This is my favorite from-scratch vanilla cake recipe that was created after TONS of recipe testing in search of the perfect vanilla cake – one that has the light and fluffy texture of box cake mix, is packed with vanilla flavor, and super easy to make. This one checks all of those boxes and has become a go-to for me and for many of you, which makes me so happy! Pair it with vanilla buttercream and pretty sprinkles for the ultimate vanilla birthday cake, or pair it with any of my other frostings to mix it up. It goes well with everything!
One reader, Haley, says: “1000% this is the best vanilla cake recipe I have ever made. I quite literally NEVER leave reviews on things that I try, but there is no way that I could go without telling you how DELICIOUS this cake is.” ★★★★★
From-Scratch Vanilla Cake that Rivals Box Mix
I have a little confession to make: when I first started making cakes, my secret go-to for far too long was the box vanilla cake mix by Betty Crocker.
Phew. Now you know.
Since I became accustomed to the light and fluffy texture of said box mix, every time I tried to make a vanilla cake from scratch, the result seemed off. Blame it on the lack of Propylene Glycol Mono (or the handful of other ingredients in box mixes that you’ve never heard of), but my from-scratch vanilla cakes always ended up too dense, tasted a little cornbread-ish, and just didn’t have that fluffy appeal. Finding a go-to vanilla cake recipe from scratch felt like a mountain I had to climb, but after (what felt like) five hundred tries and a whole lot of not giving up, I’ve found a recipe that is beyond my wildest cake dreams.
Perfect Vanilla Cake Ingredients & Substitutions
This vanilla cake is soft and moist, so easy to whip up, and tastes like a dream. There are some key ingredients that make it this way, and I’ve listed them below. I’ve also shared some substitutions that can be made just in case you’re in a pinch:
- Cake Flour. To achieve the super soft texture in this cake, I swear by cake flour. It produces a much fluffier cake than all-purpose (or plain) flour because of its lower protein content (the more protein in your flour the stiffer the dough and less ability to maintain moisture). You can find cake flour at most grocery stores, but if all you’ve got is all-purpose flour in your pantry, here are instructions for how to make your own cake flour. Keep in mind that if you do use the homemade version, the gram measurement will weigh more (325g instead of 290g) since all-purpose flour is heavier than cake flour.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda. The leavening agents in this recipe. Using both makes it the perfect amount of fluffy.
- Unsalted Butter. The main fat in this recipe, which adds lots of moisture, great structure, and rich flavor. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can substitute that but be sure to omit the salt in the recipe if you do.
- Granulated Sugar. This not only sweetens the cake, it creates a tender crumb as well. You can substitute this with caster sugar if you wish and it will be even more soft.
- Whole Eggs + Egg Whites. I use two large eggs and two large egg whites in this recipe. The egg whites keep the cake lighter while adding the perfect amount of protein and binding power.
- Sour Cream. Sour cream adds the perfect amount of moisture to this cake. If you don’t have that locally you can substitute it for plain yogurt or Crème fraîche.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. I use an entire tablespoon of vanilla extract in this cake, which takes the flavor beyond! I recommend using a quality vanilla extract here (not imitation). You can substitute the extract for vanilla bean paste if you wish.
- Whole Milk. Since it has the highest fat percentage of any milk (aside from buttermilk), the whole milk creates a rich crumb while binding the ingredients together. You can technically substitute this for another kind of milk, but whole milk is going to yield the best results.
Vanilla Cake Baking Tips for Success
Even if you have all the right ingredients, it’s important to follow a few ground rules when it comes to baking this cake (or really any cake). Here are a few best practices that will really set you up for success:
- Start with room temperature ingredients. Cake baking is a science, and when ingredients like eggs, butter, and dairy are at room temperature, they form an emulsion which traps air in the batter. Once you place that batter in the oven, the trapped air expands and gives your cake a good rise and lovely, tender crumb. It’ll only happen when you use room temperature ingredients, so if you want your cake to live up to it’s true potential, don’t skip this step.
- Use fresh baking powder and baking soda. Each of these leavening agents are responsible for helping your cake to rise. Once their containers are open, they only have a six month shelf life! When they’re past their expiration date, the chemical reaction that causes your cake to rise won’t happen. If you want those cakes to rise beautifully, make sure your baking powder and baking soda are within that 6 month window.
