The BEST White Cake Recipe

Updated: Jun 26, 2025 by christina.marsigliese · 135 Comments

If you're looking for a perfect classic vanilla cake, then you've found it here. This is my BEST White Cake Recipe that makes incredibly soft, moist and fluffy vanilla cake layers topped with ultra smooth and creamy whipped vanilla ganache frosting. The crumb is moist with a fine texture and delicious vanilla flavor. A blend of butter and oil as well as egg whites in the batter are the secrets to its soft and delicate texture. If you love vanilla cake, try my yellow cake version with this One Bowl Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting and my best Vanilla Cupcakes recipe. If you prefer chocolate frosting, try my popular Fudgy Chocolate Frosting or my Best Chocolate Buttercream.

best vanilla cake slice on plate with fork

WHY THIS IS THE BEST WHITE CAKE RECIPE

Easy to make - this cake is simple and straightforward as it follows the traditional creaming method for making butter cakes. You don't need any specialty ingredients and it uses pantry staples.
Moist vanilla cake - the cake is super moist! It has a soft texture, it's not crumbly and it stays moist for days without drying out.
Soft texture - the crumb is fine and very soft. I almost called this a "white velvet cake" to convey how soft it feels.
Pure vanilla flavor - you will love the clean vanilla taste that comes through every aspect of this cake and it does not taste eggy.
Creamy vanilla frosting - I top this vanilla cake with my Vanilla Whipped Ganache which is one of my most popular recipes. It has just 3 main ingredients and it tastes like vanilla ice cream.

best white cake on cake stand with slice pulling out

WHY ARE ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS SO IMPORTANT?

You'll notice most recipes require ingredients to be at "room temperature" which is somewhere between 21 and 23 degrees C or 70 and 73 degrees F. This is because ingredients will blend more readily and uniformly if at this temperature. My white vanilla cake requires soft butter and it will be difficult to blend the butter with sugar in the first creaming step if the butter is cold. Subsequently, egg whites must be at room temperature to blend evenly with the creamed fat and sugar. If the ingredients aren't blended evenly, then the batter is more likely to separate and the cakes will bake unevenly with oil spots.

best white vanilla cake sliced showing interior cross section on cake stand

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST WHITE CAKE RECIPE

Unsalted butter - this recipe requires soft butter for creaming with the sugar during the first step of the process. Butter has superior flavor for vanilla cakes.
Oil - using some oil gives butter cakes a soft texture since it is liquid at room temperature. Just be sure to use fresh oil and not one that sits on your counter for cooking (it's likely it has been exposed to more oxygen and light which can affect the flavor).
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is the main flavor in this cake so use your best one. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Milk - I prefer whole milk for this recipe and it is important that is at room temperature or even slightly warm. Do not use cold milk or else it will not blend into the batter smoothly.

best vanilla cake slice straight up on plate

Eggs - 4 large egg whites will provide structure and tenderness. White cake gets it's name because it does not use whole eggs since egg yolks would impart a yellow color. Make sure they are at room temperature, which means you should separate the eggs while cold and leave the egg whites at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Alternatively you can submerge whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes and then separate them, however they are easier to separate when cold.
Sour cream - one of the secrets to the best vanilla cake is sour cream. It contributes cultured dairy undertones, which adds rich flavor and body (thanks to its high protein and fat content).
All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour is best for this recipe. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly since adding too much flour can lead to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a kitchen scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off. This batter is meant to be on the runny side so refrain from adding more flour to make it thicker.
Sugar - regular white granulated sugar provides sweetness and keeps the cake moist. You can also use caster sugar.

