This is the softest, fluffiest white cake recipe that tastes like it came from your favorite bakery, but it’s 100% HOMEMADE! It’s super moist (and stays that way for days), packed with vanilla flavor, and made with egg whites to keep the color of the cake nearly white. You can pair it with any frosting flavor, but I paired this one with a vanilla swiss meringue buttercream that’s so light and just the right amount of sweet. It really enhances the rich vanilla flavor of the cake overall and it’s sure to impress any cake lover.
One reader, Alana, says: “I made this cake for a friend’s engagement party and it was a HIT to say the least!! This was my first time making a cake fully from scratch and the guests were asking if I was a professional baker ! I also made the Swiss meringue buttercream and it was PERFECT!” ★★★★★
White Cake Ingredients & Substitutions
To make this white cake perfectly soft and moist with a bakery-style texture, there are a few key ingredients you’ll need. You should be able to find these at your local grocery store, but if not I have provided some substitution ideas as well.
- Cake Flour. To achieve the super soft bakery-style texture in this cake, you’ll need to use 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 (295g instead of 265g) since all-purpose flour is heavier than cake flour.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda. These are the leavening agents used in this cake to give it the perfect rise.
- Unsalted Butter. A little bit of unsalted butter helps create 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.
- Egg Whites. Egg whites not only help keep this cake light in color, they also keep it light and fluffy in structure while binding all of the ingredients together. This recipe calls for 4 large egg whites, and you can either use fresh egg whites or use 1/2 Cup of carton egg whites as a substitute.
- Vegetable Oil. This adds the perfect amount of moisture to the crumb. I like using plain vegetable oil but you can substitute for any kind of vegetable oil (canola, avocado, etc.). Just keep in mind that if the vegetable oil you choose has a strong flavor, it will end up flavoring the cake.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. To create that perfect vanilla flavor, use a good quality vanilla extract. If you want an even whiter colored cake, you can use clear vanilla extract or substitute part of the vanilla extract with a clear extract like almond.
- Buttermilk. The fattiest of all the milks, buttermilk creates a rich texture and locks in lots of moisture. If you can’t find buttermilk locally, you can make a DIY version using whole milk and vinegar or lemon juice. The instructions are in the notes of the recipe below.
White Cake vs. Vanilla Cake
After looking through the ingredients, you may be wondering what the difference is between white cake and vanilla cake. Both are flavored with vanilla extract, so they both have amazing vanilla flavor. The main difference is that this white cake recipe uses all egg whites while vanilla cake recipes typically include whole eggs. Without the yellow of the egg yolks, the white cake ends up very light in color, which is how it gets its name.
Frostings to Pair with White Cake
Since this white cake recipe has a vanilla flavor profile, you can pair it with a double batch of any of my frosting flavors and it will taste amazing. Since I wanted to go for a true bakery-style white cake flavor, I decided to whip up some vanilla swiss meringue buttercream for the filling and frosting. This silky smooth buttercream is the perfect match for this soft and moist white cake! It tastes so rich and buttery, not too sweet, and has that professional bakery quality that pairs so well with the cake.
Swiss meringue buttercream is a little more involved than American buttercream, so if you’d rather try an easier white frosting, here are my recommendations:
How to Decorate a White Cake
I wanted this cake to look like it belongs in a bakery showcase, so I used the swiss meringue buttercream to frost a rustic textured finish with a small icing spatula. This technique is so quick and easy that anyone can do it! I left the top edges of the cake raw (instead of creating sharp edges) to make it look even more rustic. Then, I topped it with fresh berries.
You can decorate this cake however you’d like and it will still have that bakery quality taste! I recommend adding sprinkles for a celebratory look or fresh flowers (make sure they’re cake safe!) for an elegant look. This recipe makes just enough swiss meringue buttercream frosting to fill and stack the cake, then create the rustic textured finish or a smooth buttercream finish.
Bakery-Style White Cake Recipe Video
Here’s a quick video to show you the process of making this 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.
Bakery-Style White Cake
Ingredients
Bakery-Style White Cake
- 2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 Cups (300ml) full-fat buttermilk**, room temperature DIY recipe in notes
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 6 large egg whites from fresh eggs, not the carton
- 2 Cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Cups (340g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Garnish (Optional)
- 1/4 Cup fresh berries
Instructions
Make the Bakery-Style White Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of each pan.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cream it together with the butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle at the halfway point. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg whites one at a time, mixing until they are just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla, increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix the ingredients on low speed until just combined, then slowly pour in the buttermilk. Continue mixing at low speed for about 30 seconds, until the batter is uniform and combined. The batter will be slightly thin.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 28 to 32 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs on it. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Prepare the double-boiler: Fill a saucepan with a few inches of water and set over medium heat. Make sure that the mixing bowl you’ll be using for the next step fits on top of it without the bottom of the bowl touching the water, then remove the mixing bowl and bring the water in the saucepan to a simmer.
