This Classic White Cake recipe pairs fluffy vanilla cake layers with a silky white Swiss meringue buttercream.
In my previous post, I shared some tips on how to make buttercream white. Today I’m sharing the perfect White Cake recipe to pair with that white buttercream.
I already have a Vanilla Cake recipe for you, which is perfectly pretty and delicious, but yellow-ish inside and out. There are certain occasions that call for pure white and the yellow tint just won’t work.
White wedding cakes are probably most common, but a neutral 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.
The main difference between a yellow cake recipe and a white cake recipe is that one uses whole eggs while the other uses just egg whites. The yolks will 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.
The flavor of the cake is vanilla, similar to that of a yellow cake. It’s important to use clear vanilla extract though so that it doesn’t tint the cake batter. Read on for more info on that.
How to Make a White Cake
There are a few key things you want to do to help ensure your cake is white inside and out:
- Use only egg whites
- Use the lightest color butter you can find and whip it well
- Use clear colored flavorings
- Use violet color gel to correct any yellow tint in the buttercream or cake
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.
Any flavorings 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.
How to Make Buttercream White
I have a detailed tutorial on how to make your buttercream white. There are a few tips in there that will help but I find the most effective to be 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.
Cake Tip!
Be careful not to add too much violet color gel or your frosting will turn grey!
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! Be careful not to add too much.
I also added some Americolor Bright White color gel to bump up the white a bit.
I kept the decorating of this white 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 flavor, which I love. The cake is incredibly moist and tender, and the buttercream is a perfect silky pairing.
If you’re looking for more classic cake recipes be sure to check out my Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake, Coconut Cake, and Vanilla Cake recipes.
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.
- 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.
- For other conversions go here.
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 for 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 for this recipe.
Tips for this White Cake Recipe
- 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.
- For easier buttercream options try my Simple Vanilla Buttercream, German Buttercream, or Ermine Frosting.
- I like to prepare my cake pans using Homemade Cake Release then line with parchment.
- 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!
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
- bright white 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.
- Add violet color gel and/or bright white color gel as needed.
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.
Notes
This post was originally published on 01/18/19 and was updated with new content on 06/07/21.
Thuy Doan says
I 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
Hi Thuy! The metric conversions are done automatically and are not verified by me. They should be fairly accurate though, especially for basic ingredients.
Desiree says
Hi! Not to be negative but I wish I read this before I ruined my buttermix…. the metric recipe is not correct. The butter-sugar mix was totally crumbly, so something was not adding up and I weighed how much sugar fits in 1,5 cup… it’s waaay less than 300g! Don’t get me wrong your recipe stills looks delicious but this automatic calculation is probably not the way to go….
Olivia says
Hi Desiree! Thanks for your feedback. It’s very possible that there could be errors in the metric tool since it’s automatic, however 1.5cups granulated sugar is actually 300g. Did you also add the oil with the butter and sugar? It will be a bit more crumbly because instead of 3/4cup butter in this recipe I used 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup oil. Mixing it with the oil should help though.
Thuy Doan says
I 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
Hi Thuy! If you use the recipe as is in three pans instead of two, the baking time will be less.
Thuy says
Thank you!
Patricia Watson says
Can I bake this cake in a tube pan?
Olivia says
Hi Patricia! Yes, that should work fine.
Ella says
How long can this stay in the refrigerator?
Olivia says
Hi 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
Ohhhhhh 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
Yay! So glad to hear you liked it!! 🙂
Shelby Skinner says
How much batter would I need for 3 8 inch pans
Olivia says
Hi Shelby! You should 1.5x the recipe — set the Servings to 18.
Foodiewife says
I 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
Hi there! Thank you so much! I’m so happy you found me 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you try!!
Emma says
I have never imagined of a white cake inside out…very creative.
Olivia says
Thank you!
Linda says
Can this recipe make a 3 layer 9 inch cake?
Olivia says
Hi 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
This 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
Hi Krista! Thanks so much for the info about the cupcakes! Good to know it makes 24. So glad you liked them!
Marie Page says
I 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
Hi Marie! If your mixer can handle the volume I would go that route — otherwise do two batches.
Agnes Lang says
Ahhh, 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
Gah 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
I 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
Thanks Shari! I hope you like it 🙂
Danellie Mingo says
I 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
Hi 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
Hi
Thinking of giving this recipe a go for a wedding cake tier. How long does it stay fresh for please?
Olivia says
Hi Andrea! Like any typical cake, really. You can freeze the layers though, if you want to bake in advance.
Harriet says
Your cake looks delicious! I love a flavorful white cake and will definitely give yours a try.
Olivia says
Thanks Harriet! I hope you like this one 🙂
Aisha Wilson says
Could I possibly substitute the clear extent for almond extract? I’m in need of a white almond cake. Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi 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
Hi! 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
Hi 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
Looks both beautiful and delicious!
Olivia says
Thank you Fabian!
Taryn Camp says
I cannot wait to try this!!!!
Olivia says
Yay! I can’t wait to see your version 🙂