This Classic White Cake recipe pairs fluffy vanilla cake layers with a silky white Swiss meringue buttercream.
In my previous post, I shared a tip on how to make buttercream white, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to pair it with a classic white cake. I already have a Classic Vanilla Cake recipe for you, which is perfectly pretty and delicious, but yellow inside and out. But there are certain occasions that call for a pure white cake.
White wedding cakes are probably most common, but a white cake base is also best if you’re looking to color the cake batter, because you won’t have to worry about the yellow tint affecting the colors.
Today, I’ve modified my Vanilla Cake recipe for you to make this Classic White Cake.
What is the difference between white cake and vanilla cake?
The main difference between a white cake and a vanilla cake is that a white cake uses egg whites rather than whole eggs, as the yolks tint the batter yellow. Using all egg whites tends to have a drying effect on the cake though (the yolks add more fat), so I’ve added some oil to the recipe to counteract that and to provide a bit more moisture.
You want to make sure to really whip your butter and sugar until it’s pale and fluffy, but avoid using a super yellow butter, as that can also affect the color of your cake.
Finally, any flavourings you add (vanilla extract, almond extract, etc.) can tint the cake batter too. I used a clear vanilla extract here to make sure the color of the cake and frosting wasn’t affected.
In last week’s post I included a tip on how to make your buttercream white by adding some violet color gel. I’ll admit that this trick works better with some frostings than others. I think it’s easier to get an American buttercream to be pure white than a Swiss meringue buttercream, but then I don’t have a ton of experience whitening either kind.
The violet gel trick totally worked here and neutralized a lot of the yellow, but not all of it. I maybe could have added more, but I was worried about the frosting turning grey or blue — experiment at your own risk!
I also added some Americolor Bright White color gel, but it honestly didn’t make a difference. One thing I keep meaning to try is whipping the crap out of the butter first, before adding it to the buttercream. In my mind, this should work, and hopefully make for a lighter buttercream, but I’ve yet to try it. Let me know if you do!
I kept the decorating of this cake simple (I’m a less is more kinda girl). I don’t often use sprinkles on my cakes, but I have SO many different bottles of sprinkles in my pantry it’s not even funny. I just cannot resist the pretty colors! Especially when I can get them for a deal at Homesense.
Ironically, Ryan bought me the sprinkles I used on this cake for Christmas. None of the ones I had in the pantry would have worked as well or paired as well with this pretty cake stand (which is also coincidentally from Homesense). Actually, the props are too. Seriously people, Homesense is where it’s at.
I used the All Dolled Up sprinkle mix from Sweetapolita, but took out all the large sprinkles and instead added some mini green pearls (GUESS where I got them??) to add more green color. I may have added a bit too many of the mini greens, but oh well!
This classic white cake is simple and delicious. The clear vanilla extract gives it a more candy-like birthday cake flavour, which I love. The cake is incredibly moist and tender, and the buttercream is a perfect silky pairing.
Looking for more Classic Cake Recipes?
- Classic Chocolate Cake
- Classic Vanilla Cake
- Classic Birthday Cake
- Classic Madeira Cake
- Classic Carrot Cake
- Classic Coconut Cake
Tips for making this Classic White Cake Recipe
- The cake recipe as-is will work for three 6″ pans. You may need to adjust the baking time slightly.
- This recipe will make about 18 cupcakes. All you need to do is reduce the baking time (approx. 15mins)
- I used a mixture of Sweetapolita’s All Dolled Up sprinkles and some mini green pearls.
- I used a 1M tip to pipe the frosting dollops on top.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting, especially for how to make the frosting white!
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my Flat Top Cakes post!
Classic White Cake
Ingredients
White Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 5 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp clear vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk room temperature
White Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tsp clear vanilla extract
- violet color gel
Assembly:
- assorted sprinkles
Instructions
White Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325F. 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, beat butter until smooth and pale. Add sugar and oil and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add egg whites one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add clear vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for approx. 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.
White 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 clear 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.
- Pipe rosette dollops using a 1M tip with remainder of frosting.
- Chill cake until frosting is firm. Gently press sprinkles gently along the bottom of the cake and sprinkle along the top.
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Notes
** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth. If it looks soupy, place it in the fridge for 20mins and rewhip.
lorie anne says
June 10, 2019 at 8:42 PMwhere do you get the sprinkles that you have on the white cake? did you use mixed it together? I love the combo.
Olivia says
June 12, 2019 at 10:20 AMHi Lorie Anne! Links to the sprinkles I used are in the Tips section of the post.
Kathleen Calhoun says
May 19, 2019 at 12:59 AMMy 10 year old granddaughter and I made this cake today. It was fantastic! My daughter ate a piece and remarked that she might ask me to make this recipe for her birthday rather than the usual German Chocolate, which has been a favorite for years. Thank you!
Olivia says
May 21, 2019 at 5:03 PMHi Kathleen! I love that you made this with your granddaughter and that you both loved it!
Thuy Doan says
May 6, 2019 at 3:45 PMI noticed your recipe does not use weight but rather there is an option to convert it to weight. Do you find that that is accurate with your recipe?
Olivia says
May 7, 2019 at 9:04 AMHi Thuy! The metric conversions are done automatically and are not verified by me. They should be fairly accurate though, especially for basic ingredients.
Thuy Doan says
May 5, 2019 at 8:54 AMI will be trying this soon! I’ve been looking forward to trying a white cake recipe that doesn’t require whipping egg whites to stiff peaks and also a white cake that uses an SBC (practicing smooth cake technique).
Do you think the baking time would be more or less with three 3″ pans?
