This Classic Vanilla Cake recipe pairs fluffy vanilla cake layers with a silky vanilla buttercream. The perfect cake for birthdays, weddings, and holidays!
![Classic Vanilla Cake with vanilla buttercream and sprinkles.](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/vanilla-cake-4.jpg)
This classic Vanilla Cake is one of the most beloved recipes on Liv for Cake.
I always thought that there were so many of these recipes out there that I’d stick to more unique ones. But really, I think the world needs my version of this simple, classic, delicious flavor combination.
Truthfully, most of my cakes use this vanilla cake recipe, but I’ve never paired it with a vanilla buttercream.
I know it’s easy enough for some people to grab a cake recipe from one post and a frosting recipe from another, but for those of us that are a little less comfortable mixing and matching for fear of epic failures, I’m putting it together for you into one recipe!
![This Classic Vanilla Cake pairs fluffy vanilla cake layers with a silky vanilla buttercream. The perfect cake for birthdays, weddings, or any occasion! | livforcake.com Cake on a white cake stand, decorated with confetti sprinkles.](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/vanilla-cake-6.jpg)
How to Make this Homemade Vanilla Cake
This vanilla cake recipe is the one I use as the base for all of my white/yellow cake-based recipes.
I’ve changed up the liquid like in this Pink Champagne Cake, the butter in this Brown Butter Cake, and sugars in this Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, etc. to create different flavors. Some recipes require more experimentation, like this Coconut Cake.
Cake Tip!
Modifying cake recipes requires expertise and experimentation, so don’t make changes to a recipe unless you’re confident it will work out. It’s always best to ask if you’re not sure!
I use the creaming method to make this vanilla cake which requires:
- Creaming the butter and sugar
- Incorporating the eggs one at a time
- Alternating adding the flour and liquid
I use buttermilk in this vanilla cake recipe because I love the flavor and texture it gives the cake. The buttermilk in the cake helps ensure that it’s not super sweet, and it works well with any kind of frosting.
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily make your own at home:
- Simply add 1 Tbsp of either fresh lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup of milk. Stir and let sit for about 10mins. The milk will start to curdle and essentially turn into a perfect buttermilk substitute.
That being said, if you don’t have buttermilk on hand and if you prefer a sweeter cake, you can use regular milk instead. Ideally use whole milk, but I never have that on hand, so I use 1% and it works just fine.
Milk substitutes such as almond milk or coconut milk, etc. will work fine too.
![Close up of the sides of the cake and the cake combed effect.](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/vanilla-cake-7.jpg)
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
I used a Swiss meringue buttercream here because it’s my favorite, but you can use an American buttercream instead if you prefer.
If you’re going to make Swiss meringue buttercream for the first time, have a read through my detailed tutorial so you know what to do and what not to do to make it a success. I provide a thorough step-by-step process as well as tips and troubleshooting.
![Vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream, confetti sprinkles, and rosettes.](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/vanilla-cake-1.jpg)
I chose to decorate this classic vanilla cake with simple rosettes and sprinkles. I used a decorating comb to make the lines in the sides of the cake, and I love how it turned out!
Definitely going to be trying the other combs in the set, as it’s such an easy way to give a pretty result.
I typically shy away from decorating combs since they remind me of grocery store cakes (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but this one gives it a particularly modern, clean look.
![Close up of rosettes on the top of the cake.](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/vanilla-cake-2.jpg)
Keys to Success with this Vanilla Cake recipe
Or any cake recipe, really. When it comes to baking, especially cakes, it’s best not to take shortcuts. You want to follow the recipe exactly as written and pay attention to any notes.
Here are the key things you should keep in mind to help bake cakes successfully:
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature. Or whatever temperature is specified in the recipe. This helps make sure everything gets incorporated together properly. Not doing this can result in poor emulsification and a less-than-perfect final product.
- Measure your flour properly. Spoon and level the flour into the measuring cup rather than using the measuring cup as a scoop. The latter packs in the flour and can result in dense and dry cakes.
- Don’t skimp on creaming the butter & sugars. You want to make sure they are pale and fluffy. Beat for at least 2-3 minutes.
- Fully incorporate each egg one at a time. Again, for proper emulsification and to ensure a good texture, add one egg at a time and mix well until adding the next.
- Don’t overmix once you add the flour. Mix on low and only till the flour is just incorporated. Overmixing can cause dense but also fragile and crumbly cakes.
- Grease & flour your pans & line bottoms with parchment. To help ensure cakes come out cleanly.
