This is my absolute BEST Vanilla Cake Recipe in my decades of baking! A delightfully soft, buttery, classic vanilla cake that will top any and all vanilla cakes you’ve ever had! I’ve shared all my tips to show you how to achieve the very best results when making a homemade vanilla cake, with this incredibly versatile recipe.
A comprehensive guide to making delicious vanilla cake as an 8 inch cake, 9 inch cake, sheet cake, and even cupcakes, with chocolate OR vanilla frosting!
Every cake baking adventure starts with a good Vanilla Cake! It’s the universally loved cake flavor that acts as a great canvas on which to build other flavors.
I already have an extensive repertoire of cake recipes on the blog (including the classic chocolate cake, classic white cake, coconut cake, devil’s food cake, coffee cake, lemon cake, butter cake, ribbon cake, and even classic vanilla cupcakes). But a Classic Vanilla Cake in its simplest form and all its glory is hard to beat!
So here, I’ll show you how to make the BEST Vanilla Cake recipe that I’ve ever had, and share all the tips and step by step instructions that you’ll ever need to adapt the recipe to your preferences. These tips will ensure PERFECT results, every single time.
Plus, I’ll share a couple of simple variations on this Classic Vanilla Cake Recipe as well. These variations include a simple citrus scented vanilla cake, and a classic Sri Lankan ribbon cake!
Why is this the Best Vanilla Cake that I’ve ever had?
- It’s so buttery and it’s super easy to make.
- This homemade vanilla cake is light, with a soft crumb, thanks to the oil in the recipe.
- Deliciously moist cake, even better than a bakery style cake!
- Great vanilla flavor that pairs well with a variety of frostings.
- Recipe works perfectly as a layer cake, sheet cake, or even cupcake! It’s incredibly versatile.
- Stays fresh for days!
- And most of all, I show you how and why things work the way they do, so that you can adapt the vanilla cake recipe to your taste!
This cake is also FANTASTIC as a birthday cake. I know, because I’ve made it for dozens and dozens of birthdays, and other special occasions. Since the cake has a lovely vanilla flavor, it pairs very well with any vanilla buttercream frosting, or chocolate buttercream frosting too (Swiss meringue buttercream or American buttercream)! You can even frost the cake with a delicious cream cheese frosting.
My homemade vanilla cake is different from my butter cake, because the crumb is lighter here and the cake is a little sweeter. This is because I use half butter and half oil for the creaming stage. It’s also not too eggy, or too buttery which means the flavor of vanilla is very prominent in this cake. Unlike my white cake, this cake uses whole eggs, which give the cake a yellow tinge, and a richer taste.
This cake is also NOT a sponge cake, which involves whisking eggs to a foam. Instead, this cake relies on the classic creaming method. If a cake uses egg foam, then it’s a sponge cake and not a classic butter cake. Also this cake is not a yellow cake, although it does have a yellow tinge from the egg yolks. This is because yellow cakes rely on having extra EGG YOLKS to give the cake an even richer flavor.
So, here’s how to achieve Classic Vanilla Cake Perfection, step by step.
Tips to make the recipe even easier
- Make sure ALL the ingredients are at room temperature before you start.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients, especially flour. Measuring cups can result in the unintentional addition of too much flour. This will make the cake dry.
- Prepare the cake pans before you start making the cake batter.
- You can use baking strips (soaked in water) to get even cake layers, if you prefer.
- Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack.
- Cool the cakes to room temperature before decorating.
- Wrap the cooled cake layers well with plastic wrap, if you’re not using them right away.
Tips for decorating the cake for a professional look
- Use a serrated knife to slice off any domed tops on your cake layers. Alternatively, you can use a cake leveler to slice off the tops as well. This is the one I use for most of my cakes.
- For a stable cake, place the bottom layer of the cake on a cake board / cake plate, with the flat bottom of the cake facing down. Use a little buttercream to stick the cake layer to the board.
- To get a flat surface on your cake on top, place the final layer with the flat bottom facing up.
- If your cake has multiple layers, use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to measure equal amounts of buttercream for each layer.
- If your cake has a softer filling (like lemon curd or pastry cream), pipe a border of buttercream along the edge of the cake layer (to create a dam). Then spread the filling in the middle. The buttercream “dam” will secure the filling in place.
- Apply a crumb coating on the cake. This is a thin layer of buttercream that covers the whole cake. Then let it set in the fridge or a cool place for about 1 hour before proceeding with frosting the cake. This serves two purposes.
- Makes sure the cake has straight sides, and a level top. The crumb coating will fill any crevices.
- Makes sure there are NO cake crumbs visible, once the cake is decorated.
How to make a Perfect Vanilla Cake
STEP ONE – Mixing the butter + oil + sugar
There are TWO ways to START making this homemade vanilla cake. That’s either by mixing the melted butter + oil with the sugar (you wouldn’t need a hand-mixer for this, you can use a whisk instead), OR by creaming the room temperature butter + oil with the sugar by using a hand-mixer or stand mixer. These two methods will result in vanilla cakes that are SLIGHTLY different in texture as explained below.
