Classic Vanilla Cake – tender and flavorful vanilla cake layers with a light and fluffy vanilla buttercream.
Classic Vanilla Cake
Happy Monday, friends! Thanks for helping me decide which cake recipe to publish today! I’m excited to share with you my new Classic Vanilla Cake. I’d like to think this is the only vanilla cake recipe you’ll need in your life from here on out! It’s that good!
I’ve had requests for a this cake for a while now. I usually suggest using my Classic White Cake as a vanilla cake, but felt like I needed a true vanilla option for you too.
This cake is similar to my Classic White Cake, with a few minor changes in ingredients – but major changes to texture and flavor! This cake is so tender and flavorful.
What’s Different
For the cake layers, I’m only using egg whites to keep a whiter color in the cake layers. Since I’m only using whites, that means I don’t have any fat from the egg yolks – which is what helps create moisture in cakes. To supplement the batter with more fat, I’ve added sour cream (which you’ve likely seen in the Golden Oreo Cake and my Champagne Cake). It’s my new love.
Moist Cake
I’ll be writing an entire blog post about how to get a moist cake every time you bake, but for now, my best tip (other than making sure you don’t over bake your cake) is: sour cream! Adding a little sour cream to a cake recipe that tends to bake dry will do wonders to the texture. More on that later!
Vanilla Bean Paste
This recipe calls for vanilla bean paste in the cake layers and buttercream. The bean paste is what creates those gorgeous specks you see. There are so many brands of vanilla and vanilla bean paste. I say, use whatever you can find and is cost efficient. I know prices have gone up significantly and it’s likely they’re not going down any time soon either. You can find vanilla bean paste at Walmart, Michaels craft store, Amazon and even some grocery stores now too. If you’re having a hard time finding paste, use extract – same amount.
Vanilla Buttercream
The buttercream for this one is my basic vanilla buttercream with vanilla bean paste. It’s one of the tastiest and easiest buttercream recipes you’ll ever have.
Buttercream Tips
Remember these few tips when making buttercream:
- Start with slightly cold butter
- Beat the butter alone for a few minutes
- Sift your powdered sugar
- Use heavy whipping cream
- Beat the buttercream for 3 to 5 minutes
For all my tips for making the best buttercream ever, head over to THIS post.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
Room Temperature Ingredients Matter
Remember, for your cake batter, make sure all of your refrigerated ingredients are ROOM TEMPERATURE. Having room temperature ingredients for the cake batter ensures your cake will bake evenly AND that it has a light, fluffy texture and rises well.
For more explanation on why room temperature ingredients matter, check out THIS IGTV post.
Flavor Combinations
If you’re looking to add more flavors to this classic vanilla cake, I’d suggest these as great fresh fruit or compote fillings:
- Strawberry
- Blackberry
- Raspberry
- Mango
- Peach
- Coconut
Happy baking!
Hi! Quick question… I baked this cake tonight (my house smells INCREDIBLE) but it’s too late to crumb coat and frost. What is the best way to store your cake layers so you can come back to? Do I freeze them until I’m ready to frost? What if I wanted to bake up several so I have them on hand, how should I store?!
Always best to let cool to room temp, cover completely and freeze.
Hello,
Just wondering why you baked this cake at a lower temperature?
Thanks!
To make sure it didn’t brown at all around the edges and I noticed that when I bake these lighter cakes at a lower temperature, they’re less likely to give you problems with dryness from overbaking
Thank you for this recipe! I got married 1 month ago and LOVED my wedding cake but only got one piece. This recipe is almost exactly like it!
I used what I had, i.e. regular vanilla instead of vanilla bean paste, and it still turned out great.
This will forever be my go to classic vanilla cake.
Hi Courtney!
Can this recipe be reduced by half pretty straight forward or is there a ratio for the ingredients to be mindful of?
Thanks!
It can be reduced in half. For the eggs, better to use more than less.
Hi Courtney: Im so excited to try this receipe out this week. I was curious if I would be able to sub greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Yep!
Is there a typo in this recipe? I’ve made it twice now and it was awful
No typo. What’s going wrong with your cake?
This cake is beautiful! I was wondering how you got the rustic effect with the buttercream?
I just used my straight spatula on the sides!
Hi Court is there a sub for cake flour, I am in the UK and we have no cake flour like the USA… xx
You can certainly make your own cake flour if you’re in a pinch and can’t find premade cake flour. Here’s what you do:
1 cup all-purpose flour – 2 tablespoons
+
2 tablespoons corn starch
=
1 cup cake flour
For one cup of AP flour, take out two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons cornstarch. Then sift the mixture at least six times. You need to get the mixture as fine as actual cake flour, so don’t skip this step.
