Vanilla Cake Recipe
This vanilla cake recipe is the ultimate cake recipe: light, tender, moist, layered, and covered with decadent vanilla frosting. It’s easy to bake and super versatile. No matter the occasion, this is one of those recipes I keep going back to.
Everybody needs a basic vanilla cake recipe. This one is simple yet delicious, making it a great place to start if you are new to baking. Whip up an easy birthday, anniversary, or anytime occasion cake from scratch, no problem!
Honestly, not only is it the epitome of ease, but it’s also incredibly versatile. You can turn it into a vanilla cake with strawberry filling and decorate it with fresh sliced strawberries (or any other fruit you love). Or switch out the vanilla frosting for chocolate and drizzle it with homemade caramel sauce.
Seriously, the sky is the limit when frosting and decorating this cake!
The Difference Between White, Yellow, and Vanilla Cake
Usually, white cake, yellow cake, and vanilla cake recipes are all technically vanilla cakes. This recipe has a gorgeous yellow tint because we’re going all-in with eggs and butter. After all, we want all the flavor we can get.
That said, white cakes call for egg whites (no yolks) and vegetable shortening to keep them nice and white. You can even get clear vanilla extract. That gorgeous color in a yellow cake comes from adding egg yolks and heaping in the butter.
How to Make Vanilla Cake
- Cream the butter, canola or vegetable oil, and sugar for about 3 minutes. (Photo 1)
- Add the sour cream and continue mixing until it is fluffy and starts looking white, 2 minutes or more. (Photo 2)
- Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. (Photo 3)
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the batter, and mix well. (Photo 4)
- Add the milk and vanilla extract and continue mixing until combined. (Photos 5-6)
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the two greased cake pans. (Photo 7)
- Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake center comes out clean. (Photo 8)
- Cool them for about 15 minutes. Carefully flip the cakes from their pans onto a wire cooling rack and let them cool completely.
- For the frosting, cream the butter in a medium-sized bowl, and mix in the powdered sugar a little at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract, then add milk a little at a time until the frosting is easy to spread. (Photos 9-12)
- Frost the cake and decorate however you like. Cut and serve. (Photos 13-16)
Recipe Variations and Tips
- Make vanilla cupcakes by pouring the batter into a cupcake pan, baking them for 12-15 minutes, and frosting them once they’re cooled.
- Turn this versatile cake recipe into a spice cake with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom.
- Add a tablespoon of grated orange zest and replace the milk with fresh orange juice for an orange creamsicle cake.
- Adjust the frosting’s thickness to your preference. If it’s too runny, add a tad more powdered sugar. Or, if it looks too thick, add a little more milk.
- Cool the cake layers completely before you frost and assemble. Even slightly warm cake layers will make your frosting melt.
- For easier slicing, refrigerate the cake for one hour before you cut and serve it.
- Had a cake-baking disaster? Don’t worry, because it happens to the best of us. Use your cake remains to make a trifle instead!
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
You can make this cake three or four days in advance. Refrigerate it in an airtight container and whip it out when ready to serve. Wait until right before serving to add any additional decorations to the frosting to keep it looking neat.
Keep leftover cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 5-7 days. You can also freeze this cake for 3 months. Let it freeze completely uncovered to conserve the frosting, and then wrap it carefully with parchment paper before storing it in a ziplock bag or another airtight container.
What Goes With Vanilla Cake
Make your cake fancier by topping it with candied pecans, caramel sauce, or homemade whipped cream. I love a slice of cake with a hot drink. Try pairing this cake with a chai tea latte or a cup of ginger tea. So good!
More Decadent Cake Recipes to Try
- Carrot Pineapple Cake
- Black Forest Cake
- Angel Food Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Passion Fruit Pudding Cake
- Buttermilk Pound Cake
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”AIKHWUGa” upload-date=”2020-10-02T04:42:53.000Z” name=”Vanilla Cake” description=”Vanilla Cake – light, tender, and moist vanilla cake covered and layered with a vanilla frosting. Above all, this easy-to-bake cake is the most versatile cake you’ll ever bake. You can doll it up depending on the occasion!” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
This blog post was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Vanilla Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup (118ml) canola oil
- 1½ cups (300g) sugar
- ½ cup (115g) sour cream
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 2½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons (5g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- ½ cup (122g) milk
- 2 teaspoons (8ml) vanilla extract
Vanilla Frosting
- 1½ cups (340g) butter, softened
- 5-6 cups (625-750g) icing sugar (confectioners or powdered sugar)
- 2 teaspoons (8ml) vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) milk
Instructions
The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Then, grease two 9-inch cake pans generously with baking spray and set aside.