Melted butter + oil + sugar + mixed with a whisk – since air is not incorporated into the batter here, the cake will not have the same height as in the following method, and the cake crumb will be slightly fudgy (or more dense).
Softened butter + oil + sugar + creamed with a hand mixer until light and fluffy – since air is incorporated into the batter here, the resulting cake will have more height, and will be a little lighter.
Why I use oil and butter in the cake
With oil, the resulting cake has a softer texture and a lighter crumb. Because there are no milk solids in oil (unlike in butter), it allows the cake crumb to be finer and lighter.
In contrast, with butter, the resulting crumb is more dense, and there’s more moisture in the cake too. This is due to the milk in the butter which contributes to the dense crumb. However, it adds more flavor than oil as well. So while I do love an all butter cake, I prefer using BOTH butter and oil for my homemade classic vanilla cake, because this way I get the best of both worlds – plenty of flavor AND a delightfully light texture.
STEP TWO – Adding the eggs
You can add all of the eggs together OR add the egg one at a time. I prefer to add them one at a time, mixing in each egg before adding the next. This also comes down to incorporating air into the batter so that you have a lighter and fluffier cake.
Adding eggs one at a time Cake batter after the addition of eggs
STEP THREE – Adding the milk/buttermilk + VANILLA!
There are two ways in which you can add the milk to the batter. You can either alternate between adding the milk and the flour, OR you can add all of the milk first, mix it in, and then add the flour.
You can also choose between buttermilk, OR full cream milk (or half and half) mixed with vinegar or lemon juice. This choice won’t affect the quality of your vanilla cake.
Choosing the right vanilla
One of the most important steps in a vanilla cake is obviously the vanilla! So make sure to add a GOOD vanilla extract because this can make or break the flavor of your homemade vanilla cake. A lower quality vanilla (imitation vanilla) will compromise the flavor of your cake. Adding too much imitation vanilla may also make the cake bitter.
So look for a VANILLA EXTRACT, rather than imitation vanilla. Better yet, look for Madagascar bourbon vanilla, which is a very flavorful vanilla extract. You can use vanilla bean paste (or fresh vanilla) as well, if you choose.
STEP FOUR – Adding the flour + leavening agents to your vanilla cake batter
Sift the all purpose flour + baking powder together. This is important because it evenly mixes the ingredients together and removes lumps. If you’re like me, and don’t feel like sifting the flour sometimes (especially if the flour is pre-sifted), then place the dry ingredients together and whisk it all together. This allows the dry ingredients to be evenly distributed when you fold them into the cake batter.
How to prevent overmixing
I like to add the flour into the vanilla cake batter in 2-3 additions, so that I can make sure each addition is well incorporated into the batter and most importantly, there are no lumps. While I like to use a whisk or spatula to fold in the flour, you can use a hand-mixer or stand-mixer (for double batches) on the LOWEST speed.
However, keep in mind that the more you mix the flour, the more you “work” it, and the more you develop gluten which will result in a tougher / rubbery cake. So it’s important that you only mix the flour until it’s just incorporated (a few white streaks are OK). Another option would be to use CAKE FLOUR instead of all purpose flower, which has less gluten than AP flour. If using cake flour, substitute the AP flour with the same amount of cake flour BY WEIGHT.
STEP FIVE – Baking the cake
I baked this cake in 8 inch pans for a 2-layered cake. But you may be wondering if you could bake this cake in a 9 inch pan or as a sheet cake? Why yes, you totally can!
How to prepare cake pans for baking?
Preparing the cake pans for this easy vanilla cake is simple, but it’s probably my least favorite part as well. My sister used to be my designated pan preparer (and taste-tester of course), but now I got to do that myself.
I find that parchment paper makes my job easy. I ALWAYS line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. For round pans, I butter and flour the sides, but I usually use parchment paper to line the sides of square or rectangle pans. I just go with whichever feels convenient at that moment in time. I personally don’t like using non-stick sprays for my cake pans, but you CAN use baking goop if you like (homemade non-stick paste), and this recipe from Sugar Geek Show would be a recipe that I trust.
Could or should I use baking strips?
YES! You can use baking strips for a more even, flat surface on your cake. I do use them when I want to make a naked cake (baking strips will keep the sides from turning brown, and will keep the cake surface flat). But I don’t really bother with them for home baking.
The bake times for different sized cake pans
2 x 8 inch pans = bake for 25 – 30 minutes (mine takes about 27 minutes).
2 x 9 inch pans = bake for 20 – 25 minutes (mine takes about 22 minutes).
9 x 13 cake pan (for a sheet cake) = bake for 30 – 35 minutes (mine takes about 32 minutes).
Cupcake pans = bake for about 15 – 20 minutes (mine takes about 17 minutes).
How do I know if my cake is done?
I prefer baking my cakes at 325°F / 165°C because it bakes the cake more evenly, even though it takes just a tad longer.
The best way to tell if your cake is done is by using a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, then the cake is ready!
