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!).
Hello! thank you so much for the recipe, Im doing you domestica course, I love it!!!!
If I want to do a 8 inch 3 layer cake, I should add and extra 1/2 of the recipe to do the extra layer?
or I have to divide this one in 3 to do the 3 layers?
If I add an extra half recipe for the 3rd layer, the cake could be too tall?
what do yo recommend?
thank you so much!!
Hi Francisca! So happy you’re loving my Domestika course!!
To make three 8-inch layers, you’ll want to make 1.5x the recipe (multiply each ingredient by 1.5). It should end up being about the same height as the 6-inch version, just wider (since the diameter is wider). Hope that helps!
Hi Whitney, Thank you for all the lovely recipes on your website. I tried out your Easter eggs cake for Easter and everyone loved it.
Is it possible to use all purpose flour or self raising flour instead of cake flour?
Also, using your recipe, what do I do to make my vanilla cake less crumbly, do I reduce the milk a bit?
Thank you.
Hi Abby! So happy to hear that the Easter cake was a hit! For the cake flour substitute, I recommend making a homemade version of cake flour using all purpose flour. The recipe for that is in the notes section and you can also find it here: https://sugarandsparrow.com/homemade-cake-flour-recipe/ also, if your cake is turning out crumbly that usually indicates it’s dry or over-baked. What kind of oven are you using? My recipes are written for conventional ovens and I know that other types of ovens (convection, fan assisted, etc) can run hotter and overbake your cake. Otherwise are you making any substitutes? Definitely don’t decrease the milk amount because that won’t add enough moisture!
Hi!! Thank you so much for your amazing recipes. I’ve made several of your cakes and love them! I’m planning on making this vanilla cake for a friends birthday and I wanted to get your thoughts on halving the vanilla extract and doing 50% almond extract and 50 % vanilla? I feel like almond extract adds such an elevated flavor to a cake but wanted to get your thoughts for this with this particular cake. Thank you!!
Hi Cristen! Yes, you could totally sub half of the vanilla with almond extract in this recipe. I’ve done that before and it really does elevate the flavor!
Hi. I made this cake 3x now, and i still find it a dense, i dint had that fluffy cakey texture, i dont know why.
I am using diy cake flour (from your notes) i sifted it 4 times then weighed it at 290g.
Also, would it be possible to use the while eggs?
Hi Aiza! The cake will be more dense than intended with the DIY cake flour because it uses all purpose flour as a base. If you want the cake to be the most light and fluffy I would try to find store bought cake flour. And if you want to use whole eggs I’d recommend using 3 large eggs. I do find that adding whole eggs + egg whites helps keep the cake lighter though. Hope that helps!
Question: I want to dye the inside of my cake purple to surprise my 3 year old. I need a more white cake… can I use just egg whites instead of the two whole eggs? If so, should I add a little extra oil or another fat (sour cream, or something) to keep it from getting too dense?
Also, can I do 1.5 times this recipe to create a three layer cake?
Hi Alison! I would use my bakery-style white cake from this post: https://sugarandsparrow.com/berry-chantilly-cake-recipe/
Hi
Cani I use reverse creaming method with this recipe please?
You can certainly try it! I’ve never done this recipe with the reverse creaming method so it will be an experiment. Let me know how it goes if you give it a shot!
Hello!
Can I make this in 3 layer 8 inch cake?
What should I change?
Hi there! To make a 3 layer 8-inch cake, you’ll need to make 1.5x the recipe. Multiply each ingredient by 1.5, then divide the batter equally between your cake pans. Hope that helps!
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. I cannot wait to decorate it. Thank you so much for the delicious recipe!! ☺️
Yay, Haley! That makes my day!
Hi Whitney! I have made so many cakes from your site and all come out great! I am having 12 adults celebrating my daughter & daughter-in-laws birthdays. What size cake should I make? They love big slices. My daughter absolutely loves your vanilla cake & would like to have fresh strawberries in the center with your strawberry buttercream frosting. If I made 2, 8 x 3 inch cakes, how much cake batter do I need? And any suggestions on how to fill the center of cake with fresh strawberries? Thank you so much! Elisa
I’m so happy you’ve been loving my recipes, Elisa! This recipe serves 12-15 people as-is, so it should be a great size for your party but if you’d rather bake the layers in taller pans, you can make 1.5x the recipe to have enough batter. I’ve never baked this cake in a taller pan (mine are 8×2 inches) so I’m not sure how much extra baking time the layers will need. Hope that helps!
