This Perfect Vanilla Cake Recipe is very easy, with just a few important tricks to make it buttery, and soft and moist!
Can you even believe that in all the year (almost 10!) that I have been blogging, I have never posted a recipe for my favorite vanilla cake! I have shared my favorite vanilla cupcakes, which is very similar, but I have made a few adjustments to make the recipe perfect in cake form.
This Homemade Vanilla Cake is Easy, Soft, and Moist!
So often are homemade vanilla cakes too dense, or dry with that “cornbread” texture. It’s pretty dang hard to get that boxed cake texture…trust me I have tried. But what’s so great about a homemade vanilla cake is the flavor, and that is definitely not something you can’t get in a boxed mix!
My Vanilla Cake recipe will give you a soft, tender crumb thanks to the buttermilk, with a buttery, vanilla flavor. Top the cake with my creamy buttercream and you have the world’s most classic birthday cake, or cover it with fondant for something a little more fancy!
How To Make The BEST Vanilla Cake
So since we’re going back to basics today, I have a few steps that will ensure the best results for you vanilla cake! None of the tips I am going to share are difficult at all. They are just easy suggestions that will ensure cake success that came from a lot of trial and error.
What kind of flour should I use in this vanilla cake?
The trick to this vanilla cake recipe is Cake Flour. It always produces a more tender crumb. Certainly you CAN use all purpose flour, and I used to think it wouldn’t matter too much, but it does. Oh friends, it does. I even went as far (like with the cupcake recipe) where you use a combo of all purpose and cake flour, which I think is totally fine for cupcakes. But for a cake, I truly feel that 100% cake flour is the way to go. Cake flour has less protein content, and forms less gluten when you mix it giving you a more airy texture!
Also note that I am not a huge stickler for sifting the flour or dry ingredients together. What I do, is add the baking powder and salt in with the eggs and vanilla. I find this gives them plenty of time to get evenly mixed into the batter. I love baking, but I really try and cut down on steps that I feel are unnecessary. It also saves me from washing another bowl. Some might argue this, I have never had an issue!
Can I Over Mix the Cake Batter?
DON’T OVER MIX THE BATTER! Once you add the flour and buttermilk in alternating portions you want your batter to be smooth and creamy, but you don’t want to overdo it. This will make your cake tough, and not as tender. The more you mix, the more gluten forms, which you don’t want for a light, fluffy cake. You want to want everything to be combined, but that’s it! It will take less than 30 seconds after the last portion of flour is added. And again, SCRAPE THE SIDES OF THE BOWL!
Why buttermilk?
Another non-negotiable is buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk combined with the baking powder produces the most tender crumb by breaking down the long strands of gluten. If you catch yourself in a pinch and don’t have buttermilk in your fridge, here’s a buttermilk substitution.
Please note: I do recommend first to sub in milk with lemon juice or vinegar for the buttermilk, as stated in the graphic below. If you don’t have either of those, you can sub in plain yogurt as a last resort.
How To Prevent Your Cake From Sticking to the Pan
Don’t skip using parchment rounds in the bottom of the pan. I know this might be another step you might want to skip, but it’s really a simple step to take to ensure the cakes release from the pan easily. Here’s what you do:
- Use a baking spray to coat the pans.
- Cut circles of parchment paper out that fit into the bottom of the pans.
- Place the parchment in the sprayed pan, and spray it again!
There is NOTHING worse than going to all the trouble of baking a cake and having it stick. You might swear that you greased or coated the pan enough…but please, just add the parchment paper for insurance. This cake has a high sugar content and will easily stick to the pan if not properly prepared.
Quality Ingredients Are Key!
Use the best ingredients you can. This is something I feel very strongly about when baking “basics”. Ingredients can make the difference between your cake going from good to AMAZING.
High quality ingredients include:
- Pure vanilla, not imitation.
- Real butter, never artificially flavored margarine.
- Quality Cake Flour
*I use salted butter in this recipe, (as I do in most of my recipes) which is completely personal preference. If you have a salt sensitivity, feel free to use unsalted.