- Separate the eggs: it’s really important not to get even a drop of egg yolk in your egg whites, so I recommend separating one egg white at a time into a small bowl, then adding each egg white into your heat proof mixing bowl (glass or metal).
- Add the sugar into your egg whites and whisk together to combine, then set the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture has thinned out and the sugar is fully dissolved, 4-5 minutes. To test that it’s ready, carefully dip your finger into the mixture and rub your thumb over it. If you don’t feel any sugar granules, it’s ready. You can also use an instant read thermometer to check that the temperature has reached 160°F (71°C).
- While the mixture is still warm, transfer it to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or attach the bowl to your stand mixer if you used that for the mixture). Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until stiff peaks form, 10-15 minutes. If stiff peaks have not formed at this point, try placing your bowl into the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- At this point feel the bowl of your stand mixer. If it feels warm to the touch, place it into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to cool it down. The meringue should be about 90ºF (32ºC) or less before moving on to the next step.
- Once the meringue has cooled, switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer to medium-high and add the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer down to medium speed and beat in the vanilla and salt, about 30 seconds. At this point, the Swiss meringue buttercream should be thick, creamy, and silky smooth.
- Troubleshooting Too Thin/Curdled: If the buttercream is thin and curdled-looking, it usually means the meringue was too warm before adding the butter. Place the entire bowl in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before returning it to the stand mixer and beating on medium speed until thickened. If it’s still soupy, place it back into the refrigerator for longer before re-whipping again.
- Troubleshooting Too Thick: If your buttercream looks too thick and air bubbly, scoop out about ½ Cup of the buttercream and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds, until the buttercream has melted. Add it back to the big bowl of buttercream and turn the mixer to low speed until it’s all mixed in. This should bring the buttercream to a smooth consistency. Repeat if necessary until smooth.
Assembly
- Once the white cake layers are completely cooled, level them to your desired height. Add a swipe of Swiss meringue buttercream onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Fill and stack the cake with Swiss meringue buttercream, then crumb coat the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 15-20 minutes to let the crumb coat firm up before frosting the cake with the rest of the Swiss meringue buttercream.
- To create the design pictured, use a small spatula to create a rustic textured finish on the sides of the cake and keep the top edge raw. Garnish with a crescent formation of fresh berries.
Notes
- The white cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature.
- The Swiss meringue buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also refrigerate the buttercream for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, bring back to room temperature before mixing on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
I’ve made this cake a few times and while the crumb and taste are 10/10 (as always!), I can’t seem to get it to be a true white color. Should I use less vanilla extract or sub in vanilla bean paste instead? The batter is a very light beige before I put it in the oven and the cake comes out close to looking like your regular vanilla cake on the inside.
Yay, Maddie! I’m so happy you love this recipe. If you want more of a white color, I recommend using clear vanilla extract for the pure vanilla extract. Hope that helps!
Could you share a make ahead plan for this recipe? I see the cakes can be made ahead and stored for 2 days at room temperature. But then once it’s frosted can it be stored longer at room temperature?
Hi Elizabeth! Once the cake is frosted you can store it at room temperature for 1-2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you store it in the refrigerator I recommend taking it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before serving so you can enjoy it at room temperature. Hope that helps!
Thanks! Could I use this recipe as is for two 9 inch pans or do I need to increase the recipe? And would 1.5x the recipe work for three 9-inch pans?
Hello, how would I adjust this for cupcakes? Thank you!
Hi Traci! To bake this recipe as cupcakes, fill your tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes. Enjoy!
Looks great! Any idea how many (approx) cupcakes it will make?
Hi Angie! I think this recipe makes about 28-30 standard sized cupcakes, but I haven’t tested this recipe as cupcakes so not exactly sure. If you want to try it, be sure to fill the cupcake tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350F for 14-18 minutes. If you are just looking for a great vanilla cupcake recipe, this one is my go-to and highly rated: https://sugarandsparrow.com/vanilla-cupcake-recipe/
Hi, I want to try your recipe for a two tier cake. A 6″ 3 layer and 8″ 3 layer. Would doubling your recipe be enough batter to make the cake?
