Vanilla Cake Recipe
The best homemade vanilla cake recipe with vanilla bean buttercream frosting.
I can’t believe I haven’t shared my favorite vanilla cake recipe on Modern Honey yet! This is a classic vanilla cake with homemade vanilla buttercream frosting. Don’t underestimate vanilla cake. Some may call it plain or boring but it is definitely a classic and when done right…it is perfection.
I wanted to create a moist and flavorful vanilla cake recipe because so many times they end up dry and flavorless. This is achieved by using a mix of fats — butter, a touch of oil, and buttermilk. The buttermilk is a real game changer as it creates the moist texture. Butter makes everything better and it is no exception with this cake — it brings the flavor!
I also love to use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour as it contains less gluten and makes this homemade vanilla cake more tender.
The vanilla buttercream frosting is made with softened butter, a touch of cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla beans. I use vanilla bean paste in the frosting because it has a deep vanilla flavor.
How to make the Best Vanilla Cake Recipe:
- Use both Egg Whites and Whole Eggs. It creates the perfect fluffy texture. I tried using only egg whites and the texture was very similar to angel food cake. Adding one egg yolk added the right amount of fat and created an extra moist texture.
- Use Cake Flour. Cake flour contains 7-8% gluten while All-Purpose Flour contains 10-12%. When cake flour is used in cakes, it creates a more tender texture.
- Use Baking Powder. Since there is only sugar in this cake, I use baking powder and a lot of it. This helps the cake to rise and give it loft.
- Add the Butter, in cubes, to the Flour. This recipe doesn’t call for the typical cream butter and sugar together. The butter is added to the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt mixture and beat just until coarse crumbs are formed.
- Use Buttermilk. It creates a perfectly moist and tender texture.
- Bake just until the cake tester comes clean. Use two 9-inch pans or three 8-inch pans. The cooking time will depend on the depth of the cake batter. The best way to figure out if the cake is baked through enough is to place a cake tester in the center of the cake.
What are some cake baking essentials?
8-inch cake pans
Angled spatula
Kitchenaid Mixer
Best Homemade Cake Recipes:
Yellow Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Coconut Cake
Vanilla Cake Recipe. The best homemade vanilla cake recipe with vanilla bean buttercream frosting.
- 2 large Eggs
- 3 large Egg Whites
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons Oil
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 2 1/4 cups Cake Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened and cut into cubes)
- 1 cup Butter (softened)
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese (softened)
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla or Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Cream or Milk (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
In a stand mixer, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Beat the butter into the flour mixture, one cube at a time. Continue to beat until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the 1/2 of the egg-milk mixture and beat the batter is light and fluffy. Add remaining egg-milk mixture and mix just until combined.
Lightly spray two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake for 20-24 minutes, depending on the depth of cake pans. Remove cakes from oven when toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Let cool before removing from pans.
In mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese for 4 minutes.
Add powdered sugar and beat for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and milk (if needed).
Once the cake layers have cooled, frost with vanilla buttercream frosting.
Have you tried this recipe for cupcakes?
I do have a vanilla cupcake recipe but you can use this cake recipe for cupcakes as well. You would need to reduce the baking time for about 14-18 minutes. 🙂
Yes. It made beautiful, delicious cupcakes. I made 12 cupcakes and a single layer cake. With this recipe.
Yes!! Works great! I just bake for 16-18 minutes instead!
Just curious, what is another name for cream of milk? I consider myself fairly attuned to the baking language but this is new to me. LOL
The recipe looks quite delicious and moist!
Great catch, Lisa! Thank you! Sometimes autocorrect isn’t my “friend.”
Says cream or milk
Best white cake I’ve ever had!!!
Thank you so much, Christina! I am so glad you loved it. I appreciate your comment!
Should any of the cake ingredients be at room temp or does it not matter? Specifically the butter and eggs. Thanks!
I look forward to trying this recipe for my next cake adventure! I am just getting into baking and I have noticed buttermilk is called for in a few recipes that I have tried, and the citation is for a more moist cake. Would it work in all cake recipes? I have seen it for blue velvet and now this vanilla. Is there a method that it doesn’t work well in others? For instance chocolate or lemon?
Which oil would you use?
While this is a simple recipe to follow, I would add the following changes, the cake pan should be sprayed with flour non stick spray, & not completely cooled in the pan as the sugars will settle & stick to the bottom. The cake should be removed from the pan while still slightly warm & put on a wire rack for overall cooling I was able to salvage mine, but just wanted to pass along these tips so it doesn’t happen to the next person.
I’ve made it 3 times and everyone loved it!
Hi just wondering if caster sugar or white sugar is used?
I am looking for the perfect vanilla cake, but one that I can either bake in a half sheet and cut into 6″ rounds, or one that can be baked in 6″ round cake pans. Do you have any recommendations on adjusting this recipe for that? This cake looks glorious and I so want to show my husband that a cake needn’t always be chocolate.
I would like to know, if I make this the night before, would it still taste good the day after? or do you recommend to make it the same day?
I made it last night and it was really good today. I find that the icing sets into the cake nicely to keep it moist. I find it always better the next day. I keep mine covered with a cake platter and lid.
Just curious by vanilla you mean vanilla extract correct?
Hi, I would love to make this cake but it’s just 2 of us. Could I halve the ingredients and make a one layer cake? What would you recommend?
Wow, I NEVER comment on blogs but I just had to today. I made this cake for my son’s birthday. I was not allowed to have any frosting and I was a little worried but it was BEAUTIFUL! I made it as one large cake so cooked it for longer but it came out perfectly flat, and it was SO light and fluffy. I will definitely be using this as my go to vanilla cake from now on!! THANK YOU!!
I’m so excited to make this but I only have How much all purpose flour. Will this affect the taste and how should I portion it without the cake flour?
I had this same situation, but found an article saying sift 1 3/4 c AP flour with 1/4 c cornstarch to mimic cake flour. I sifted this togetehr a few times and used it!
Sounds lovely ✨ Have you ever tried to freeze the cake? My son’s Birthday is a few days after Christmas so want to get organised and get the baking out of the way. Thinking of just baking & freezing cake, but would ice fresh once defrosted.. thoughts?
I’m a little confused with the amount of eggs. Do you mean a total of 5 eggs but with 3 of them using just the egg whites?
How might I adapt this recipe if I wanted to bake it in a 9″x13″ pan? Would I just cook it for a bit longer?
Delicious!! A soft, fluffy crumb and very easy instructions. Made a one-pan 7”x3” layer cake and enough left for nine cupcakes! My new go-to white cake recipe!