- Use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer. Also known as the “flat beater” attachment, the paddle attachment helps incorporate just the right amount of air. Other attachments might add too much air to your cake batter, causing them to become over-mixed and potentially sink in the baking process. If you don’t have a stand mixer, an electric hand mixer works just fine.
- Be careful not to over or under mix. Under-mixing the batter will prevent important chemical reactions from happening in your cake batter, and over-mixing will lead to too much gluten development (aka a dense cake). In order to help you mix for the right amount of time, I’ve listed all of the mixing times in the recipe below. Follow those exactly for best results!
- Know your oven. I’ve written this recipe (and all of my recipes) for a conventional oven. If you have a convection or fan-assisted oven, you’ll want to reduce the baking temperature to 325ºF (163ºC) and check for doneness a few minutes earlier than specified.
Here’s a quick video to show you the process for making this vanilla cake:
If you love recipe videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube channel! I’ve got a growing collection of cake recipes, decorating tutorials, and Cake Basics over there. Hit the subscribe button on my page so you never miss a new video.
What Frosting to Pair with Vanilla Cake
This vanilla cake pairs well with so many buttercream flavors, but if you want to keep things on the vanilla spectrum, try pairing it with a double batch of my Vanilla Buttercream Recipe. It does not disappoint!
If you’d rather switch things up, a double batch of any of my frosting recipes will work great! I’ve got recipes for alternative cake fillings here as well.
Updates
In 2022: I slightly changed the measurements of these same ingredients to make this cake even more soft and light! The original recipe is in this youtube video if you’ve come to love that one.
In 2025: I finally updated the photos to show more of the inside of the cake! The exterior decoration changed to reflect a simpler design as well. Basically a smooth buttercream finish, these pretty rainbow sprinkles, and swirls on top created with Wilton Tip 4B.
Perfect Vanilla Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 2 3/4 Cups (290g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs + 2 egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
Vanilla Frosting
- 2 batches vanilla buttercream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan.
- Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), beat the butter on high for two minutes until it's light and creamy. Add in the sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing until just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vanilla and sour cream, turn the mixer to high, and beat for one full minute. It will look curdled at this point, but don’t worry – it will become smooth cake batter at the end.
- Add in the dry ingredients all at once and turn the mixer to low speed. Mix until just combined, then slowly pour in the milk. Continue to mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before filling and frosting with a double batch of my vanilla buttercream (or any frosting!).
Hi, do you have any recommendations for baking this at altitude?
Hi Roxanne! I have never tried modifying this recipe for high altitudes, but I did find this info on the web for how to modify it: http://dish.allrecipes.com/high-altitude-cake-baking/
Awesome, thank you so much!
Can i substitute sour cream with yogurt?
Hi Dora! I have never tried the recipe with yogurt as a sour cream substitute, but I think as long as you go with a full fat yogurt you should be alright. The purpose of the sour cream is to add extra moisture, and only a full fat substitute will do that.
Omgosh! I have made vanilla cakes and they all taste like cornbread:( Im so excited to make this!!!!!!! But, can i use ap flor instead of cake flour? Would therr be any difference?
Hi Iris! I can’t wait for you to try this recipe! The reason it calls for cake flour is because that’s what makes it soft and fluffy – all purpose flour tends to make vanilla cake dense and cornbread-y in my experience, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting the cake flour with all purpose. You can make your own cake flour in a pinch if you can’t find it at your grocery store. The recipe is in the notes section of the recipe.
Looks divine! I will try this recipe next as the last recipe I tried turned out way too dense . Would it be okay to substitute the butter with vegetable oil? Or even half butter, half oil? If will it be the same measurements? Also would this recipe work well with cake strips? Thank you!
Hi Roxane! I haven’t tried this recipe substituting the butter with vegetable oil before, so I can’t recommend it. This recipe is really light, fluffy, and flavorful as-is. And yes, you can totally use bake strips with this cake recipe. I hope you love it!
Another great one, thank you! I too have been looking everywhere for a good light and fluffy vanilla cake and this fits the bill. This is the third this month from your blog and all have been fantastic. The cake sank slightly while cooking but after leveling it off it turned out great, I might of opened the oven to check at the wrong time or maybe because I used 6″ silicone pans, I never know why it sometimes sinks. I did your buttercream but added a little passionfruit concentrate for flavor and was awesome.