How can I test the cake done-ness WITHOUT pricking the cake?
If you press the center of the cake surface, and if the surface springs back up, then the cake is done. But if that indentation remains, then the cake could use a few more minutes of baking. The sides of the cake also pull away from the sides of the pan, ever so slightly.
Just make sure to check the cake regularly towards the end to avoid over-baking the cake. Because an over-baked cake is a dry cake. No good.
STEP SIX – Decorating the cake
There aren’t any rules when it comes to decorating your homemade vanilla cake! 🙂 Well, other than just waiting till the cake has cooled down completely. Because if the cake is warm, the frosting will melt.
Place the cake layers on a cooling rack to cool completely. If the cake is domed on the top, use a serrated knife to slice off the top to make it evenly flat.
You can decorate your vanilla cake with my classic vanilla buttercream frosting or my classic chocolate buttercream frosting. You can also use vanilla or chocolate swiss meringue buttercream. Cream cheese frosting is also a great choice.
You can also choose to frost your cake with a smooth, straight edged finish, or go rustic. Check out the images here to see how I fill and frost a cake to make a birthday cake. Or if you’d like to create a fun water color effect on your cake, follow the method that I used in this colorful Easter cake here.
This recipe is hands down THE BEST VANILLA CAKE I’ve ever had and made! And I’m sure it’ll be yours too! 🙂 A deliciously buttery, light, moist, soft vanilla cake. As classic as it gets.
When I was younger, my favorite way to eat vanilla cake was with chocolate frosting. But now, as you’d expect, I go the classic way! Which is a delicious and fluffy vanilla buttercream.
This Classic Homemade Vanilla Cake is a firm reader-favorite too!
“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.”
— MasterRusk
When I was living in Sri Lanka, we used to make vanilla cakes that were colored and swirled into what we called “ribbon cakes”. This was a very popular and whimsical option for birthdays and celebrations. You can check out how to do that home with this recipe here!
Storing the vanilla cake for later
This homemade vanilla cake can be made in advance. The cake layers freeze beautifully, and can be made well in advance. Here is how to store the vanilla cake layers for later.
Once the cake layers have cooled to room temperature, wrap each layer with 2 layers of plastic wrap. These cake layers can be stored in the fridge overnight, or up to 3 days.
To store them for longer, place the wrapped cake layers on a baking tray (in a single layer) and freeze. Once frozen, they can be stacked on top of each other. Cakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let them thaw out in the fridge before you use them.
The frosted cake will be good for about 1 week. Make sure to store the cake in an air-tight container. Reduce contact with air, since this will dry out the cake.
If you liked this cake, then you will LOVE,
Is Chocolate Cake more your jam?
The Fudgiest One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake
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The Best Vanilla Cake
Ingredients:
Vanilla Cake
- 4 oz unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup oil can be substituted with 4 oz / 115 g of butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 10.5 oz white sugar 1 ½ cups
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup milk preferably full fat, see recipe notes
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract good quality
- 11.1 oz AP flour 2 ½ cups, measured by spoon and level method
- 2 tsp baking powder
Buttercream Frosting Options
- 2 recipe Vanilla Buttercream Frosting OR
- 2 recipe Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Instructions:
Vanilla Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C. Line the bottom of two 8 inch pans with parchment paper, and butter and flour the sides. Set aside. (See recipe notes for baking instructions for 9 inch pans, cupcake pans, or 9 x 13 inch pans).
- Whisk the butter, oil, salt, and sugar until the mix is creamy and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Mix the milk, vinegar, and vanilla together. Add this milk mixture to the cake batter, and stir it in.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together and whisk to combine.
- Fold the flour into the wet ingredients in 2 – 3 additions, and mix until just combined. Do NOT over-mix.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans. You can either do this by weight, or by using an ice cream scoop to divide the cake batter evenly.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the cake batter in the cake pan so that it's evenly spread. Knock the pan on a firm surface 3 – 4 times, to evenly spread out the batter and to remove any air pockets.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 – 30 minutes, rotating the pan once, halfway through the baking time. (See recipe notes for baking instructions for 9 inch pans, cupcake pans, or 9 x 13 inch pans).
- The cake should be springy to the touch (when you gently touch the middle of the cake, it should spring back up). Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly in the pan. While still warm, turn the cake out onto a wire rack and let it cool down completely.
Ribbon Cake Instructions
Decorating Options (with your choice of frosting)
- Make the vanilla buttercream as per the linked recipe, before you're ready to assemble the cake. Then just before you're ready to use the buttercream frosting, you can whip the frosting for a few minutes to make it fluffy again.
- If needed, slice off any domed tops of the cake layers with a serrated knife to make them evenly flat on top.
- Place one cake layer on a cake serving plate or decorating plate, with the flat bottom facing down. Place about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of the frosting on top of this cake layer and spread it evenly. You can choose to add a little more of the frosting if you like.
- Place the second cake layer on top, and gently press it down to make sure the cake layers stick together. Make sure the flat bottom of this cake layer is facing up, so that the cake has a nice flat surface on top.