How to Frost Your Cake
Frosting is the the fun part of cake baking. And do NOT worry, I am far from an expert cake decorator. I firmly believe it doens’t have to look good to taste good. But with that said, there are a few things you can do to make your cake pretty!
Leveling Your Cake
When the cakes are baked they might have formed domes on top. Domes are a visual indicator that your cake has risen and will likely be light and airy on the inside! So yay for domes! BUT domes aren’t great when you want to stack your cakes. Simple fix, friends!
Don’t get too hung up on being perfect. No need to buy a fancy cake leveler, although, they are nice, they’re not necessary at all! Just let your cake cool completely and grab a serrated knife. and carefully trip off any dome at the top, so the cakes will stack evenly.
Do You Have To “Crumb Coat” Your Cake?
Sometimes I trim the sides a little bit if something isn’t perfect. But just know, the more you trim, the more crumbs you will get in your frosting, which is why a crumb coat is very important to get a perfect finish! So you don’t HAVE to, especially if you’re going for that rustic look, but if you want a perfect finish on your cake, a crumb coat is a good idea.
What frosting should I use?
This cake is the perfect vehicle for frosting, and a great way to get creative! The “naked” technique that I used in the pictures is an easy frosting style. All you do is add a layer of frosting in the middle and lightly coat the sides. In these pictures and in the video below I used my Perfect Buttercream Frosting. I love it so much!
You can even slice each layer in half and create a fabulous 4 layer cake! If you choose to do this, increase the frosting amount by at least 50% so you have enough!
Here are a few other frosting recipes that are amazing on the Vanilla Cake:
- Creamy Chocolate Frosting
- Perfect Party Frosting
- Roasted Strawberry Buttercream
- Coconut Buttercream Frosting
I hope these tips have helped! Vanilla cake seems so simple, but can often give varied results. So, I hope these tips and vanilla cake recipe will be your go-to recipe from now on!
PrintPerfect Vanilla Cake
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
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Cook Time: 25 minutes
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Total Time: 35 minutes
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Yield: serves 10 1x
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Category: Dessert
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Method: Oven
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Cuisine: American
Description:
This Perfect Vanilla Cake Recipe is very easy, with just a few important tricks to make it buttery, and soft and moist!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2, 8 or 9- inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Cut two pieces of parchment paper into 9- inch circles. Place the rounds in the bottoms of the pans. Coat again with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment mix the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes. Add in the oil, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt, and continue mixing for an additional minute until smooth and combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and in alternating portions add in the buttermilk and flour, beginning and ending with flour. Mix for 30 seconds, until combined and smooth, again, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour half of the cake batter into each prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the center of the cakes are set, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then remove the cakes and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes:
Frost the cake with your desired frosting. I used my Perfect Buttercream Frosting in the pictures and video for this recipe.
If you’re making ahead, wrap the cakes tightly in cling wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. Alternately you can wrap the cakes in cling wrap, then place them each in a large zip-top bag and freeze for up to a month.
Keywords:: best vanilla cake recipe, perfect vanilla cake recipe, moist vanilla cake
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I’m an avid baker and I’ve been looking for the very best vanilla cake for years. Why is vanilla cake so tricky?? Well this one is amazing. I agree with using quality ingredients! I’ve successfully made vanilla cupcakes (325 degrees F for 20-23 mins) and marble cake too. It also works great with 1 for 1 gluten free and also works well making it dairy-free with vegan butter and coconut/almond milk for anyone who has allergies 🙂
★★★★★
So glad you liked it!
Do you think gluten free flour could be directly subbed for the cake flour? I sub it for regular all purpose flour in other recipes.
I have used the Cup4Cup brand of g-free flour before and that has worked really well!
I have been looking for a moist yellow cake with a loose crumb (so many of the ones I have tried often seem more like pound cake texture), and this sounds perfect. Question though about the salt…..I have not previously used kosher salt in a cake recipe before (usually calls for table salt), and am concerned about the larger pieces dissolving. Does it turn out fine or is there a salty element to this cake?