Hi Chad! I’m so happy that these recipes are working well for you! The addition of passionfruit to the buttercream sounds heavenly. I’m gonna have to try that! And about the sinking – I’ve never tried silicone baking pans so that could be it, but also opening the oven door before the batter is set can cause a cake to sink slightly. Not entirely sure what happened but I’m glad it was perfect when you leveled it!
Hi, I see this recipe makes 3 – 6 inch layers but how can I adapt it to 3- 8 inch and 10 inch layers pls?
Hi Eveline! For three 8-inch layers I would 1.5x the recipe, and for three 10-inch cake layers I would double the recipe.
what about 9 inch 3 layer cake? should i 1.5 it or double it?
Hi Natalie! 1.5x the recipe should be the perfect amount. Enjoy!
Hi there! So excited to try this recipe! I plan on using a 6″ cake pan – does this recipe still yield two 6″ cakes? Just with longer cook time? If I want a 3 layer cake, am I going to have to make another half recipe? Thank you so so much! Your directions are so helpful! 🙂
Hi Catie! So excited for you to try this recipe too! It will yield two 6 inch cakes as is (bake for about 40 minutes), or if you want a third layer you can 1.5 the recipe. If you eliminate the sprinkles from this funfetti cake recipe the measurements for a 3 layer 6-inch cake are perfect (it’s the same vanilla cake recipe, only with sprinkles added at the end): https://sugarandsparrow.com/funfetti-cake-recipe/
You’re the best, thank you!!
Hi me again, I’m a little confused. The instructions say that this recipe is enough for 3 6inch tins but in the comments you say 2?
Hi Samah! This recipe makes enough for 3 6-inch tins. There have been some updates to the recipe over the years which are noted in the blog post, so if the comments are older than the updates that could be the reason for the conflicting info. Hope that helps!
Hi there
I love the sound of this recipe. My twins have asked for a unicorn cake (one each) for their birthday. It has a fondant unicorn head on the front. As I’m making 2 cakes I want to make two quite small ones (to prevent waste) with a bit of height to accommodate the unicorn head, so multiple layers will be required. Any help on how to adapt this recipe would be very much appreciated (tins cooking times etc). The smallest tins I have are quite high sided 6inch tins but I could buy 5 inch. Many thanks. Nicola.
Hi Nicola! This cake recipe works well with smaller sized pans. Although I’ve successfully made it with 4 inch pans, 6 inch pans, and as cupcakes, I’ve never tried it with a taller sided cake pan, so I have no idea what the baking time would be. For the 6 inch pans (2 inch tall sides), I baked for 40 minutes. I would be sure to fill the pan no more than 2/3 full and check it at 40-50 minutes to see if it needs more time for the taller sides. The reason the 8 inch pans need less baking time is because the layers aren’t as tall as my 6 inch pan.
Many thanks. Looks like my pans are 3 inches high so hopefully that won’t make too much difference to baking
times. Will let you know how I go!
Oh perfect! For some reason I read that as you having a pan with 6 inch tall sides 🙂 For a 6 inch cake with 3 inch sides, just check it at 40 min and gauge whether or not you need more time. My estimate would be about 50 min total, but let me know how it goes!
I want to thank you for sharing this recipe! I have been looking for a GREAT vanilla cake recipe and this was it! I made this for a thanksgiving party and paired it with a Hershey milk chocolate buttercream and it was gone before everybody got a chance to get a piece
I must admit I did make 2 changes, I used buttermilk instead and added an extra tbsp of vanilla.
Everyone LOVED it! Thank you once again for sharing this amazing recipe!
Hi Jasmine! I’m SO happy to hear that this was a hit!! Glad you loved the recipe and consider it a great one. I’ll have to try it with the buttermilk and extra vanilla! Thanks for letting me know!
Hey! Could you please tell if you also added sour cream with buttermilk or was it just buttermilk. Thanks
Im wanting to give it a try as I don’t like the smell of sour cream.