- Apply a thin coating of the frosting to completely cover the cake. This is the crumb coating. Allow the crumb coating to set in the fridge for a few minutes, or up to 1 hour.
- Spread the rest of the frosting over the cake evenly. Use an offset spatula to create swirls for an old fashioned cake look, OR use a bench scraper or spatula to smooth out the frosting.
- Decorate the cake as you like.
Tips & Tricks
Note on the milk
If you prefer, you can substitute the milk with buttermilk (leave out the vinegar in that case).Baking times for different sized cake pans
Baking time for 9 inch cake pan – 20 to 25 minutes baking time. Remember to rotate the pan once, half way through the baking time. Baking time for cupcake pan – fill the cupcake liners with the batter about 2/3 of the way. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remember to rotate once, half way through. Makes 12 cupcakes. Baking time for 9 x 13 inch pan – 28 to 33 minutes. Remember to rotate the pan once, half way through.Buttercream frosting ideas for this classic vanilla cake
American vanilla buttercream frosting American chocolate buttercream frosting Vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream frosting Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream frosting Easy vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream frosting (cheat’s recipe) Easy chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream frosting (cheat’s recipe)Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
AO says
Do you hand whisk this?
Lynn says
I love this recipe!! I searched high and low for the perfect yellow cake recipe and this is it!! Baked these just now…it’s past midnight and I’m on my 3rd cupcake Kids and husband will be so happy to have these for snacks tomorrow. Thank you for sharing!!
Jessica Kalule says
I loved the recipe, i had never appreciated Vanilla cakes before. Yummy is the word. This will be my recipe forever. Thanks alot.
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Jessica, I’m so glad you liked the recipe, and it made you a vanilla cake convert! 😀
Anushree says
Have you used oil and butter in Equal quantities?
Dini says
Hi Anushree
This recipe does use butter and oil in equal quantities. 1/2 cup butter + 1/2 cup oil.
Hope that helps!
Jessica says
I love this recipe easy and super delicious.
Could l turn this into a choc vanilla buy taking out some of the flour for cocoa powder. Thank you
Dini says
Hi Jessica!
Thank you! I’m so glad that you like this recipe 🙂
I haven’t tried to substitute the flour with cocoa powder before. This is the recipe I use to make a standard chocolate cake – https://www.theflavorbender.com/classic-chocolate-cake/
Nishangani says
Halves the recipe to make 12 cupcakes. They were amazing!!! Freezes quite well too. Thank you.
Angel B says
Great recipe. Just to let you know, this yields 24 cupcakes. In your notes it says 12.
Thank you!
Farida says
Dini, cant thank you enough!!! i made this cake last year, and i made again yesterday! I wanted smaller and taller, so I halved the recipe, and made in 2 pans of 6*3 inch .. and I did this twice and end up with 4 layers 🙂 i’m gonna send it to you on Instagram… and it tastes sooooo good
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Farida! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
AJM says
What kind of oil is used? Vegetable? Canola? Olive?
Dini says
Hi AJM
You can use any kind of oil. I prefer using a neutral oil like vegetable oil so that it doesn’t interfere with the flavor. However, if you like the flavor of olive oil, you can use that instead too.
Joan Persad says
I love this recipe
Sheena says
Hi, this looks amazing! in the metric version it says 3/4 MLS milk. Is 180mls about right? Thanks.
Dini says
Hi Sheena!
Yes the 3/4 cup measurement indicated on metric measurements is about 177 – 180mL
Hope that helps! 🙂
Sheena says
Thanks Dini, for your quick response! I made it tonight as a trial run for my daughter’s birthday next week…amazing texture and delicious flavour. I’m going to ice with buttercream and out a few fondant figures on top …I think the cake is firm enough for that. Thanks again!!!
Sheena says
Ps : I used buttermilk instead of milk and vinegar as I had some. Worked beautifully.
H says
I was going to try this recipe but wanted to know whether the vinegar was absolutely essential? Can you taste the vinegar in the cake?
Dini says
Hi H,
The vinegar can’t be tasted in the cake. It’s added to help with the flavor and tenderness of the cake. But if you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, you can leave it out.
Anonymous says
Can I use this recipe in a 11″x 15″ sheet cake pan?
Baking temperature? Double recipe correct?
Milk Chocolate Frosting?
Dini says
Hi!
I haven’t made this recipe in a 11 x 15 sheet cake pan, but you should be able to. However, if you double the recipe, it will be too much for the pan, and you may have a cake that is taller than the cake I have in this recipe. You may have to bake it for much longer, until a tooth pick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. You can make double the recipe, and fill the cake pan just 2/3 of the way, and make cupcakes with the remaining batter if you wish.
As for the frosting, I do have a chocolate frosting recipe that you can find here. This is the chocolate frosting I use for my cakes.
I hope that helps! 🙂
Sherine Perera says
Hi Dini,
Thank you for sharing recipes and I would like to know if using cake flour do I still add baking powder and how much do I add??