- Use baking times as a guideline only. Every oven is different. Some run hot, some run cold, some have hot spots. Only you know how your oven bakes and it will require some testing on your part to know what works for you.
- Cool your cakes in the pans for 10mins. Any more and the sugars will start to set and the cakes will stick to the pans, any less and the cakes will be too fragile and might break when you’re turning them out.
- Cool cakes completely before frosting. This is critical or you’ll melt your frosting and have a very hard time of putting the cake together.
Following these steps will really help ensure your cakes are successful. It will also make your life easier and less stressful, trust me!
![Slice of cake on a plate showing the layers.](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/vanilla-cake-8.jpg)
If you’re looking for a delicious vanilla cake recipe, whether it be for a birthday, anniversary, or any celebration (even if it’s just making it through the week), you will love this cake!
Looking for more Classic Cake recipes?
- Classic Chocolate Cake
- Black Forest Cake
- Coconut Cake
- Classic Birthday Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Classic Hummingbird Cake
- Classic White Cake
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I convert this recipe?
- The recipe as-is will also work in three 6″ pans. For three 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe. Baking time may need to be adjusted. You can use two 9″ as well but the layers will be thinner (reduce baking time accordingly).
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so. The recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes depending on size.
- You can bake it in a 9×13 pan. Baking time will be slightly shorter.
- You can bake it in a Bundt pan as well but you’ll need to increase the baking time.
- For other conversions go here. Bake time may vary depending on pan size.
- Baking time will vary if you change the pan size. Every oven is different so I can’t say for certain what you’ll need to adjust it to. Be sure to check on the cakes while they are baking.
Can I make it in advance?
- The cooled cake layers can be baked ahead of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
- The frosting can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.
- The finished cake (whole or sliced, stored airtight) can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Can I get the measurements by weight/grams?
- There is a Metric option in the recipe card. If you click it it will convert everything to grams.
- This conversion is done automatically and I cannot guarantee the accuracy but many readers have had success using the metric option on my recipes.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
- For best results, use actual buttermilk, but if you don’t have any you can make your own at home by combining 1 cup of milk (whole milk ideally, but I often just use 1%) with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar and letting it sit for 10mins.
Tips for this Vanilla Cake recipe:
- If you don’t have buttermilk on hand you can make your own (see post for details) or you can use regular milk or milk substitutes instead.
- If you’d prefer to use an American buttercream, you can use one full recipe of Simple Vanilla Buttercream instead.
- Or if you’re looking for a chocolate buttercream version, check out my Classic Birthday Cake.
- If you want a white cake instead of a yellow cake, use this recipe here.
- I used a decorating comb for the texture on the sides of the cake. I used the left side of the one on the left pictured here.
- I prepare my cake pans using Homemade Cake Release and line with parchment paper.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my How to Bake Flat Cakes post!
![vanilla cake thumbnail](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/vanilla-cake-thumb-2021-300x300.jpeg)
The BEST Vanilla Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Assembly:
- confetti sprinkles
- nonpareils
Instructions
Vanilla Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8″ cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (about 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for 30-35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack.
Vanilla Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a pot with 1-2″ of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (approx. 3mins)
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
- Add vanilla and whip until smooth.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 1 cup of buttercream. Repeat with remaining layer and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20mins.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake and smooth with a bench scraper.
- If desired, use a decorating comb to give texture to the sides.***
- Mix confetti and nonpareils in a small bowl. Press sprinkles gently along the bottom of the cake and sprinkle along the top. For the speckled sides, I grabbed a pinch of sprinkles and tossed them randomly at the sides.
- Pipe rosettes using a 1M tip with remainder of frosting.
Notes
This recipe was originally published on June 12th, 2017 and was updated with new content on January 30th, 2023.
Yasmina says
Great recipe, cake was moist and fluffy and had a great flavour
Olivia says
Hi Yasmina! Thanks for the great feedback. I’m so glad you liked it!
Shelly Monchik says
Hi Olivia
Im looking forward to baking this cake tomorrow.
I wanted to ask, do you ever fill it with anything? If so, what would you recommend?
Olivia says
Hi Shelly! This cake is sooo versatile, you can literally fill it with anything! Did you have something in mind? A curd or a custard? I have recipes for both depending on what flavour you’d like to go 🙂
Alana says
I absolutely love the flavor of this cake! I want to make cupcakes the next time I try this recipe, but I’m not sure if I should double the recipe or not. About how many cupcakes does this recipe make?