Love the recipe started my cake business with this recipe its a game changer. *
Remember to credit the author of the recipe especially if you are making money off her recipe for your business. Don’t claim it is your recipe
Hello Whitney! I just wanted to ask a question based upon I use springform cake pans and I was wondering how could I adjust this recipe to create two 10” cake, which I will cut into 2 which will become a 4 layer cake?
Thank you x
Hi Nagina! I have never made this cake in a taller cake pan (mine have 2 inch sides), so I am not sure how the baking times will be affected. I would definitely triple the recipe to accommodate that amount of cake batter, but you’ll need to bake them for longer than the recipe specifies since there will be more volume of cake batter in the oven. How long do you usually bake cakes of that size? I would set the timer for however long you’re used to with those pans and keep an eye on the cakes to make sure they don’t cook for too little or too long.
Thank you for the recipe, Whitney! I’m from Brazil!
I’ve never bake a cake like this and I’d like to start with a 4 inch on.
How many layers of cake should I use?
If do you use 4 layers with 4 inch each this recipe have a perfect size right?
Hi Lana! For four inch cakes, I typically use three layers but have used four layers for taller designs. It’s totally up to you! When using a 4 inch pan, this recipe yields 8 layers of cake, so you could easily choose the perfect amount of layers after they’re baked.
Hi Whitney !
I live in Spain and we don’t have sour cream. What do you recommend I can substitute the sour cream with?
Thank you!
I love your blog!!
Hi Monica! Thanks for the kind words 🙂 there are two ways to substitute the sour cream: 1) replace it with a full fat greek yogurt or 2) omit the sour cream completely and replace the whole milk with buttermilk. If you don’t have access to buttermilk, here is a diy version: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/how-to-make-homemade-buttermilk/
Hi Whitney
I recently made a cake that called for sour cream and dont feel it was as moist as when I used buttermilk. I am going to make your recipe but wondering your thoughts on sour cream vs buttermilk? Is it correct to simply omit sour cream and use buttermilk in same amount and in place of milk?
Hi Kristen! In my experience, sour cream is the ultimate moist-maker when it comes to cakes. It shouldn’t make the cake dense. If you want to try buttermilk, I would recommend subbing the sour cream for buttermilk + the whole milk for buttermilk as well. That would equal 1 1/2 Cups of buttermilk added at the end of the recipe. I think the comment you read about omitting the sour cream completely is old and I was just guessing at that point since I’d never done it before. Hope that helps!
Hi,
Can you suggest a sour cream substitute to make the cake dairy free please.
Thankyou
Hi Lori-Anne! I have never tried a dairy free sub for the sour cream but I do have a vegan vanilla cake recipe if you’re looking for a dairy free cake: https://sugarandsparrow.com/vegan-vanilla-cake-recipe/
Hi, Whitney!
I’m interested in making this cake for my daughter’s birthday. For salt, did you use table salt or kosher salt?
Hi Suzie! I always use kosher salt, but table salt works just as well.
I made this today and it came out soooo well (despite me forgetting to add the milk into the cake mixture!!) – the cake is moist and delicious, you can really taste the vanilla, it’s lovely and solid and has smooth outsides perfect for decorating. Thank you so much!!!
Yay Lia!! I am so happy to hear that you loved the recipe 🙂 Can’t wait to see how you decorate!
Hey!
This recipe is so yummy and!!
I was just wondering how many times the recipe you’d need to make this cake for around 100-160 people (5 inch tall tiers) ahah I’m being ambitious and making this for my 21st birthday! eeeekkk
Hi Laura! Wow, you’re really going all out for your birthday! I applaud your ambition 🙂 This recipe serves 12 comfortably, so if you’re thinking about serving 100 or so, here’s what I would do:
1.5x this recipe makes a 6 inch diameter, 5 inch tall cake. 2x this recipe would make a 8 inch diameter, 5 inch tall cake. And 3x the recipe makes a 12 inch diameter, 5 inch tall cake. Three tiers in those dimensions would serve 100-115. That would mean 7x the recipe total. Phew.
Thank you so much Whitney! You are amazing! and yes very ambitious ahah lets hope it all goes to plan and my Australian ingredients don’t mess with this gorgeous recipe! xx 🙂
Yes! Feel free to email me if you have any questions throughout. And happy birthday!!