Dini says
Hi Sherine!
You can use cake flour, but cake flour will need the same amount of baking powder as in the recipe. Cake flour doesn’t have any leavening agents, like AP Flour. The difference is that it is a finer flour with less protein content, which will result in a lighter cake with a finer crumb.
I hope that helps!
Vanessa says
Hi! I’d like to make this into a lemon cake with blueberry filling. Do I just add lemon extract, lemon zest, or lemon juice? Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Vanessa!
Sorry about the late reply. I personally love my lemon cake to have a subtle lemon flavor, so I only add lemon zest (the zest from 2 – 3 lemons). But if you want a more pronounced lemon flavor, in addition to the zest, you can substitute an equal amount of the milk with 1/4 cup of lemon as well (and leave out the vinegar).
I hope that helps!
Lauren says
Made this recipe once and loved the flavor and texture the day it was made. Only recommend eating it the day you make it. Unless your a baker and know how to store cake. I do not! It did not store well and dried out overnight, which was very dissapointing. I wrapped it in plastic wrap, and had one half in fridge amd froze the other to test these methods. Both ruined the cake and dried it out completely. I followed the recipes exactly amd felt the cake was amazing the day it bakes. Any tips for storing the cake for a day or two so I can make it again for my daughter’s birthday party? Or is this just not that kind of cake? I love recipes and tips foe storing, so that you can asemble later. Thank you!!
Dini says
Hi Lauren!
I’m sorry the cake dried out for you after storing, that’s really surprising. I’ve made this cake numerous times, and that’s never happened to me before, and it stores really well. However, I do double wrap my cakes that haven’t been frosted with plastic wrap (making sure it’s tightly wrapped), and place it in an airtight container as well. Any prolonged contact with air will make the cake dry out. I also don’t store the cake in the fridge because that dries out cakes faster (unless the cakes are frosted, or I’ve added syrup to the cakes).
I store cakes that way in a cool place at room temperature for up to 2 – 3 days, or in the freezer (making sure it’s tightly wrapped with 2 – 3 layers of plastic wrap, and then either wrap it further with foil, or put it in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn).
Even the photos in this post are of a cake that I baked the day before, and then frosted on the day I cut the cake and took pictures. Hope that helps!
Marie Sanderson says
I just took the cake out of the oven after 27minutes..it is not a honey color it looks white..I tested it & it’s done..I hope it’s not dry…& it didn’t rise that much..I did 8 “round..what could have happened I followed the recipe..
Dini says
Hi Marie! Sorry for the late reply. This hasn’t happened to me before. Usually if a cake doesn’t rise, it’s because the baking powder or baking soda was stale and didn’t make the cake rise properly. Baking powder also helps a little with the browning of the cake too. I would recommend testing the freshness of the baking powder to make sure it’s still active.
Hope that helps!
Ramya Mohan says
Hi,
Very attractive recipe. Can I use extra virgin olive oil in place of oil? Will it taste good
Dini says
Hi Ramya
Yes, you can use EVOO instead of vegetable oil, but keep in my mind that it will add the flavor of the olive oil to the cake too. If you like the flavor of olive oil, then it will taste good in the cake too.
Emily Harriman says
I would like to make this recipe for a Christmas cake i’m making. Could you use buttermilk instead of the milk?
Dini says
Hi Emily
Yes you can use buttermilk instead of milk for this cake recipe. Hope that helps!
MasterRusk says
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.
Lynne Brennan says
Can I add powdered cocoa to make it chocolate? If so how much?
Dini says
Hi Lynne,
If you’re looking for a chocolate cake recipe, I have published my recipe for classic chocolate cake which you can find right here
I hope that helps.
Lilly says
Hi, so I don’t have baking powder but I do have baking soda can I use that instead or will it ruin everything???
Dini says
Hi Lilly
I wouldn’t recommend using only baking soda for this cake, because I haven’t tested substituting the baking powder with baking soda. Baking soda is stronger and reacts differently than baking powder, and the cake texture and taste may change if you use baking soda instead of the baking powder. I would recommend trying a vanilla cake recipe that has been tested to work with only baking soda in the recipe. I hope that helps!
Kim says
To Make 1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder. Measure 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons cream of tartar. My child couldn’t have baking powder because of the other ingredients added to it so I made my own for years.
Gbotemi says
I must confess, “you’re a life saver”
I’ve been having issues with my vanilla recipe for a while now. I’ve tried various methods yet it comes out dense.
Thanks Dini for this recipe, God bless you.
Ally says
Hi if I wanted to do a 3 layer naked cake with 8in pans would I 1.5 the recipe do you think? Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Ally
Yes, that’s right. This recipe is for 2 x 8 inch cake layers, so for 3 x 8 inch cake layers, you would have to multiply the quantities by 1.5. I hope that helps!
Melissa says
I had forgotten to take the butter out so it could warm up to room temp. So I put it in the microwave. Some of it got melted. Could that be it?