- Cream the butter, canola or vegetable oil, and sugar using a hand mixer for about 3 minutes. Then add sour cream and continue mixing until it is fluffy and starts to look white – 2 minutes or longer.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until combined.
- Add the milk and vanilla extract, and continue mixing, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, so everything gets mixed in.
- Divide the batter between the two greased cake pans equally. Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 18-20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the cake's center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the pans, transfer them to a wire rack, and let them cool completely before frosting with your favorite frosting. In this recipe, I used vanilla frosting.
The Frosting
- Cream the butter in a medium bowl, then sift in the powdered sugar a little at a time while stirring. Pour in the vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
- Adjust the consistency for easy spreadability with just enough milk if it's too thick and more powdered sugar if it's too thin.
- Proceed with assembling and frosting the cake, then decorate it with sprinkles if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- Don’t forget to preheat your oven for a beautiful browned top.
- If you don’t have sour cream, you can replace it with the same amount of Greek yogurt or buttermilk.
- Avoid overmixing your cake batter to avoid a dense cake. Mix the batter just long enough for the ingredients to be thoroughly combined.
- You can easily turn this into a sheet cake by baking it in a 9″x13″ baking pan. You may need to bake it a little longer, so start checking on it around 18 minutes.
- The recipe also makes great cupcakes. It bakes faster, so start checking for doneness at around 12 minutes.
- Refrigerate the cake after frosting for at least an hour to let the frosting set and the crumb tighten.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Hello! I am looking for a great vanilla cake recipe that I can make in 5″ and 6″ round cake pans, hopefully with layers that will rise to about 1 1/2″ tall. Do you recommend your recipe for these size pans and if so, because they are smaller, would you advise baking for a bit longer at a lower temperature? Thank you.
Hi Paula. If using a 5″ or 6″ pan, you would have to increase your baking time to about 25 minutes. Start checking at 20 minutes since ovens vary.
Hi Imma, can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Absolutely! Using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour in a vanilla cake recipe is a great choice if you’re aiming for a lighter, more tender crumb. Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which results in less gluten formation and thus a softer texture.
For every cup of all-purpose flour the recipe calls for, you can substitute it with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cake flour. This slight increase in volume compensates for cake flour’s lighter density. Just be sure to sift the cake flour before measuring it to avoid using too much, as it tends to compact easily in its packaging. Happy baking, and I hope your vanilla cake turns out wonderfully fluffy and delicious!
Hi Imma, thanks for the explanation. I really appreciate it. I have tried baking your marble bundt cake recipe and I must say it was a crowd pleaser. Thank you so much for your wonderful recepies.
Aww . Thanks so much for your kind words.
I will make sure to sift and add 2tbsp of the cake flour. Will let you know how it turns out. Thank you.
Your welcome! Happy Baking.
Amazing!!! Thank you so much for this recipe. I would like thicker cakes as I plan on making a cake to stack. Can I double the recipe and put it into two 8inch pans?
Hmm. The recipe is already divided between two cake pans. If you double the recipe, I would divide between 4 cake pans so it doesn’t run over in the oven. Another option would be to use larger cake pans. Hope that helps.
Been looking for an oil and butter recipe for my vanilla cakes. I am certainly gonna try this one as it promises to be great.
What can I use to replace sour cream in this vanilla delight?
Never mind. I have found the answer in one of the steps. Much thanks
Great to hear that:)
I know you’re going to ❤️ it! I’ve used yogurt, whole fat buttermilk, or cream cheese whipped with a little milk to thin it out. If you wan’t dairy free, tofu or coconut cream works.
Can presevative be added becos of the buttermilk
You can add preservatives if you like. However, one of the plusses of making my own food is knowing it doesn’t have chemical preservatives:)