When all frosting is also completed how much will this cake weigh? Any idea about the completed cake weight?
Well you are putting in two pounds of butter in the frosting plus two pounds of powdered sugar and the cake is probably a pound so maybe 5 pounds?
This cake had great flavour but for me it took a lot longer to bake and came out quite dense. Any suggestions?
I added the egg whites slowly but all at once, would adding them one at a time work better?
I made your green velvet cake and it was amazing in flavour and so soft.
One at a time is suggested!
So I have been using a recipe for vanilla cake that I found off Pinterest for the last three years. Don’t get me wrong its a good cake but yesterday I was craving something different. A vanilla cake that lighter and more sophisticated in flavor. I came across this cake… lets just say WOW. This is the best from scratch vanilla cake I have ever tasted. SO GOOD. Light, tender, and with subtle hint of vanilla… just go make it now! you wont regret it! (also always always always room temp ingredients 🙂
Thank you so much!!
How did your cake come out so white? Are you using the vanilla bean paste? Or the extract? I used the paste and my cake is definitely not white. It’s delicious, but definitely has a brown hue from the vanilla paste.
I’m using the vanilla bean paste! could be how long you cooked it!
Hello!
I was wondering if I can use regular milk instead of buttermilk for this cake?
You can if you mix it with greek yogurt. half milk half greek yogurt. Otherwise it needs to be buttermilk.
This looks delicious. My daughter is asking for an almond cake. Could I substitute almond for the vanilla? Thank you!
Sure!
Just curious to why there is baking powder and no baking soda? Given the acidic ingredients. So many recipes and they’re all so different and it’s confusing 🤣
Baking powder and baking soda can work similarly but need different amounts. I tend to use baking powder in my recipes.
Hi,
Why do you use 6 egg WITES in this recipe, and normal eggs in the marble cake (the vanilla one). What is the difference in using egg whites?
Thanks!
It makes the cake fluffier!
Just baked this exactly as you have it and ran into a few snags. The cake is a bit under done on top and the sides baked at an angle instead of straight. It also didn’t raise as much as I thought it would, and I made sure to use fresh and room temperature ingredients. Just wondering if you have any ideas for troubleshooting? Thanks!
Bake it until a few moist crumbs come out. And then use a cake leveler to flatten the top! It’s ok if they aren’t huge layers!
I’ve made this twice and also have had very white or “underdone” looking top, despite getting a few moist crumbs on my toothpick and the edges looking done. Is the white top normal? I’m used to cakes turning a little golden when done. Thank you!
Totally fine.
This is the most delicious vanilla cake I have ever had!! I doubled the recipe for a thick 9.2 three layer cake. AMAZING!
Oh my gosh this recipe is heaven! Even when…you are super distracted… and accidentally add the frosting recipe amount of butter… into the cake batter. Still turned out amazing! Thanks for sharing your incredible talent and recipes!!
Hi, Can I use the mentioned quantity in the recipe for 2 – 9” pan?
Yes for 2 it is the same.
Hi! I have made this recipe 5 times now and I have only gotten it to taste good once. I altered the recipe slightly and it worked only once. I cut the sour cream down by 20 grams and added a splash more vanilla because i had made it twice and the sour cream taste was overpowering. Do you have any tips?
I just stick to the original recipe! Sorry.
Can I use regular milk or Heavy whipping cream instead of the buttermilk in this recipe?
Yes you can use milk.
I am at 7k ft. I’ve noticed you have some high altitude adjustments on some recipes. Do I need to make any adjustments to this one?
No you will be totally fine!
If I’m using 9in pans, should I use 2 or 3 and how should I adjust cooking time?
2 and keep your eye on the baking time! Might take longer.
I’m going to try to make this cake I’m a 9 by 13 and I know you have to turn down the temperature and cook for longer but do you have any suggest about what temp and how long? Is 300 to low?
Cook at 325 and keep your eye on it. It’ll take longer than a normal cake. Around 50-55 minutes.
Can I use entire eggs versus only egg whites? If so, how many whole eggs should I use?
You want to just use the egg whites to keep it light and fluffy.
how would you suggest I adjust bake time to make it into a layed sheet cake?
It will be longer like 45 minutes or so. Keep an eye on it.
Can I use salted butter if I leave out the salt in the recipe?
Yes!