Olivia says
May 6, 2019 at 1:04 PMHi Thuy! If you use the recipe as is in three pans instead of two, the baking time will be less.
Thuy says
May 6, 2019 at 3:31 PMThank you!
Patricia Watson says
May 4, 2019 at 11:53 AMCan I bake this cake in a tube pan?
Olivia says
May 6, 2019 at 12:59 PMHi Patricia! Yes, that should work fine.
Ella says
April 15, 2019 at 1:37 PMHow long can this stay in the refrigerator?
Olivia says
April 16, 2019 at 1:46 PMHi Ella! It will be fine for a couple of days. Refrigeration tends to dry cakes out, so the longer it’s stored the drier the cake will get. You can counteract that by using some simple syrup on the layers during assembly.
Gideon says
March 10, 2019 at 7:28 PMOhhhhhh man!! I’ve been looking for the perfect white cake for a looooooong time & I think I’ve just found it!! Tried it today and it was SUBLIME 😍😍
Olivia says
March 13, 2019 at 1:44 PMYay! So glad to hear you liked it!! 🙂
Shelby Skinner says
February 28, 2019 at 4:32 PMHow much batter would I need for 3 8 inch pans
Olivia says
March 1, 2019 at 9:53 AMHi Shelby! You should 1.5x the recipe — set the Servings to 18.
Foodiewife says
February 28, 2019 at 2:57 PMI just love it when I search for a cake recipe and find a gem of a food website. Wow! I’m going to lose myself for a few hours, marveling at your beautiful work. I’m an aspiring cake baker/decorate purely for the joy of it. I am so inspired and cannot wait to try some of your recipes. Beautiful done. I’ve subscribed.
Olivia says
March 1, 2019 at 9:53 AMHi there! Thank you so much! I’m so happy you found me 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you try!!
Emma says
February 27, 2019 at 12:51 AMI have never imagined of a white cake inside out…very creative.
Olivia says
February 27, 2019 at 3:43 PMThank you!
Linda says
February 26, 2019 at 7:40 PMCan this recipe make a 3 layer 9 inch cake?
Olivia says
February 27, 2019 at 3:41 PMHi Linda! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Krista Wasy says
February 12, 2019 at 5:19 PMThis recipe is amazing!! I made into cupcakes and got exactly 2 dozen! They were perfectly soft and fluffy! Only tweak I made was whipping the egg whites separately and then I folded them in 🙂
Olivia says
February 14, 2019 at 4:40 PMHi Krista! Thanks so much for the info about the cupcakes! Good to know it makes 24. So glad you liked them!
Marie Page says
February 9, 2019 at 10:23 AMI need to frost and decorate a three layer 10 inch round cake. If I double the buttercream Swiss meringue will that be enough.
Olivia says
February 10, 2019 at 3:57 PMHi Marie! If your mixer can handle the volume I would go that route — otherwise do two batches.
Agnes Lang says
January 29, 2019 at 12:37 PMAhhh, Only ONE picture of the inside?!? This cake was all about the the white layers. Would have loved to see more inside pictures. Not that the outside is not pretty as heck! Love your recipes, love your site!
Olivia says
January 30, 2019 at 4:30 PMGah I know! Most of my more recent cakes have more interior shots but I was rushed for time and forgot :'( And thank you!!
Shari says
January 26, 2019 at 8:11 AMI always put my butter in my kitchen aid and whip it until it is pure white for my frosting. It is always light as a feather, so definitely try it!
Can’t wait to try out this recipe!
Olivia says
January 28, 2019 at 4:37 PMThanks Shari! I hope you like it 🙂
Danellie Mingo says
January 22, 2019 at 5:15 PMI am going to bake everyone of your cakes before the year is over and I am so excited to see how it goes since im a beginner baker .I am also excited to see how my family reacts to every recipe
Olivia says
January 24, 2019 at 4:33 PMHi Danellie! Wow, that is high praise! I’m so excited for you to do this (and a little terrified, hah!). I hope you like them. Please keep me posted on your progress!
Andrea says
January 21, 2019 at 10:13 AMHi
Thinking of giving this recipe a go for a wedding cake tier. How long does it stay fresh for please?
Olivia says
January 21, 2019 at 2:10 PMHi Andrea! Like any typical cake, really. You can freeze the layers though, if you want to bake in advance.
Harriet says
January 19, 2019 at 5:50 AMYour cake looks delicious! I love a flavorful white cake and will definitely give yours a try.
Olivia says
January 19, 2019 at 5:49 PMThanks Harriet! I hope you like this one 🙂
Aisha Wilson says
January 18, 2019 at 2:34 PMCould I possibly substitute the clear extent for almond extract? I’m in need of a white almond cake. Thanks!
Olivia says
January 18, 2019 at 4:08 PMHi Aisha! Yes you could use almond extract instead, but use it sparingly as it tends to be overpowering. I’d try maybe 1/2 tsp at most.
Lamya says
January 18, 2019 at 1:37 PMHi! To get a truely white cake, you have to use shortening not butter and use bleached flour…otherwise, it wont be truely white! But personally i dont mind 😄
Olivia says
January 18, 2019 at 4:07 PMHi Lamya! Thanks for your tips. I don’t love using shortening, but you’re right it would make for a whiter cake still!
Fabian says
January 18, 2019 at 11:06 AMLooks both beautiful and delicious!
Olivia says
January 18, 2019 at 4:06 PMThank you Fabian!
Taryn Camp says
January 18, 2019 at 9:08 AMI cannot wait to try this!!!!
Olivia says
January 18, 2019 at 9:39 AMYay! I can’t wait to see your version 🙂