This Classic Vanilla Cake recipe pairs fluffy vanilla cake layers with a silky vanilla buttercream. The perfect cake for birthdays, weddings, and holidays!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
BakerGirlAni says
The bestttt! The sponge has amazing texture and so yum!
My new favourite vanilla cake recipe, I made this for a few times now and everyone just loves it:) paired it with SMBC for frosting. Yum yum yum!!!
Olivia says
Thanks BakerGirlAni! I’m so glad you love it 🙂
Kim says
I love this recipe! It’s now my go to for vanilla cakes. I almost gave up after my first try because it turned out dry and I recently posted a comment asking you for help (which you did, thank you!) However, I’ve made some changes and made it at least 10+ times and always get so many compliments. Some of the changes included not overbaking, making sure the indicated ingredients were room temperature, and not over mixing after adding the flour! Can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Olivia says
Thanks so much, Kim! I’m glad you love it and that the tips helped 🙂
Stephanie Leming says
How would this turn out with cake flour instead?
Olivia says
Hi Stephanie! It should work fine with cake flour.
Taylor says
Question on the frosting- I have been mixing it and it doesn’t seem to get past the curdled stage. When I stop the mixing it separates. Help!
Olivia says
Hi Taylor! I have detailed tips and troubleshooting here: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
cora says
i love that cake
Olivia says
Thank you Cora!
Steph says
Hi there! I’m a HUGE fan of your chocolate cake recipe and came back for the vanilla! I wish I can read some of the comments. Mine also turned out on the dry and dense side. I have gone through my steps over and over and cannot find a reason for it. I even weigh my ingredients to ensure it isn’t a measuring inconsistency. My cake tester came out clean at the first oven check, and I was almost concerned I had pulled it too early! Exactly ten minute before turning out. I am a fan of the icing and of many of your other recipes!
Olivia says
Hi Steph! My cakes tend to be more on the dense side rather than light and fluffy, but it 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.And finally, dryness can be from overbaking. Baking times are just a guideline as every oven bakes differently. I use baking strips on my cake pans which make the baking take a bit longer (https://livforcake.com/flat-top-cakes/). It does sound like it might have been overbaked if the cake tester came out clean. Dry cakes can be saved though by brushing the cake layers with some simple syrup: https://livforcake.com/simple-syrup-recipe/
Jessi says
I am needing to make a 10 inch 3 layer vanilla cake. How much should I increase this recipe for that?
Olivia says
Hi Jessi! 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
Based on that I would almost 3x the recipe for three 10″
Jessi says
Thank you!
Jessi says
I ended up just doubling the recipe. The layers came out to a decent thickness! Love this recipe. Definitely will be using it again! Thank you!
Mary ann says
I loved this recipe! I’m glad I read your instructions because my butter cream did curdle! But knowing it could happen I kept on mixing until it got smooth! It’s the best tasting buttercream I’ve made yet!!!! Thank you! Everyone enjoyed it!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Mary Ann! I’m glad the tips helped you 🙂
Ruby Ezeanochie says
It’s easy to read and understand.
Love the info
Olivia says
Thanks Ruby! I hope you try it 🙂
Alexandria Araya says
I made the cake last night and I used 2 8×3 and they came out so thin. Baking soda was good and everything was at room temperature . Is this suppose to be a thin cake or think layers?
Olivia says
Hi Alexandria! I use 8×2″ pans and the cakes should bake almost to the top of those.
Michelle says
Mine turned out thin as well and i used 8inch tins, a tad disappointing and not sure why this has happened, it didn’t even fill 1/4 of the tin before it went in the oven
Patty says
I have not tried your recipe, but it looks very good. I was wondering if you take an internal temperature of it for doneness? Thank you.
Olivia says
Hi Patty! I don’t do that myself but you definitely could. Here are my tips for testing if a cake is done:
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.
Danielle says
I followed this recipe to a tee- and it was dense and gross. Do not use this recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Danielle, it’s unfortunate this didn’t turn out for you. It sounds like multiple things went wrong in the process. If you give me more details perhaps I can help you troubleshoot.
Izabel says
Hi I just made these as cupcakes and they turned out incredibly flat. Did I do something wrong?
Olivia says
Hi Izabel! Check to make sure your baking powder is still fresh and active. Also make sure not to overmix the batter.
Kim says
HI! I just tried this for the first time and the directions were easy to follow and it turned out okay for the most part. I plan on trying it again! My cake was dense and a little on the drier side. I used the 9×13 pan for ~29 min and spoon/leveled the flour. After mixing in the last 3rd portion of the flour, how long do I mix it for? Do I just stop immediately after the flour is incorporated? I might’ve overmixxed but I can’t remember how long I mixed it for. Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Kim! I mix until the flour is just incorporated. My cakes tend to be more on the dense side rather than light and fluffy, but it shouldn’t be unpleasantly dense. As for being dry, I haven’t baked this in a 9×13 myself so it’s possible it needed a bit less time in the oven.
Maria says
Would the cake still turn out good if I used brown sugar instead of white?
Olivia says
Hi Maria! I haven’t tried that myself but it should be fine. It will affect the flavour and color.
Maria says
Okay thanks, maybe I’ll give it a try or maybe I’ll just buy more white sugar🤷♀️
Sarah says
Hi. Love your recipes. Would it be possible to make this cake in 2 8-inch square pans?
Thanks,
Sarah
Olivia says
Hi Sarah! Yes, but I’d recommend increasing the recipe. Change the Servings to 16 to get the amounts. Baking time will differ too.
Dan says
I have made this a couple of times. Very lovely flavor. My only issue and question is, it’s coming out on the dry side. Doesn’t have that moist fluffy texture. What might I being doing incorrectly?
Olivia says
Hi Dan! I’m so glad you love it. There are a couple reasons why it can come out fry. Firstly, is it possible the cake was overbaked? Baking times are just a guideline as every oven bakes differently. I recommend checking on the cakes as they are baking. Second, how do you measure your flour? I always recommend spooning flour into the cup and levelling it off rather than using the cup to scoop it. The latter can add too much flour to a recipe. Those are the most common culprits. Dry cakes can be saved though by brushing the cake layers with some simple syrup: https://livforcake.com/simple-syrup-recipe/ I hope that helps!
Natsai Muradzi says
Okay! This cake was AMAZING! So divine. I made this over the weekend, and I was in love 😍. We had this over tea and my whole family loved this. They can’t stop raving about it. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
Olivia says
Hi Natsai! I’m so happy to hear you all loved it 🙂
Wayne Piper says
I have always been an icing fan – I would eat the cake quickly, and save the icing for last to savor it. That is, until I made a vanilla cake using your recipe. Full disclosure – I did not use the icing recipe. I used a different one. However, this cake was so moist, flavorful, and delicious that I actually preferred (and slowed down to savor) the cake, instead of frosting. It is one of the best cakes I have ever had and the best I have ever made. Everyone in my family complimented me on this cake. Liv, your recipe is incredible, and a go-to now.
Olivia says
Hi Wayne! That is high praise, thank you! I am so happy you loved this cake and hope you try more of my recipes 🙂
Cameo says
I did a classic white cake recipe testing with 6 different recipes, and EVERYONE who taste tested for me preferred your recipe!
I love it so much, it’s definitely my go to.
P.s. I LOVE your website, and the fact that you can increase the recipe size AND have US and metric measurements.
You have made my life easier in so many ways. Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Cameo! Thank you sooo much, that is such high praise! I’m so glad you all liked this one best. I hope you try some of my other recipes!