tried this one and it seemed “heavy” I did use butter cream rather than the sour cream like I did in the chocolate and added in some corn starch to my flour since I only had all purpose. What do you think I did to create this heaviness since it seems like it worked so well for everyone else??
I think any time you substitute different ingredients you’re not going to get quite the same result.
I just made the batter and it was so thick it was like frosting??? then it went into 2 pans instead of 3. I dont know how this is going to work…
Well it did rise, but it is like a heavy pound cake. Did I miss something? What happened?
I really can’t say without having more information, but it sounds like something definitely isn’t right. There are a lot of other comments on this post from readers who have made this, and they did not seem to have this kind of result.
I am going to try this recipe next week. Do you think adding flour-coated mini chocolate chips would work with this batter consistency? I don’t want them to all sink to the bottom. ??♀️
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but it sounds delicious! And the batter is quite thick so I would think it would work. Good luck!
Hi Allie
I can’t wait to try this out looks amazing. I just have one question can use cake flour instead of the all purpose flour? I’m in South Africa and we don’t have all purpose flour here.
Thanks Saj
I think that should work just fine! Good luck!
Hey Allie!
I love the sound of this recipe. I have not tried it yet but I am hoping to.
I just have a question, could I substitute the unsalted butter with salted butter in this recipe and how/what quantities would I substitute it?
Hey Taylor! I always recommend unsalted butter because different brands of butter have different levels of salt content. No two brands are really consistent with that, so it’s tough to say exactly.
Thank you so much for replying, I appreciate it.
Okay I will use the unsalted butter.
As soon as I have made it I will definitely recommend it others.
Thank you for your help👍🙂
I look forward to using the rest of your recipes. 🙏🏻
So great to try the ‘backwards’ technique! Thankyou. I have never heard it suggested before. The cake turned out wonderful. Moist and yes, no more box cake for my family! I added 3 tbsp of vanilla! I really wanted that vanilla flavour. I had white vanilla, so it did not change the colour of the cake.
Wonderful! So glad you were pleased Jill. Thank you for the 5-star review!
What would be the change of measurements if you used a 13×9 pan in stead and cut it in half and stacked it?
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The most AMAZING SOFT LIGHT AIRY CRUMY CALE IVE EVER BAKED! I’d didn’t sink in, it was ACTUALLY EASY to make, I’m stunned! Simply PERFECTION!
So glad you were pleased! Thanks so much for the positive feedback!
I made this yesterday and while it tasted amazing the batter was really thick and didn’t rise a lot. Is it suppose to be really thick?
Yes, it’s quite a thick batter but it should rise considerably in the oven. Make sure your oven is fully preheated and your leavening is fresh!
Hello, I am thinking of making this for my daughters first birthday and dyeing the cake layers red and blue since we are doing dr.suess theme. Could I do 4 layers without a supporting dowel?
I would probably go ahead and dowel it just to be safe. Good luck!
Hi, I want to make an eggless version, and also something that can stay moist even in refrigerator..can I substitute the eggs with the egg replacer powder and the butter with oil?
I’m so sorry, I have not made it that way so unfortunately I can’t advise as to whether or not that would work. But please feel free to experiment and develop your own cake recipe using this one as a guideline!
Hi, Would you recommend substituting half the butter with vegetable oil…to keep it moist…?
I doubt if storing the cake in fridge would make it hard…
I personally like this cake recipe just the way it is. Have you tried making it and did you feel like it didn’t stay moist?
Can I bake this as two 6” layers? I’m much better at baking; than I am at assembling and frosting,. If I can have one less layer to worry about putting on straight, I’d rather do it. If I can, how would it impact baking time?
Do you have a preference between the yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk?
Yes my personal preference is sour cream, but honestly, the differences are negligible. Hope you enjoy!
I used the sour cream, as suggested and this was super delicious. We’re on lockdown right now, so I had to make a cake for my daughter’s 6th birthday. Not the prettiest….but it was delicious! We gave some to my siblings (who sang happy birthday from their houses, which are all near us) and they asked for more. I used 2- 8inch pans and we wiped out the cake so fast. My daughter has requested I make more. She was even thinking about it before bed last night.
Thanks so much for sharing. During such a stressful time, this made everything sweet, if even for just a moment. Stay safe!
This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Aw, I’m so happy to hear that Annie! It touches my heart to know that I could bring your daughter a little bit of happiness at such a scary time. Thank you so much for the positive feedback, and God bless!
This was helpful and delicious. I loved the way to use the last of my yogurt before it went bad.
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed!
Hi! I don’t have unsalted butter in my refrigerator. Due to Covid-19 restrictions I can no longer visit the market as I want to, I want to know if I can use margarine instead of butter. If I can do this substitution, how much margarine should I use?
I followed this recipe exactly and the cake was so dense! Like eating a brick. The flavor was great but I’m guessing the method needs to be corrected.