Dini says
Hi Melissa,
Yep, absolutely! Since the butter was melted, it’s not able to whip and incorporate air like regular softened butter would be able to. So the lack of air in the butter could definitely make the cake more dense.
What I would recommend for next time is to cut up the cold butter into small pieces and keep it somewhere warm so that it can soften up in under 30 minutes. Even grating the butter, will make it soften faster 🙂 I hope that helps.
Melissa says
I’m making this cake for my birthday today. (Yes, you read that right.. I’m making a cake for MY birthday.) All I have is salted butter. Will that be ok? If so, do I not need to add the salt?
Dini says
Hi Melissa!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Yes, you can use salted butter for this recipe. You won’t need to add the extra salt in the recipe in that case either. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions. Don’t forget to let me know how the cake turned out too!
I hope you have an awesome and cake filled day! 😀
Melissa says
The cake tastes great but it came out kinda dense. Im not sure what happened.
Dini says
Hi Melissa!
Oh no! I haven’t had the cake come out dense anytime I have made it, because it’s meant to be buttery and light.
The only explanation for a dense cake that I can think of is if the baking powder is not fresh (older than 6 month) or if butter wasn’t creamed properly too. Also if the cake is made with weight measurements, then the cake should be nice and fluffy. Sometimes volume measurements can add too much flour and make the cake dense too.
Melissa says
I’m fixina start trying this again. Can I mix the butter with my whip attachment instead of the paddle?
Dini says
Hi Melissa
I generally don’t like to use the whisk attachment for cakes, since the paddle attachment does a better job of making the butter and sugar creamy. You can also risk over whisking the mixture, especially when eggs and flour are added.
But, if you only have the whisk attachment, you could use it, but will have to make sure you don’t over mix the batter.
Rachael says
Hi I want to use this recipe for my sons birthday cake but I only want to use one tin that is 26cm wide and 7cm high (Square Tin). Is this ok? How long would I cook it for? Thank you!
Dini says
Hi Rachael!
Unfortunately, I haven’t baked this cake in a 26cm square tin. What I can recommend is for you to fill the cake pan about 2/3 of the way up, and bake it according to the instructions in the recipe here, and to keep an eye on it until it’s baked through. Sometimes, with larger and deeper cakes a lower baking temperature (300°F) can also be recommended to ensure that it bakes more evenly, but this will increase the baking time too. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
Melissa says
I’m fixina start trying this again. Can I mix the butter with my whip attachment instead of the paddle?
Doralis says
I baked this cake tonight and it was delicious, buttery and fluffy. I used apple cider vinegar and it was great. Thank you for posting it!
Ellie Nash says
Wow, you’ve done it again! I just made your brownies last week, and now just tried this cake recipe to have something for Halloween! I dyed it bright pumpkin orange and made a chestnut frosting for it, and it’s holding up perfectly!
Just as a quick note, because I’m in Japan where the cake flour just isn’t quite up to baking anything sturdy, I mixed half and half – cake flour with strong bread flour. I did notice that it came out a tiny bit grainy, so I might try using 75% cake flour next time and see if I don’t push my luck. 🙂 Either way, it’s still solid, didn’t sink in anywhere, rich and BUTTERY! I didn’t get that eggy smell I smell with almost all other yellow cakes, and it’s amazing! Thank you for making my Halloween so much sweeter (and lighter and fluffier….and me a little heavier, probably… ;D )! I’ll be trying more of your recipes and commenting when I do!
Dini says
Hi Ellie!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I am so glad that the cake came out so beautifully! The cake must have been absolutely gorgeous with Halloween colors and chestnut frosting (YUM!!) 🙂 It is definitely one of the days of the year, where you are allowed to indulge! 😉 I hope you do continue to let me know how the recipes turn out! Thank you again 🙂
Cheers
Dini
WEnny says
I plan to make this recipe this week, can i halve the recipe and use cake flour instead or should i do half and half
Dini says
Hi Wenny,
Yes, you can use cake flour. It will change the texture a little (it should be lighter, and a little more crumbly). You can halve the recipe as well, but that would be enough for 1 cake pan. I hope that helps!
chefibpa says
detailed vanilla cake recipe for beginners
Hannah says
Hi! I just baked this cake. I used apple cider vinegar with the milk and now my cake tastes like apple cider vinegar! I made sure to use exactly the amount called for… why is this happening?
The cakes are perfect, except for that part. I’m hoping the icing will get rid of the flavour but I don’t have time to remake the cakes.
Anyway, I encourage others to make this recipe, but don’t use apple cider vinegar!
Dini says
Hi Hannah,
I’m glad that the cakes turned out perfectly for you. I’ve made this cake with apple cider vinegar before, and 2 tsp of it usually isn’t enough to make the entire cake taste like apple cider, so I’m surprised to hear that happened to you. But I’ll make a note of it in the recipe as well. Thank you for letting me know!
Lalita says
I made this cake today and I am extremely happy with the way it turned out ! I followed all the instructions and did not change a thing . The cake looked very nice and also tasted great . A very lovely moist and light cake that you can do a lot with 🙂 super grateful to Dini for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Dini says
I’m really glad you liked the recipe Lalita. 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know!