I had a couple of problems that I’m hoping you can shed some light on. Admittedly, I over baked the cake a little so it was a bit dry. But, it was also incredibly dense – like a pound cake. Do you think this is because I overbaked it? Or was the density because of something else I might have done wrong? (Note: my ingredients were room temp) I will say the actual flavor of the cake was pretty delicious and probably the best vanilla flavor I’ve tried out of many different recipes. If I could just get the density fixed (and don’t overbake it again) this cake will be perfect! Any advice appreciated! 🙂
The over baking could have something to do with it! It’s also a heavier cake than my others like chocolate. Remember to beat the sugar and butter for awhile at the beginning! That helps get it more light and fluffy.
Courtney, I’ve made your cake – this vanilla Cake recipe in the past, I am looking at this current recipe and it now has sour cream, I want to make the same recipe without the sour cream, is it possible to get the recipe before you added the sour cream.
Thank you!!
Sorry I don’t have it anymore!
WOW!!! If I could give a hundred stars, I would!
My husband requests vanilla cake with vanilla frosting all the time. I have tried every recipe out there with “meh” results…until this one!
This cake was what my 1970s childhood memories of boxed cake was…what I mean by that is I have been searching for a vanilla cake recipe that had the same moistness and crumb of the boxed cake mixes from the 70s…before they tasted like baked chemical sponges. This is the highest of compliments in MY eyes bc of what I have been trying to recreate for years.
I thought i had found the ultimate vanilla buttercream recipe until I made yours! Almost the same proportions but 100 times better!!!
I used my cake discs and my cake is not only GORGEOUS but insanely delish!! I used vanilla bean paste to get those flecks! I am so so so very pleased with this recipe…thank you!
I can’t wait to try more flavors!
This was the nicest compliment ever! Thank you so so much! I really appreciate it!
Hi! i’m currently searching the internet for the best vanilla cake base. i’m wondering if i can use whole eggs instead?
No. It will have too much liquid and it will change the texture of the cake It will make It denser.
Are pasteurized egg whites okay in this?
Yes
I have been searching for an amazing vanilla cake and after trying this recipe, I have finally found it! It was so tender, fluffy and moist. I used vanilla extract, but next time I will try vanilla bean to see if there is a noticeable difference. Thank you!
I’m so glad! Thank you!
I made this cake for a special occasion and followed the directions to a tea. When I asked them how the cake was they said it was dry. I was surprised at that response so wanted to ask if keeping the cake in the fridge overnight caused that. I wasn’t there so trying to figure out what might have caused it to be dry. I made the cake on a Friday night, stored it in my fridge covered and it was delivered Saturday (after a 3 hour ride) and they didn’t have it till Sunday evening. I don’t know if they covered it or not. Is there a point where best to have a cake stored at room temperature?
Refrigerators will always dry out a cake. Even if its for a day. Freezer wrapped is your best bet.
The recipe attached here is for tiramisu cake not your vanilla cake..?
Should be fixed!
I made this cake and it was delicious and moist. Cant wait to try more recipes!
Thank you!
Hi there. Im made this cake in 3, 8 inch pans but it seems really thin. like maybe it didn’t rise like it should have. Normal or should I double the recipe and put more batter in the pans to make thicker cakes?
Make sure you don’t overmix your batter and that your baking powder/soda aren’t expired.
What would the difference be if I were to make 3 10 inch cakes with this recipe?
You would want to double the recipe.
I’ve made several of your cakes and LOVE all of them! I have made this cake before and it was fantastic! I am using this recipe to make cupcakes for a baby shower. How would you change the baking time and/or recipe if needed?
Recipe will be the same! Just keep your eye on the cupcakes for timing! About the same.
Hi Courtney!! I love this recipe and have used it several times since I found it and it has always been a crowd pleaser! I need to make a tiered cake and the bottom layer being a 10 in cake. Would I adjust the temperature at all for a 10 inch cake? Or just adjust the cook time? Thank you!
It will take a little longer because you will want to double the recipe for a 3 layer 10 inch cake.
Hi Courtney, when I started adding the eggs, I found by the time I got to the 5th and 6th egg white the mixture has curdled. Am I adding the eggs too quickly? I had to add a bit of the flour to compensate for the curdling. It got worse when I added the sour cream. Should I wait longer between each addition to prevent curdling? Your recipe still tasted yummy though but wasn’t sure if the texture was affected by the curdling. Thank you!
It will curdle a little bit but shouldn’t be a problem after you add the flour. Make sure you are taking your time adding the eggs one by one.
If I need to bake this in a 9×13, how long would I bake it?
Depends on your oven. It will take longer. Maybe 45-50 minutes? Keep your eye on it!
Hi Courtney! This has become my go to vanilla cake recipe! It’s so delicious and can be paired with all sorts of flavours for the filling and icing. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂
Thank you! I appreciate that!