I don’t find there is at all, but if you are more comfortable using table salt that will work, just decrease the amount by 1/4 teaspoon!
This is an amazing cake! It ended up tasting super good. The only thing I didn’t like is how it called for kosher salt. While it gave the cake nice favor, I tasted chunks of salt even after the cake was baked. That is the only thing I would change, so overall it was delicious!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it!
I will be making a 4 or 5 layer pinata cake so I need a recipe that will allow the cake to be structually sound (weight of the layers and the hole in the two middle layers for the candy).
Will this cake hold up to that?
Yep, this will work great!
This is THE best vanilla cake! I’ve made it 4 times for different celebrations. For one of the bakes, I was low on cake flour, so I used 2 cups AP flour and 1 cup cake flour…still light, fluffy, and moist. Just the perfect crumb and texture!!! Thank you for a fabulous recipe!!! ?
★★★★★
I would like to try this recipe, however, I can only bake one layer at a time. Can I let the batter sit on the counter until the first one is done? Will it affect the rise?
It should be fine!
I’m getting ready to make this in 2 days and I was wondering if a vanilla bean can be added or used instead of the extract for both/either the cake and frosting. Thank you.
sure!
Hey Shelly, I am baking a cake for a baby shower, and I don’t know how to make a three layer 10-inch cake. How much batter do I need to make a three-layer? Should I triple the recipe three times?
Hi! You could make this 3 layers, if you divide the batter up into 3 pans and bake. They would be thinner cake layers, but you will also have another layer of frosting in there. I might recommend just increasing the amount by 1/3, or even 1/2 to make the layers a little thicker 🙂
Hello
What can use as a substitute for eggs?
Hi! Wondering if you’ve ever used this for a 6 inch cake?? I was thinking of using two 6-inch pans. Would there be batter left over? I could probably use towards cupcakes.
Yes, there would definitely be batter left. if you fill a 6- inch pan up with this it will definitely overflow 🙂 You could also do 3, 6- inch cakes.
How many cupcakes does this recipe make? Thanks!
24!
I just made this and it is delicious! I love the golden crust. So much buttery vanilla deliciousness! A tip for anyone who doesn’t use buttermilk often, i buy powdered buttermilk and it works great, and stores well.
★★★★★
I love the powdered buttermilk! So handy to have!
Hello again
Also what brand of cake flour do you use?
Thank you!
Michele
I like to use Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour!
HI
THis cake looks amazing!! Must try it!
Wanted to ask why you dont use any baking soda in this recipe since buttermilk is used??
Thanks so much
Michele
Hi! I use baking powder instead 🙂
Hi, My daughter is allergic to cow’s milk.. Can I use almond milk? I also don’t have kosher salt. Can I use regular salt? Thanks!
Do you think coconut oil can replace the vegetable oil? The same amount?
Yes you can sub that! It will change the texture slightly, and produce a slightly denser cake, but it will still be good!
I need to make a sheet cake for this. How much do you think I would need to make?
I would double the recipe!
Hi there. I am keen to try this recipe out but only have 1 x 9” round cake pan which is very deep. Can this cake be baked in one tin then layered for frosting. If so how long would you bake for? Many thanks.
Hi Shelly,
The recipe sounds great and I’m keen to use it for my daughters birthday cake.
Is it suitable for fondant icing also?
Thanks.
OH yes, it’s be great to cover with fondant!
It sure of taste yet but I have this baking right now. I used 8 inch cake pans and so far it’s been in for 45 min and there is still batter on a toothpick when I test the middle but the edges are getting overdone. ?? Not sure what I’m doing wrong but now I’m worried I’ve over baked it and it will be dry.
Hi Shelly if i want to make a 12 inch or 14 inch cake how do i change the ingredients do i double them or what?
For a 12 inch cake I would increase the amount by 50%
Made this cake and loved it! Had to increase the baking time by 10 more min
★★★★★
Thank you so much! I just used salted butter. This is hands down the best best best best best vanilla cake I have ever had! Thank you so much for helping me find the perfect one! 🙂
Do you have a chocolate one?
