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!
Classic Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 6 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tbsp. (13 g) vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
- 1 tbsp. (10 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp. (5 g) salt
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, room temperature
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slighly cold
- 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
- 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy cream, cold
- 1 tsp (4.2 g) vanilla bean paste
- pinch of salt
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and then line with parchment. Spray again. Set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg whites on medium speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between addition, continue beating on medium-high speed until the texture is smooth and the volume is nearly doubled, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla bean paste or extract and beat until incorporated.
- With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by ½ cup of the buttermilk. Repeat the additions, ⅓ flour mixture, ½ cup buttermilk and the final ⅓ flour mixture. Only mix until the flour mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for another 20 to 30 seconds on low. Fold in the sour cream.
- Pour about 16-18 ounces of cake batter into each of the three 8-inch cake pans or 12-14 ounces in each of the 6-inch pans and bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Tip: spray your wire cooling racks with nonstick spray).
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy and pale in color.
- With the mixer on slow, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, vanilla, and pinch of salt.
- Once all of the ingredients are combined, turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a couple minutes more.
- Before using the buttercream, make sure to beat it by hand with a wooden spoon or large spatula to help push out the air pockets.
ASSEMBLY
- Place the first cake layer top side up, in the center of the cake board.
- Spread about 1 cup of the the buttercream over the cake layer.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the buttercream and spread more buttercream across the layer.
- Place the final cake layer top side down on the buttercream.
- Apply a thin layer of buttercream around the entire cake. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes. This is your crumb coat.
- Once the crumb coat is set, continue frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream.
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 thought larger pans took less time to bake because the cake would be thinner.
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.
Just made this cake. Flavor is superb. Mine was done before it browned at all. Cake was done in 26 minutes. Cake is moist but a little dense. Like others mentioned, my cake layers rose very little. Baking powder was fresh. I set a timer and mixed exactly the amount of time stipulated in the recipe. When folding in the sour cream, perhaps some of the air dissipated. Would it work to add the sour cream with the buttermilk so as to minimize handling of the batter? Also, I barely had 16 oz per layer. The only thing that I did not follow to a T was that I used cake strips to avoid brown edges. I usually use them when make white or light colored cakes and have not encountered any problems before. Thanks for all the work you put in to making our cakes tasty.
You can definitely add the sour cream with the buttermilk. Make sure to beat the butter sugar and eggs really well. That’s going to increase rise.
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.