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bakery style white cake recipe by sugar and sparrow
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Bakery-Style White Cake

The softest, fluffiest white cake recipe that's packed with vanilla flavor and stays moist for days. Filled and frosted with silky smooth Swiss meringue buttercream, this tastes like it came from your favorite bakery, but it’s 100% homemade!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings 15 slices

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

*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: if you can't find cake flour locally, here's how to make a homemade version using all purpose flour and cornstarch. 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.  
**DIY Buttermilk Recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 1/4 Cups of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
Make Ahead Tips: 
  1. 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. 
  2. 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.