Hi! I am so excited to make this (along with your small batch cake) for my son’s first birthday! I was thinking of alternating layers (vanilla-chocolate-vanilla), do you think that would work well with your One Bowl Chocolate Cake? Thanks!
Hi Cassie! Yes, it would be amazing with my One Bowl Chocolate Cake as alternating layers. Yum!
Hi there! I’m looking to use this recipe as a tiered cake and was wondering how much batter I will need for a 3 layer 8″ cake and a 3 layer 12″ cake? Could you also help me out with the cooking times using 8″ inch pans and 12″ pans? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I love your blog! Thanks!
Hi Billie! For a 3 layer 8-inch cake you’ll want to make 1.5x the recipe to have the perfect amount of batter to divide between your pans evenly. For 3 12″ pans you’ll want to make 4x the recipe. Here’s a chart that shows how much batter you need per cake pan size: https://sugarandsparrow.com/cake-serving-guide/ hope that helps!
Hi Whitney,
I have a wedding cake and cupcakes to make in 1 week can I makes these ahead of time and freeze them? Then the day before put the buttercream on them? I wasn’t sure if it would make the cake and cupcakes too wet after being frozen for about a week.
Thank you,
Gina L.
Hi Gina! You can definitely do all of that. Here’s a blog post I wrote about making cakes ahead that has all the info you need: https://sugarandsparrow.com/making-cakes-ahead/
Whitney I can’t thank you enough for all your help, you are a true inspiration keep up all your beautiful work.
Thank you,
Gina L.
Hi Whitney,
Just wanted to ask you, can I substitute vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract for your vanilla cake recipe? I didn’t know if that would change the texture for this recipe. I have a wedding cake to do and they asked for a Vanilla Bean Cake and your recipe for vanilla cake is wonderful.
Thank you kindly,
Gina L.
Hi Gina! Using vanilla bean paste as a substitute for the vanilla extract should be totally fine. It won’t alter the texture at all. I’m so happy you love my vanilla cake recipe so much!
That makes sense, I will do as you suggested. Sounds like maybe the cake version is a bit sturdier for layer cakes, which is not a worry for cupcakes since you don’t stack cupcakes. Thank you for explaining! Have a wonderful upcoming week!
Hi there,
Thank you for being so kind to share your recipes, and all the time and effort you’ve put into this blog to help us all out! I’m planning on making cupcakes and was going to use this vanilla cake recipe. But then I saw in your notes that you recommend using your actual cupcake recipe instead. I’m just curious what the reason might be, what about the cupcake recipe make it better for cupcakes? I appreciate your attention to details and how well you are explaining everything. Thanks in advance!
Hi Terese! Thank you for the kind words about my blog 🙂 You can certainly use this recipe for cupcakes, it’s only slightly different. The cupcake recipe yields a little bit softer crumb, a little more moisture, and more of a domed bake. The cake version makes great cupcakes as well, I just prefer the cupcake variation for the cupcakes and the cake variation for cake layers. But in other words, take your pick!
Hi Whitney! I have made so many cakes from your website! And they are all so delicious & get so many compliments! I am making your vanilla cake for my granddaughter’s baptism with 60 guests including 15 children up to 5 years. What size cake should I make? I am thinking a 3 layer, 10 inch cake? How do I adjust the recipe for this size cake. Thank you so much!
Hi Elisa! I’m so happy you’ve been loving my recipes! I wrote a blog post that shows how many servings each cake size yields + how to scale my recipes for each size here: https://sugarandsparrow.com/cake-serving-guide/ as long as you cut the slices on the smaller side, you should have enough for a guest list of that size. You could also do a smaller cake and cupcakes as an alternative. Hope that helps!
Thank you, Whitney, for responding so quickly! I will make the 3 layer, 10 inch cake plus a dozen cupcakes as you suggested! I’m sure the children will enjoy the cupcakes! Will follow the scale. I appreciate your help!