Hi Nicole! One batch makes a 3-layer 6-inch cake, 1.5x batch will make a 3-layer 8-inch cake, so you’ll need to make 2.5x the recipe here. I recommend baking one batch separately for the 6-inch cake and then 1.5x separately for the 8-inch cake because the yield altogether will be about 20 Cups of batter. Hope that helps!
Great easy recipe! Can good quality pasteurized egg whites be used instead of fresh? I have multiple cakes to make and can only use so many yolks at once 🙂 Many thanks,
Hi Mary! I’m so happy you love this recipe. Yes, pasteurized egg whites can be used instead of fresh for the cake. The measurement would be 1/2 Cup of carton egg whites instead of 4 fresh large egg whites. Enjoy!
Thank you, Whitney!
This cake was beyond perfect-moist-soft and extremely delicious. If you are a cake lover, I promise you will make it again and again..My friends request it all the time—CJ
Yay, CJ! I’m so happy you loved this recipe and it’s been a hit with your friends too!
Hi! I could really use your expertise – the first time I made this cake, a few months ago, it came out perfect! Now when I try to make it, the batter is pretty thick and rises so much that it spills over the cake pans and then deflates in the middle. When trying to make it today, I tried using the “homemade” version of cake flour the first go around, and then bought cake flour and tried with that, which was better, only a little bit spilled over and it didn’t rise as high, but still deflated in the middle. I can’t remember what I used the very first time I made it. And I’m not sure if I made it with real buttermilk or the “homemade” version of that, either. Cuz buttermilk helps with giving it rise too, right? I want to retry making it again tomorrow, just unsure what to adjust. And suggestions?? (I also commented earlier, sorry, little desperate, haha)
Hi Soozie! It sounds like your pans are overfilled if they’re spilling over the sides – what size pans are you using? Another idea is that maybe you’re switching the baking powder and baking soda amounts? Baking soda is more potent than baking powder, so if that amount is off it could make the cake rise too much. Homemade buttermilk and store bought buttermilk should be interchangeable. Let me know if you’re making any other substitutions and what size pans you’re using.
Made this cake yesterday and for some reason they would not release from greased lined pans.. rarely have that happened . Tried to salvage but 2 of them are a mess so today I’m debating about baking another cake bc frosting these are going to be a challenge. I did put them in freezer overnight. Idk if it’s bc it’s lighter cake or what went wrong better tasted great but cakes didn’t puff up a lot either.
Hi Cindy! I’m so sorry the cake stuck to the pan. Did you cool them in the pans in the freezer? When I make this cake I like to spray the sides of the pan with baking spray (Baker’s Joy is my favorite) and line the bottom with parchment paper. I let them cool in the pans for about 5 minutes before running a sharp knife around the edges and turning them out onto a cooling rack. If the cakes didn’t rise much I’d recommend checking to see that your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. Both expire after 6 months and lose their ability to make the cake rise. I hope that helps for next time!
Hi I was wondering after assembling the cake do you store it in fridge or will that dry out the cake?
Hi Frances! I always store my cakes in the refrigerator after assembling and decorating, then bring them to room temperature for serving. The frosting preserves the cake inside so it won’t dry out.
Hello my name is Cristie Appleton and I found this recipe the other night and I made this cake this white delicious decadent amazing cake for the first time last night. I am not a cake person at all but I’m going to tell you this is the best cake I’ve ever ever ever had but I made a whipped cream frosting to put over the top but under that and in between the layers of very light thin spread of raspberry like jam for cakes I could eat this cake everyday of my life and again I am not a cake person or cookie person nothing like that I can’t wait to share this with everybody I’m definitely subscribing to your channel but I just want to let you know this cake is amazing
I’ve been looking for my “go to” white cake recipe for a while, now. I made this cake this evening and paired it with a cream cheese butter cream frosting. The cake turned out perfectly! The texture and taste are everything I hoped for. I can honestly say THIS IS THE ONE! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Hi Whitney,
Thanks for your amazing and beautiful recipes! I have a question for you. Would this cake recipe hold up well for a 2 tiered wedding cake? I am making a wedding cake that has 3-9 inch cakes for the bottom tier and 3-6 inch cakes for the top tier. Could you help me figure out how to adjust the recipe for these cakes? I want to make sure I get this right.
Thank you so much!
Hi Kal! Yes, this cake will hold up well for a tiered cake as long as you use dowels to support the tiers. For the top tier, you’ll make one batch of this recipe and for the bottom tier you can make 1.5x the batter amount to have enough for three 9-inch layers. Hope that helps!