Hello Whitney
Thanks for this recipe, Am thrilled with the idea of making this cake.. Quick question though, can I use margarine instead of butter in this receipe?
Thank again
Hi Cordelia! I’m excited for you to make this cake! I can’t recommend substituting the butter for margarine just because I’ve never tried it before and don’t know how it will turn out. I hear that you can substitute butter with margarine in baking though, so it might be worth a try. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Hallo Whitney,
I like your Blog!!!! I am from Berlin. Please, how big (ml) is one cup? Wir have another cups in Europa.
Thank you very much
You inspire me
Elena
Hi Elena! Thanks so much for the kind words about my blog and I’m so happy you’re inspired! I just looked up the conversion from cups to ml online and it appears that 1 cup = 236.6ml. Hope that helps!
Your tips and tricks are the best! It’s like you know the questions I would ask before I ask them! You have the gift of teaching and a huge talent for creating!
Thank you so much for the kind words, Megan! I’m so happy to be able to share all of this with you!
OMG! After watching your blogs and videos, I can not wait
To follow your recipes for my son’s birthday. Can I use a colouring gel for this cake?
Yay! I’m so happy you’re inspired and I’m excited for you to make your son’s birthday cake! You can definitely use a color gel to tint the cake batter and/or buttercream. Cheering you on!
I was wondering if u can split this cake into three layer 9 inch round cake?
Hi Whitney, Im in Australia and I will be baking this recipe , but in a 27cm Round tin.
What weight adjustments need to be applied to this recipe for this size cake , and also how long do you bake this cake for?
Hi Benjamin! How many layers are you baking? If it’s just one layer, you can just make the recipe as-is. If you need more than one layer, here’s a chart I made that helps you calculate how many batches of cake per size: https://sugarandsparrow.com/cake-serving-guide/ I’m not sure the exact timing for that size cake so you’ll want to check the cake around the 35 min mark for doneness and go from there.
Hi there I’m making g three teir 6/9/12 naked wedding cake for my daughter. I was wondering how many times I will need to multiply thus recipe by. I was thinking 5× would give me slightly more batter than I need. What would you recommend? Thanks
Hi Tony! Congrats on your daughter’s upcoming wedding, that’s so special that you’re making her cake! I think 5x the recipe will be perfect for those sizes. Here’s a guide I wrote to help calculate the amount of cake batter you need per pan size: https://sugarandsparrow.com/cake-serving-guide/
Thanks and it looks yummy
Hi, I was wondering can I make this cake 8 inch instead of 6 inch?
Hi Toni! Yes – you can make this cake as a 2 layer 8-inch cake as-is or if you want 3 layers, you’ll just need to make 1.5x the recipe to have the right amount of batter.
What would you recommend for serving 35? Would 4 layers in 6 inch tins be enough or 3 or 4 layers in 8 inch tins?
Hi Chloe! I would recommend making either a 4-layer 8-inch cake or making a smaller cake and supplementing with cupcakes. Hope that helps!
Hi so to make 8” cake you put all the mixture in this recipe in one tin or split between 2 x 8” ? Sorry I’m new to baking x ♀️
Hi Tracy! This recipe makes a double layer 8-inch cake when you split the batter evenly between two 8×2 inch cake pans. Enjoy!
Hi could I use castor sugar instead of granulated?
Yes you can!
I absolutely love this cake! It is thick layers and absolutely delicious! Is there a way to make this cake into a chocolate and vanilla swirl? Or do you have a recipe for it?
Yay, Jessi! I’m so happy you love this recipe. I do have a chocolate/vanilla marble version here: https://sugarandsparrow.com/marble-cake-recipe/
Thank you so much!! I’m so excited to try this recipe!!
Ok. That marble cake was heavenly! So beyond delicious! One more question for you. I want to museum this vanilla cake for a wedding cake. One tier will be three 12″ layers and the other tier will be three 10″ layers. How much would I need to double this recipe for that and how much will the baking time change? Also, do you have a carrot cake recipe?
Yay, Jessi! So happy you loved the marble cake. Here’s a guide to scaling my recipes for different cake sizes: https://sugarandsparrow.com/cake-serving-guide/ for the 10-inch you’d need to triple the recipe and for the 12-inch you’d need to quadruple the recipe.