Sorry you had trouble but I don’t think the method is the problem. Not with over 85 positive comments from other readers. Thanks anyway for your feedback.
Can this cake hold up with strawberries and whip cream?
I would think so, or you could use this recipe: https://bakingamoment.com/strawberry-shortcake-cake/. Good luck!
Cake came out SUPER dense and not light. I used buttermilk and measured 2/3 cups in a liquid measuring cup. I divided the batter between 2 9” pans. Left in fridge for 1.5 days before cutting to eat. Any idea why it would be so dense? The flavor is delicious, however!!
I wanted to bake a ‘basic’ whipped cream birthday cake for my bf and came across this recipe. It looked so much easier than the other recipes I had been seeing and thought I’d try this out. Quickly whipped up a batch of batter for a taste test… unfortunately I did not have 3 pans so I may have put in a little too much in each of the 2 and one of them came out undercooked in the middle. BUT it tasted so good that I gobbled it all up regardless lol (even the uncooked batter tasted like some kind of vanilla cream). Gonna make my layer thinner for the real thing…
Hi..I am looking forward to bake this cake tomorrow.
Is it possible to substitute butter with oil??
I have not tried that with this recipe so I can’t say for sure, but if you’re looking for an oil-based cake, you might want to try my White Cake recipe instead. Just type “white cake” into the search window at the top of this site.
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for the positive feedback!
I want to make this cake in 6 inch pans but I’m not sure how many layers it will fill? I tried it in a 10 inch pan and it works for 1 layer.
This info is given a few times throughout the post. Find it under the heading “Can this vanilla cake be baked as cupcakes or in different sized pans?” as well as in step one of the recipe instructions, and in the recipe notes at the bottom of the recipe card.
I am tryiny to make 4 9″ layers. Could I use this recipe? If so, how much batter will I need?
Hello there can I use hand mixer coz I don’t have electric mixer?
Of course!
Mine passed the toothpick test came out with crumbs but it appears it sort of flattened out, looks pretty thin, I used a 8″ round pan. Help, this is for my son’s birthday tomorrow. Can I salvage once they are stacked and with meringue frosting?
Looks delicious. I would love to make it tonight but I only have all purpose flour. Do you need cake flour or can you get away with just all purpose flour,?
Hey Margaret! I prefer the combination of all-purpose and cake flour. You can read more about it if you click the link where it says “cake flour.” If you want to make a substitution that’s fine, but the outcome won’t be quite the same.
i just have aquestion, i notice that on the recipes i seen you have cake flour in combination with all purpose flour,
i as wondering why and what will happen if you just use cake flour?
I usually blend the 2 because cake flour only can sometimes be a little too delicate. I don’t want the cake to fall apart or collapse under the weight of the frosting.
Thank you for sharing this delightfully easy, mouthwateringly delicious recipe. Have baked this cake several times since I first tried it a few weeks back and it’s been a huge success each time!
Hi, can you double the recipe to make a thicker layer in an 8 inch pan and just adjust cook times?
I tried out this recipe and it’s amazing! Literally the perfect cake and my family agrees. I do have a question though, if I wanted to use 4 inch cake pans how would you suggest altering cook times?
Recipe seems very interesting. Just curious what icing have you used? I can’t seem to find the recipe. Thank you
I used the whipped cream frosting which is the first option linked in the list of frosting suggestions.
Yummy, I have tried this at my home, my kids loved this so much,m I am planning to make it for their birthday, Thanks for the share, it’s my recipe list now 🙂
hi can I use all purpose flour instead of cake flour?
You can, but it won’t have quite the same light and soft texture.
Does this cake make three layers or do you have to make it three separate times? Sorry for the rudimentary question, I’m an inexperienced baker
No apology necessary! The recipe makes three layers. Check out step 7 of the instructions. You will want to divide the batter equally between three cake pans. Hope this clears things up for you, but if you have any other questions feel free to reach out! Good luck!
Love it. thanks for sharing the recipes with us keep updating.
Hi! I stumbled across this recipe last year when I attempted to make my first homemade cake for my son’s 9th birthday, and it was a HUGE HIT! He requested it again this year, LOL. I can’t remember, but do I have to shave anything off the layers to even them out before I stack and frost? Or do I just flip them upside down? Thanks so much!! I’m going to make the cupcake version, in addition to the cake, for his birthday parade. You’re a lifesaver!! BE SAFE! 🙂
Thank you- you too! Sometimes I shave them and sometimes they don’t really seem to need it, so it’s up to you. Good luck and happy birthday to your son!
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Can I use heavy cream in place of the milk ?
Can I add more yolks to the recipe to make it more richer?
I am looking forward to trying your recipe over the weekend
I personally like it best just like this, but feel free to play around!
Hiya. would this recipe work for a 6×3 inch cake tin?
It calls for (3) 6-inch cake pans (see step 1 of the recipe instructions).
Amazing ! Made it for my daughters 3 rd Birthday! Best vanilla cake ever !!!