So glad you liked it!!
Cannot wait to make this! I have been looking for an amazing yellow cake recipe. If I do not use salted butter, how much salt should I add to the batter?
It’s really a personal preference. I just prefer a tiny bit more salt, so if I were to use unsalted butter I would use 1 1/2 teaspoons, but if you are at all sensitive to salt, just use the 1 teaspoon!
How many grams would 1 cup o,f butter be??
Have this cake baking in the oven right now!!
hope you love it!
I made this cake today. It came out excellent. I have made many vanilla/yellow cakes and this one is one of the best. I also used Challenge Butter. The cake texture is perfect, and it has a great vaniilla flavor. Thanks for great recipe!
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad you liked it!
There are two versions to this recipe for Perfect Vanilla Cake. I just made this cake, and I just put the cake in the oven… I had remembered seeing “oil” as an ingredient and when double checking, one of the versions, there is no oil on the ingredient list I was following, nor in the instructions. Then I switched over to check another window (also Cookie & Cups), and there is was, 1/4 cup oil. If I had not watched the video, last night I would have not remembered I had seen the oil listed. I just checked, and they are both the Cookies and Cups site, so I am not sure why both recipes don’t match exactly. The only difference is the addition of the oil Can you please clarify and correct? Thank you.
★★★
Hi, yes, there was an omission in the recipe that was posted yesterday, but luckily someone brought it to my attention and it’s all fixed! The recipe includes 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and the recipe should reflect that now!
In the video you add vegetable oil to the batter but I don’t see it listed in the ingredients. How much oil do you add?
Thank you ?
strange that is missing from the recipe! I fixed it! 1/4 cup oil added when you add the eggs and vanilla!
I’m sorry if I’m not seeing it, but which frosting did you use in the photos? Is it the Perfect Party Frosting? Yellow (vanilla) cake is my all-time favorite, so I’ve tried to find my “perfect one” and, though I’ve found one I’ve come back to for years, this may outdo it — I can’t wait to try it! I like a pastry cream filling but would love to try the frosting you show here along with it, too. Thanks!
I actually used my Perfect Buttercream Frosting recipe in the video and in the pictures. Here’s the link! http://cookiesandcups.com/perfect-buttercream/
I will add that note into the recipe 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
You use oil in the video but i don’t see it in the recipe. How much oil should I use?
Not sure what happened to that in the recipe, but I fixed it and it’s there now! It’s 1/4 cup vegetable oil added when you add the eggs and vanilla!
I have been looking for a good vanilla cake recipe for a friend of mine, so I am going to give this a try. FYI – don’t want to bother cutting out parchment – King Arthur sells 8″ and9″ parchment rounds. I use them all the time – they are great! And now they have loaf pan parchment sheets cut to size as well! Love them. Lisa
https://search.kingarthurflour.com/search?w=parchment%20rounds&af=type:products
Good to know!!
I can be a cheapie on ingredients, but I agree that Challenge butter is really good. This looks so amazing, and I love the scraped frosting look. Can’t wait to try!
I can’t see tip #2
Sorry about that! All fixed, I miscounted 🙂
Am I the only one who can’t see tip #2?
I cannot see tip #2 either.
Sorry about that! All fixed, I miscounted 🙂
I can’t see tip #2 either.
Sorry about that! All fixed, I miscounted 🙂
Sorry about that! All fixed, I miscounted 🙂
Your thoughts on subbing melted butter for unhealthy veg oil? Ty
You absolutely can…the vegetable oil adds to the fluffier texture of the cake. I love the taste that the butter gives, which is why I use a combo. All butter will produce a slightly heavier cake, but it will taste great!
Can I make this recipe into cupcakes? If so, how much time and at what temiperature should I bake it? Thank you.
Sure! I would bake at 350°F for 20 minutes and then check them!
Hi,
How do I convert this recipe for a 14″x3″ cake? Thank you!