My favorite vanilla cake recipe features light and fluffy cake layers covered in vanilla buttercream frosting! Vanilla extract adds tons of rich vanilla flavor. The perfect cake recipe for vanilla lovers – or for occasions like Easter, Mother’s Day, and 4th of July! Or top with edible flowers and use this as a mini wedding cake!

I Don’t Love Vanilla Cake…

I must confess that vanilla cake is not my favorite. Typically quite dry, bland, and boring… I’ve always had a hard time understanding why anyone would choose this over chocolate cake! Then I married a vanilla fanatic! My husband LOVES anything vanilla: from ice cream, to cupcakes, to birthday cake.

And it quickly became my life mission to create the best vanilla birthday cake ever! And after approximately 2,437,092 trial runs, I finally have my “perfect” vanilla cake recipe.

Why this the the Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

• Intensely buttery, with a great pop of vanilla in every bite! That’s thanks to 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract in the cake batter.
• The layers are somehow both light and fluffy… and dense and buttery!
• How you decide to frost this cake is totally up to you! You can easily cover this cake in sprinkles, top with fresh berries, or add a gooey layer of salted caramel sauce.
• Perfect for birthday celebrations, summer parties, or even for small wedding ceremonies.

How to Make a Vanilla Cake: Ingredients

• Cake Flour: I don’t suggest subbing all-purpose flour for the cake flour. However you can make cake flour using all-purpose flour. See my notes on this in the section “How to make cake flour with all-purpose flour”.
• Baking Powder: Gives the cake layers rise. Be sure your baking powder is fresh!
• Baking Soda: Helps the cake layers spread while they bake in the oven. Again, be sure you baking soda is fresh.
• Salt: A small amount of salt is added to the dry ingredients to balance sweetness and enhance the flavors in the cake batter. I don’t suggest leaving it out, but at the end of the day, it won’t ruin the cake.
• Butter: Use a quality butter you enjoy the flavor of! The butter flavor shines in this recipe, and adds so much flavor to the cake layers.
• Sugar: Do not sub brown sugar in the cake batter, or reduce the amount of sugar called for. You’ll use granulated sugar in the cake batter and confectioners’ sugar in the vanilla buttercream frosting.
• Vanilla Extract: Obviously, do not omit this ingredient! Use real vanilla extract, not artificial. And I don’t suggest reducing the amount of vanilla extract.
• Almond Extract: Although this is optional, I suggest using it. It adds rich flavor and taste to the cake. If you’re allergic,
• Eggs: You’ll use both whole eggs and egg whites in this recipe. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before use. And add the eggs one at a time for best results.
• Buttermilk: You can use store-bought buttermilk or use a homemade version. Use full-fat buttermilk for the best results.
• Sour Cream: Be sure to use full-fat sour cream and bring it to room temperature before use.
• Canola Oil: You can use refined and melted coconut oil or vegetable oil instead.

You might be thinking… “whoa, that’s a lot of ingredients”. But I promise, this unique blend is what creates the magical taste and texture!

Make the Cake Batter and Bake the Cake Layers

• Cake Pans: This recipe calls for (3) 9-inch pans, so be sure you have those on hand before beginning! I have not tested this using smaller or larger cake pans, so I cannot advise on how that would work. But a general rule of thumb is smaller pans would take longer to bake and larger pans would bake faster. But for best results, use the cake pans called for!
• Grease Pans: To ensure no sticking, you’ll want to line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds AND generously grease! I suggest greasing with a nonstick baking spray, such as PAM. Be sure to grease every nook and cranny.
• Prepare the Egg Whites: You’ll need to separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. I suggest doing this before making the cake batter, but beating them right before you add them.
• Preheat the Oven: You’ll want a preheated oven ready to go. I suggest preheating the oven at least 30 minutes before you plan on baking.
• Make the Cake Batter: Grab a large bowl and mix the dry ingredients (baking soda, flour, baking powder, and salt). You’ll need the bowl of a stand mixer to beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Or use a large bowl and a handheld mixer.
• Bake the Cake Layers: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Then pop them in the oven and bake. for about 25 minutes… or until they’re golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If your oven runs hot, this could be more like 20 minutes.
• Cool the Cake Layers: Transfer them to a cooling rack and be sure to cool COMPLETELY! Don’t skimp on time here, because even slightly warm cakes will cause your beautiful frosting to melt everywhere. It takes about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours for cake layers to cool.

Bake times vary based on the pan you use and the way your oven runs, so use your sensory indicators and best judgement!

Frosting the Cake: Vanilla Buttercream

• Once your vanilla cake layer are cool, it’s time to frost! As you can see, this recipe is not super heavy on the frosting. I prefer to let the cake’s pure vanilla flavor shine. But for a thicker layer of vanilla buttercream, simply double the recipe and use it all when frosting the cake.
• You can make the vanilla buttercream in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer.
• You’ll need butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt.
• Make sure all the vanilla buttercream ingredients are at room temperature before beginning.
• If the frosting looks too thick, add an extra splash of milk. And if the frosting looks to thin, add extra confectioners’ sugar. I don’t suggest reducing the confectioner’s sugar for a less sweet vanilla buttercream.

How to Decorate this Vanilla Cake Recipe

• To decorate, I suggest using fresh berries, rainbow sprinkles, salted caramel sauce, or whatever your heart desires.
• Edible flowers are also a stunning choice! And are especially perfect if you’re using this vanilla cake recipe as a wedding cake.
• Or you could even leave the cake plain and set out a few measuring cups with different toppings. Then let your guests decorate their slices as they desire! This is a fun project for small children and even teens!

More Cake Recipes:

• Ultimate Funfetti Birthday Cake
• White Chocolate Almond Raspberry Cake
• Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
• Best White Cake Recipe
• Old-Fashioned Devil’s Food Cake

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