Thanks for all your awesome recipes!
Olivia says
Hi Alana! Thanks for the wonderful feedback! The recipe as is should make about 18-24 cupcakes depending on size 🙂
Annah Madimbo says
Wow 🤩 I did it 🥳 it’s delicious 😋 thanks so much for the recipe ❤️ It’s really beautiful 🥰
Olivia says
Hi Annah! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you!
Kayli says
Cake looks amazing. Think I rushed the egg and sugar mix. Also some of my butter was cooler than it should of been. Now I have a liquid layer under my whipping, any way to fix this?
Olivia says
Hi Kayli! I talk about this in the post and recipe. I have a tutorial for Swiss meringue buttercream that goes over all sorts of troubleshooting tips! https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
Kourtney says
I found this recipe to be really delicious. What made it even better was using OliveNation’s Vanilla Bean Paste rather than generic vanilla extract. It doesn’t have the alcoholic taste that regular vanilla extract does, but tastes more like vanilla. A huge game changer.
Olivia says
Hi Kourtney! So glad you loved it. Thanks for the tip!
Jenn says
Have you tried mixing sprinkles in the batter to have pops of color throughout the cake?
Olivia says
Hi Jenn! I have not, but it should be perfectly fine to fold them in at the end. I always recommend tossing in a bit of flour first. Make sure to use jimmies and not the round nonpareils as the latter will bleed into the batter.
Jenn says
Thanks!
Megan says
This tastes lovley however it didn’t rise in attampt one came out tiny and the second attempt it simply would not cook and then it all just fell apart I followed the recipe to the T I have a bit of baking OCD so always make sure too but its was just one big fail was delicious though had to use it for cake bits with custard instead and use a different recipe as it was for my sons birthday so needed a cake
Olivia says
Hi Megan! Sorry to hear you had trouble with this one. It does sound like something went wrong along the way. Are you using the proper-sized cake pans? 2×8″? And have you checked to make sure your baking powder is fresh and still active? As for the second attempt and it not cooking and falling apart, that sounds like there was either too much liquid or fat or both in the recipe so I suspect something was off in your measurements. Did you make any substitutions?
Ismah says
Hi how many minutes it will take if I will bake it in 6″ Pan?
Olivia says
Hi Ismah! Baking time should be similar if using three 6″ pans. But do check on the cakes as they are baking as baking times are simply a guideline. Every oven bakes differently.
Niki says
I’m would like to do a sheet cake with your recipe. It’s a 1/3 sheet cake. Do you know what the measurements would be for this size cake?
Niki says
I missed typed and it’s a 1/2 sheet cake
Olivia says
Hi Niki! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
I know the recipe as-is will work in a 9×13 sheet cake pan.
Charis says
Hi there. I am making a 3 layer 10” cake for a wedding. Would 2x the recipe be enough? Or more? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Charis! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
Megan says
I made this cake 4 years ago for my daughter’s first birthday and I’ve never had a better cake. Used wet rags around the pan to make it rise even and it was perfect
Olivia says
Hi Megan! So happy to hear you love it.
Sherri says
If I don’t want to freeze it, can I still make it two days in advance if refrigerated in plastic wrap?
Olivia says
Hi Sherri! I always recommend freezing over the fridge as the fridge has a tendency to dry cakes out. If making and serving on that 2nd or 3rd day it should be fine though.
Cami says
Help!
Everything went alright but my buttercream tastes like whipped butter. I followed all the instructions and I have no idea how to fix it. I don’t have enough ingredients to reattempt it!
Olivia says
Hi Cami! Swiss meringue buttercream is more buttery than something like an American buttercream but it should not taste like you’re eating a stick of butter. I’m not sure if you’ve seen my tutorial but there are more details here: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
“The buttercream should be light and fluffy, not thick and greasy. If yours tastes like you’re eating a stick of butter, perhaps your meringue wasn’t whipped to stiff peaks before adding butter, or the butter was too cold, in which case it just needs some more whipping.”
Veronica Page says
Mine turned out too dense, more like a pound cake. I followed it correctly and I have made many cakes before that included some type of veg oil. Every cake I have made before with butter and oil turned out fluffy and moist. This one was a bit dry and way to dense. It was good, but not what I was expecting.
It was still tasty and everyone ate it. I made mine with double chocolate frosting. Love that combo of vanilla cake with chocolate.
