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.
Kara Elliott says
Ok, first of all I want to let you know this is the best cake I have ever made. I made it over the weekend as a trial run for my daughters bday’s this weekend.
I used 2 6in rounds for a small teired cake. It took about an extra 5mins of baking from your suggested time. And I got 10 cupcakes with the remainder.
I do have a question tho, how can I make the cake denser? Although it was amazing in taste, when I cut the cake to serve all the other slices toppled over because it was so moist. I was wondering if I added a another egg would that help it not fall over?
Olivia says
Hi Kara! That is high praise, thank you!! I’m so glad you liked it. The cake should not have been falling apart like that — it is more on the dense side. Did you make any substitutions to the ingredients? And were they all at room temperature? I’ve only had a cake fall apart like that if i severely overmixed it due to adding coloring.
Kara says
I did not make any subs. I did exacrly the recipe. I think everything was mostly at room temp. I will make sure this time. Thanks again
Olivia says
Hmm ok, then I suspect it might be overmixing, maybe? I mix the batter only till the flour is just incorporated. Sometimes I even fold in the last little bits by hand. Let me know if it turns out better the second time!
Julie says
One more question, do you use whole milk buttermilk, 1%milkfat or nonfat?
Olivia says
Any should work! I most often just make my own at home as I don’t want to buy a bunch only to use a little. I measure out 1 cup of milk and add 1 Tbsp lemon juice to it (or vinegar) and let it sit for 10mins. I use 1% milk because it’s what I most often have at home. Whole milk would be ideal, but again, any will work 🙂
Julie says
Hello!
I’ve made this before and it was fantastic. I used the buttermilk. I have a question though. Your recipe says buttermilk or whole milk can be used. I thought when changing those two ingredients you had to change the amount of leavening. Is it not necessary?
I mostly ask this because I subbed buttermilk for milk in a different cake recipe and googled how to adjust the amount of baking powder. I followed those instructions and made a very flat cake. That recipe was written for milk so I decreased baking powder amount and added some baking soda. Sorry for the long explanation. I really just want to know if milk and buttermilk are interchangeable with no other adjustments.
Olivia says
Hi Julie! With my recipes I find that they work interchangeably — that’s not necessarily the case with all recipes though. I only adjust leavening based on the flour amount, not the acid amount. As such though, using buttermilk will tone down the sweetness in the cake since there isn’t more acid to counteract it. I find that it works just fine though and I like the flavour of both.
Julie says
Thank you!
Anika says
Thank you so much for this recipe. Your cake is so so beautiful. I also love how neat it is. Thanks!!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Anika!
sophia says
Hello!
I was wondering if it would be possible to use all purpose flour instead of cake flour? Would there be a major difference?
Olivia says
Hi Sophia! The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but you could use either and it should work fine!
Raushan Shaw says
Hi Olivia,
I love visiting your website just because I always find something and interest here. Baking a variety of cakes is my passion and profession as well. Keep posting such interesting recipes and ideas. Thanks a lot.
Regards
FaridabadCake
Marie says
Hello there! I was planning on making this recipe for my birthday on the 10th, and I was wondering if these quantities would be able to stretch out into a 3-layered cake (still using 8″ rounds) or would it be too thin? I I’m planning on making a triple berry liking with a marscapone whipped frosting, I just needed a vanilla cake recipe and I’ve been interested in yours!(: thank you in advance for your help!
Olivia says
Hi Marie! I think the layers might be a bit too thin — it depends on how you like them! The two 8″ layers are all about 1 3/4″ tall or so. In theory, if baked in three pans instead, they’ll be just over 1″ tall. It just depends if that’s too thin for your liking. Baking time will need to be reduced if you go that route though since the layers will be thinner. Alternatively, you can 1.5x the recipe (use the servings slider to adjust to 18) and bake in three 8″ pans. I hope that helps!
Paula says
Hi! I just made this recipe today. I have been searching for a “go to” vanilla cake and have been using Liz Marek’s recipe. Hers, to me, is very good, but very dense…almost like pound cake. Your recipe is nice and fluffy; not such a tight crumb. I actually divided the 5 cups of batter that this recipe made and flavored 1/2 with vanilla and 1/2 with lemon zest and lemon extract. I really like the lemon. I do like the vanilla; fluffy and not dense. I am soooo picky with vanilla..I did have a question. As I like to make tall cakes, could this recipe be doubled for taller/more layers? Thank you.
Olivia says
Hi Paula! So glad you liked it 🙂 The recipe can be doubled for sure, as long as you have taller pans 🙂
Paula says
Thank you! I have 2″ tall pans that I usually fill 1/2-2/3 full. I sometimes torte taller layers, but sometimes I don’t. When I made this recipe, I put 2 1/2 cups of batter in each pan. If I double, I won’t exceed 2/3. Does that sound ok to you? Maybe 3 cups per pan? Then I can make 3 layers..
Olivia says
Hi Paula! My pans are 2″ tall and they bake almost right to the top with the recipe as is. If you plan to double it I would use either taller pans, or more pans, or both 🙂
Holly Gosbell says
Hi Olivia,
I really want to make this cake this week for my boyfriends birthday. I am thinking of doing a 2 tiered cake, bottom tier 8′ and top tier 4″. How much batter do you think I will need? I was thinking of just doubling the recipe and using the left over as cupcakes. Also, how much do these cakes rise?