Sachi Sarkar says
It indeed is best of all the vanilla cake recipes in the world… Super soft yet buttery texture, love it!
Sam says
Hello, I have just made the sponge for this cake and was going to start frosting it with your buttercream frosting recipe however the cake is for tomorrow and I don’t have room in my fridge to store it overnight. Is it better to frost tomorrow or can I leave it at room temperature frosted overnight?
Dini says
Hi Sam!
You can frost the cake today, but if it’s possible, keep it in a cool area, under a cake carrier/cake dome so that the frosting won’t dry out. If the whole cake will be covered by frosting, then the frosting will protect the cake from drying out too.
Alternatively, you can double wrap each cake layer with plastic wrap and keep it in a cool area, and frost it tomorrow too. Either way the cake should be fine for tomorrow! 🙂
Fame says
Hey i wanted to ask if i could use this recipe as the cake base for my fondant cake??
Thanks in advance..
Dini says
Hi Fame!
This cake is a soft, but if it’s just a one tiered fondant cake, with ganache coating, or a good sturdy buttercream frosting, it should hold up well with fondant. I haven’t personally used this cake to cover with fondant, but I have used this for wedding cakes with 3 tiers of cake. I hope that helps!
Aileen says
Hi! I have baked your recipe a few times now, and it always comes out perfectly! I was hoping you could help me, a friend has asked for an egg free vanilla cake, do you think I could use an egg substitute in this recipe? Thank you in advance.
Dini says
Hi Aileen
I am so glad that you have had great results with this recipe! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
I haven’t personally tried to make this recipe with an egg substitute, so I can’t be sure how the cake would turn out. I have used apple sauce as egg replacements for pancakes, and it’s worked perfect for them, but I cannot be sure it would work in this recipe. The rule of thumb for me is to usually substitute each egg with 1/4 cup of apple sauce.
I would definitely recommend trying a recipe that is specifically tested to be egg less so you know you will get perfect results! I hope that helps!
FaridabadCake says
Hi Dini,
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
Laila says
Hi! I’ve been trying to find the perfect recipe and I think I finally found it. I just Had one question and I wanted to know if u would recommend this. Could I put a flower nail in the middle of the pan for this recipe? I want it to bake
evenly and rise evenly but I don’t know if u would recommend this.
Thanks.
Dini says
Hi Laila!
I find that I don’t need to use a heating core for 8 inch cakes and even 9 inch cakes. But I do use them for 10 inch cakes and higher. However, you can use a flower nail as a heating core if you like.
If you are looking to make the cake in an 8 inch pan, and would like to have a nice flat surface, I would also recommend using baking strips (bake even strips)! That’s what I use regularly to get even flat surfaces for my 8 and 9 inch cakes.
If you do use a flower nail as a heating core, remember to spray it with non stick spray (or butter and flour them), so that they don’t stick to the cake.
I hope that helps!
Laila says
Thanks so much! I just baked the cake and it turned out amazing!
Dini says
Thank you for letting me know Laila!
I’m so glad that it turned out great! 🙂
nga pham says
I just baked this recipe last night. the shape was perfect however it felt “crumbly” to the taste. is this due to my use of cake flower? thankyou
Dini says
Hi Nga!
Cake flour tends to make a cake a lot lighter as it has less gluten. This can make the cake seem more crumbly than a cake made with all purpose flour. I hope that helps!
Nga Pham says
Thank you for your quick response, I made your vanilla butter cream frosting. It was very good. can you help me with mocha butter cream frosting? how much chocolate and coffee do i have to put in based on your receipts ?
Thank you very much
Nga
Dini says
Hi Nga!
I’m glad that the cake and frosting came out well! 🙂
For Mocha buttercream, I use my chocolate butter cream as the base and add dissolved instant coffee into the frosting.
The recipe is here – https://www.theflavorbender.com/easy-creamy-chocolate-buttercream-frosting/ and I dissolve about 1 tsp of instant coffee in 1 tbsp warm cream and add it to the frosting. I hope that helps!
nga pham says
Thanks for your help
Nakalige Jessica says
I wish to try out this recipe, kindly explain what you mean placing the pan half and secondly white wine vinegar is the same as white vinegar?
Dini says
Hi Nakalige
Could you let me know where I have mentioned ” placing the pan half ” ? I’m sorry I couldn’t find that information, but if you let me know which part you would like me to clarify I will!
Also, white wine vinegar isn’t the same as white vinegar. White vinegar is stronger and white wine vinegar is a more mellow vinegar. If you want to use white vinegar, then cut the vinegar amount in half.
Hope that helps!
Nastyl says
Pls what is the measurement for butter in cups. I like the way your article reads I plan to bake this cake during the weekend
Dini says
Hi Nastyl
4 oz of butter is usually 1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons), so it would be 1/2 cup. I hope that helps!
Isha says
Can I bake this in one 10″ springform pan?