Olivia says
Hi Veronica! I prefer my cakes to be more on the dense side rather than light and fluffy, but they shouldn’t be unpleasantly dense. Overly dense cakes can be from overmixing the cake batter once the flour is added (it develops too much gluten) or not using room temperature ingredients so the cake batter doesn’t emulsify properly. Another issue could be too much flour. It’s best to spoon the flour into your measuring up and level it off. If you dip your scoop into your flour sometimes you get more than you need. The latter would cause the cake to be dry too, as well as overbaking it. You can always save a dry cake with some simple syrup though 🙂 https://livforcake.com/simple-syrup-recipe/
Christy says
This has been my go to recipe for at least two years now. I don’t do white or yellow, I do a vanilla cake and it is delicious. It is all people want. They say, whatever cake you made so and so, that is what I want, over and over again. The directions are really well done. Read through the whole thing. Lots of great tips. I have always made it with vinegar and milk in place of buttermilk. I made it today with plain milk. It doesn’t have the tang but the cake is no less than perfect. Thank you so much for posting such a winner.
Olivia says
Hi Christy! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback. I am so happy you love this one as much as I do 🙂
Sophia says
Hi there! I love the taste of this recipe. So far whenever I’ve made your recipe the result has been cakes that are just under 2inches tall & I’m not sure why. I go step by step according to your recipe.
I am looking to achieve two layers of cake that are ideally taller cakes. I have 8x3inch tins but would like to bake two layers instead of 3. Will this recipe work out if I split the batter between 2 tins and baked longer? Or will I need more batter eg 1,5x the amount of batter for the height. Also, when using 1,5x the recipe do you use 1,5 eggs or round of to 2?
Appreciative of the time you take to guide and assist.
Thanks so much.
Sophie xx
Olivia says
Hi Sophia! This recipe makes two 8″ cakes that are each 2″ tall. If you’d like 3″ tall ones you can 1.5x the recipe — you can adjust the Servings to 18 to get the amounts. You will need to increase the baking time. I hope that helps!
Lexi says
Hi Liv! I am making this recipe for a family birthday soon! I was wondering how thick do the layers turn out if i’m making 3 layers in 6 inch pans
Olivia says
Hi Lexi! The cakes should turn out to be 2″ tall in three 6″ pans.
Nadeen says
Hi, i love your recipe and i always make it for my family, however, everyone i get the cakes out of the oven they cave down :(. Any idea how to avoid that?
Olivia says
Hi Nadeen! If cakes sink in the middle after coming out of the oven that means they weren’t done baking. Baking times are just a guideline so be sure to test your cake to make sure it’s done. Here are the steps I run through with each cake:
1. Peek through the oven window. To see if the cakes are a nice golden brown (doesn’t really work for chocolate cakes).
2. Nudge the oven. Gently nudge your oven (assuming it’s free-standing and not built-in). If there is any jiggle in the center of the cakes, leave the oven door closed and bake for a few minutes longer.
3. Nudge the pans. Open the oven and gently nudge the pans. If there is any jiggle in the center of the cakes, close the oven door and bake for a few minutes longer.
4. Poke the cake. Gently poke the top of the cake with your finger. If the cake is firm and springs back, it’s ready for the next step.
5. Toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. When there are a few crumbs on the toothpick, the cake is ready. You want crumbs on there because the cake keeps cooking when you take it out of the oven.
Caroline says
I love your recipes and I particularly like your SMBC. Thanks so much for sharing🤗
Something to note, the SMBC recipe on here, the Vanilla cake doesn’t match up with the others.
On Vanilla cake set to 16 portions, metric
8 large egg whites
400 g granulated sugar
605 ⅓ g unsalted butter room temperature
13 ⅐ ml vanilla
On ‘how to make SMBC’ page
8 large egg whites
533 ⅓ g granulated sugar
605 ⅓ g unsalted butter softened but still a bit firm, cubed
vanilla or other flavoring to taste see post for options
The sugar is 133g less than advised on your ‘how to make SMBC’ page.
I used your ‘how to page’ recipe. But which is the better?
With kind regards
Olivia says
Hi Caroline! I’ve experimented a lot with my SMBC recipes and they change depending on how much frosting I think I will need, so I play with the proportions somewhat. I would follow the recipe on the How to Make SMBC post for the most versatile one for any cake recipe.
Rebecca says
I want to make a 4-layer 6″ cake – would 1.5x the recipe be the best approach?
Olivia says
Hi Rebecca! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. 1.5x will give you a little extra batter (you can use to make cupcakes) but I think it’s the easiest approach for the amount you want. Be sure not to fill the pans more than 2/3 full or so.