I also want to use this buttercream recipe, it looks much more simple then other ones I have tried. I want to make it a caramel buttercream, would I be able to add a caramel sauce to the buttercream and just whip it to combine, or is there a certain way to do this?
Hope to here back from you, really excited to make this recipe 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Holly! For ease I would totally double it and just make cupcakes with the excess. The cakes don’t rise a crazy amount, I’d say almost double the batter but not quite? And you can totally add caramel sauce to the buttercream, just add it at the end. I have a Caramel buttercream recipe here: https://livforcake.com/turtles-layer-cake/ Let me know how it all turns out!
Kate K. says
Hey!
I would love to use your recipe, but I’m looking to make a 12″ x 18″ sheet cake. How much batter do you think would be required and how to adjust the time and temp? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Kate! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html Baking temp should stay the same but the time might need to be adjusted.
christina zammit says
Hi, I baked this cake a few times and the two cakes come really low….what am I doing wrong?
The taste is delicious though,
Olivia says
Hi Christina! Have you checked to make sure your baking powder is not expired?
Marie says
Can you use “9 pans? If so, what time/temperature would you recommend?
Olivia says
Hi Marie! The layers will be thinner in the 9″ pans, so I would maybe 1.5x the recipe and make cupcakes with any extra batter. Baking temp would be the same. Time would depend on whether you increase the recipe or not. If not, you’ll need to reduce the baking time to compensate for thinner layers. I hope that helps!
Carla Sullivan says
Hi! I was hoping to make the frosting ahead of time and refrigerate and then bring to room temp to frost. Do you know if this will work? THank you!!
Olivia says
Hi Carla! Yes, this will totally work. You’ll just need to rewhip it once it’s back to room temperature.
Rachel says
Making this cake right now with American butter cream frosting! Can’t wait to give it a try! It’s so hard to wait till it cools to frost it!
XOXO
Olivia says
Hi Rachel! I hope you like it!
Marizza Fouts says
I gave your Almond Amaretto Cake a rave review. This Vanilla cake recipe is absolutely phenomenal. You have no idea how many vanilla cake recipes I have gone through. Your recipe is moist, light and fluffy. I actually made cupcakes, and it yielded around 26. Forgive me for not remembering the exact amount because my hubby and I were devouring them so quickly. LoL! We ate them without buttercream since I haven’t made the buttercream yet and they were DELISH!!! I can’t thank you enough for sharing your recipes.
Olivia says
Hi Marizza! So glad you like this one too!! Thanks for the great feedback 🙂
Janette Vega says
When you say good for two 8in pan do you mean you have to make two batter mix? Cause i tried it but i put 1 batter half into two 8in pans and they came out good but not as tall as it looks in the picture. Was i suppose to fill two 8in pan full?
Olivia says
Hi Janette! You don’t need to make two times the batter. One full recipe works for two 8″ pans. Is it possible that your baking powder is expired and that’s why they didn’t rise? Or that you overmixed the batter?
Cs says
I baked this cake and it was fantastic. I had tried many vanilla cakes before and never found one that stuck until I saw all the positive reviews of this one. I ended out making a triple recipe and got 2 cakes, 3 tiers each and both cakes were delicious. Thanks for the great recipe and responding to all the comments above!
Olivia says
Hi there! So happy to hear that you liked it, and that it scaled up well!!
Marshall Perkins says
Olivia,
First off love your site, it’s so nicely done and visually stunning! I was curious with this vanilla cake recipe or any others of yours if you’ve tried them using the reverse creaming method? Would it produce a nice tight tender crumb?
Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Marshall! You know, I keep meaning to try this with the reverse creaming, but haven’t gotten around to it. It should work fine though. Let me know if you try it!!
Marizza says
I love your creaming method. I made Scran Line’s vanilla cupcake using the reverse creaming method, and it was quite dense and had a tight crumb. I like my cake and cupcakes to be light and moist. I love your recipes. Thank you for sharing them.
Olivia says
Oh, good to know! I keep meaning to try reverse creaming with this recipe, just to see the texture for myself.
Marcia says
Hi!! I’m baking this now for my daughters birthday and I had to make like 1.67x due to lack of ingredients as I wanted to double. My frosting is too runny so I’m popping it in the fridge. Any quick fixes??? Thanks! Love the flavor and the cake came out great. I will send pic if I don’t ruin it lol
Olivia says
Hi Marcia! If the frosting is runny you can stick the whole thing in the fridge for 20mins and rewhip. Provided the meringue was nice and stiff before you added the butter, it will come together!
YULI MOSS says
hi olivia i am making it for a birthday and do you seem to have the video of the cake
Olivia says
Hi Yuli! No, I don’t have a video of it. Sorry!
Fran says
My buttercream looks like gone off cheese and no matter how long I whisk it for on medium high it isn’t improving. I don’t know why this is or what I’ve done with the mixture. Can you help me in anyway?
Olivia says
Hi Fran! It sounds like maybe your butter was just a bit too cold when it was added. If you keep whipping it it should come together. Otherwise you can try heating the side of the mixer bowl with a hair dryer while it’s whipping.