Dini says
Hi Isha
Unfortunately, I haven’t baked this recipe in a 10 inch pan, so it’s difficult for me to predict how long it would take for it to bake properly and evenly, and how high the sides should be for a 10 inch cake pan.
Rachel says
I just made this cake and tested it with a toothpick and took it out as soon as it was done. I mixed in the flour on the very lowest speed of the mixer and turned it off as soon as the flour was incorporated. However it did not rise well and sunk just a little in the middle. And I’m wondering if it did that because I moved the pan around to turn it halfway during baking as you suggested. I thought possibly it could be my baking powder, but I have cupcakes in the oven now at 350, not 325, and they rose well. I am worried that it will be dense and heavy and this is for my grandson’s birthday party.
Dini says
Hi Rachel!
If the cake only sunk a little bit, the cake should still be good! If the toothpick came out clean, then the cake is perfectly cooked, and shouldn’t be dense. This happens to me sometimes too, especially if it’s a humid day. I usually level the cake on the surface if it’s for a layer cake. Leaving it in the oven a little longer next time may prevent it from sinking at all, but then there’s a chance the cake could be drier too. I hope that helps! 🙂
Happy Birthday to your grandson! 😀
Camille says
I’m having the same problem. Not springing back up in the center. I think the temp is too low or maybe I should have split to 3 pans. I’m also at a reasonably high altitude.
Dini says
Hi Camille,
The reason why the cake isn’t springing back up while baking is because it wasn’t baking properly in the middle. If you’re baking at high altitudes, then the oven temperature needs to be increased by 25-50°F, so that the cake will bake faster. This is because of the lower pressure at higher altitudes, which requires the cake to rise quickly and form a stable structure so that the cake can bake through. I hope that helps.
Rebecca says
Hi, thanks for the detailed instructions! I’ve just made it two days in advance for my son’s second birthday. How should I store it – room temperature or in the fridge? Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Rebecca!
I would double wrap each cake with plastic wrap (once it’s cooled), and then foil and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it! 🙂
The cake is best frosted the day before. However, if you have already frosted it (since it’s two days before), you can keep it in the fridge to allow the buttercream frosting to harden, and then wrap it lightly with plastic wrap and store it until the day you will be serving the cake. Just make sure to take it out a few hours before you serve it to allow the cake to return to room temperature 🙂 I hope that helps!
Happy 2nd Birthday to your son too!! 😀 <3
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for the quick response! (It’s night time over here in Austria!) The cake smelled delicious coming out of the oven. 🙂
Darla says
It looked great coming out of the oven but as it cooled it shrunk, not sure what I did wrong?
Dini says
Hi Darla!
How much did the cake shrink? Did the sides shrink away from the pan? Usually if the sides shrink too much, this could be a sign of the cake being over-baked, or over-mixed.
I would recommend mixing the cake batter as little as possible when adding the flour (using a spatula to mix in the flour is a good way to avoid over-mixing) and testing the cake earlier while it’s baking, and removing the cake from the oven as soon as a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean, OR as soon as you feel a very light spring on the cake surface when you touch the surface.
I hope that helps!
Darla says
When it can out of the oven it was level with the top of the cake pan and now it is about 1/2 inch lower all over, still nice and flat but I’m afraid it will be dense and not fluffy. I haven’t tried it yet looks good other then shrinking!
Dini says
Hi Darla!
Thank you for getting back to me. There is usually just a little bit of deflating from the top of the cake when it comes out of the oven. The hot air inside the cake cools down and makes the cake deflate a little. The fact that the cake top is nice and flat is a good sign! If the middle of the cake was sunken, that would be a worry. Unfortunately, it would be hard to determine if the cake deflated too much, until the cake is cut into. Like you mentioned, if the cake is too dense, then it could be that the raising agents (like the baking powder) might not have been fresh, or there was some over-beating when or after the flour was added. Could you let me know if the cake texture was good or too dense when you do get to try it?
Darla LANGSTAFF says
Hi Dini,
The cake tasted great and it was not dense like I thought it might be shrinking that much. Thank you
Jenny G. says
Thank you for the recipe, the cake was truly delicious!
Jenny G. says
Hi, I have a question; one of the ingredients calls for white wine vinegar/ apple vinegar cider. Is that combined with the oil+sugar+butter+ eggs+ milk and vanilla?
Thanks
Dini says
Hi Jenny!
Yes, the vinegar is mixed with the milk, and then added to the cake batter along with the rest of the ingredients.
I hope that helps! 🙂
Sonia Woldow says
Best vanilla cake! My husband felt it was too eggy. However, this cake had the best texture for a baked from scratch cake. I will bake it again.
Pam says
You are so right, everyone should know how to make a classic vanilla cake. I love how easy you’ve made it with all your tips.
Dana DeVolk says
Thank you so much for being so detailed with this recipe. I just made a sheet cake to enjoy this weekend and it came out perfectly, so buttery!
Jenn says
I’m also team add one egg at a time! Love this mouthwatering cake recipe like woah!!! So good!