best vanilla cake slice on plate with fork showing crumb facing up

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk well to blend evenly. It's important to distribute the leavening agents uniformly to prevent large air pockets in the cake. Set aside
STEP 2). Cream butter and sugar. Combine butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and mix together on medium-high speed using an electric hand mixer until pale, light and fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing to ensure there are no bits of butter that haven't been blended.
STEP 3). Mix in egg whites and sour cream. Add the egg whites 2 at a time and mix for 1-2 minutes until well combined between each addition. Scrape down the bowl again. Add sour cream and mix it in evenly.
STEP 4). Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk. Reduce the mixer speed to low and then add half of the flour mixture until just combined then add half of the milk. Scrape down the bowl and repeat adding half of the remaining flour, followed by the rest of the milk and finally gently mix in the rest of the flour. Be sure to stop and scrape down the bowl frequently so the batter is even. It's important not to over-mix, however undermixing will mean the batter is not homogeneous and it will not bake evenly.
STEP 5). Bake. Divide the batter evenly between two pans (about 600g per pan) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until evenly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

best white vanilla cake with vanilla whipped ganache frosting

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Use a blend of butter and oil. The key to a quick and easy yet tasty vanilla cake recipe is to use oil AND butter. Butter is superior for its flavor, and oil will make cakes softer and come across as being more moist. It's the simple science behind the type of fat. Oil is made up of mostly unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature, whereas butter contains more saturated fats that are solid at room temperature. As a result, the texture of a butter cake will be more crumbly and firm.
Use a neutral tasting oil like pure sunflower oil for the cleanest flavor to let the vanilla taste stand out.
Use FRESH oil. If oil is not fresh then even the slightest rancid note will be exacerbated after you bake it into a cake.
Do not reduce the sugar - the right amount of sugar will make cake moist because it binds water so that it stays tightly in the batter and doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.
Sift the dry ingredients. Although it may not matter much for cookies, sifting is very important for cakes. It helps distribute the baking powder and baking soda evenly through the flour and also helps the flour absorb more readily and evenly into the wet ingredients for a uniform batter. This will help guard against tunneling and it also minimizes the amount of mixing required so you don't end up over-mixing the batter.
Keep an eye on the baking time. Set a timer for the first time stated in the recipe and check with a skewer -- it should come out clean.

best white cake slice on plate with fork and bite out of the slice

RECIPE FAQ

What type of oil is best for vanilla cake?

Firstly - use a fresh oil! Do not use anything that's been opened for a long time and when you store oil, it should be in a cool dark place. Light and heat accelerate oxidation reactions that can make the flavor turn rancid. My oil of choice for baking is sunflower oil for its clean and neutral taste, but any other oil such as canola or safflower will do. You can even use olive oil, but keep in mind that it will add the taste of olive oil to the cake.

Why is my cake not fluffy?

If your cake turns out dense, then it could be a couple of things: there is too much flour, the raising agents were not distributed well throughout the batter or the raising agents are not active. Make sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda, then blend the dry ingredients together evenly before adding them in. Use a kitchen scale to measure flour accurately. Over-mixing can also lead to a dense cake instead of light and fluffy.

Do I need to sift flour to make vanilla cake?

I highly recommend sifting the dry ingredients for this recipe. If there's anytime sifting is important, it's while making cakes. It helps distribute the raising agents through the flour for even baking and an even crumb structure. It also separates the flour particles so that it absorbs readily and evenly into the batter while reducing the chances of over-mixing.

What causes cake to be dry and dense?

Too much flour and not enough sugar is the main reason why cake can turn out dry and dense. It is important to have the right proportions of liquid to dry ingredients in a one bowl cake recipe. Over-mixing can also lead to a dense cake instead of light and fluffy.

What is a substitute for sour cream?

You can also make this recipe using an equal amount of full fat Greek yogurt or crème fraîche, which is a type of fermented dairy product somewhere between yogurt and sour cream.

What makes this cake so moist?

This cake is moist because of the amount of liquid and sugar, so do not reduce the sugar or else the texture will not be as nice. Liquid oil will also make the texture very soft, which often gives the perception of "moistness".

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST VANILLA FROSTING

This frosting is INCREDIBLE, and it's NOT buttercream. If you find American buttercream to be too sweet and overly dense, try my whipped ganache. It tastes like vanilla bean ice cream and everyone who has tried it has loved it! Here is my recipe for Vanilla Whipped Ganache Frosting.

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Best White Cake Recipe

Christina Marsigliese

5 from 23 votes

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Prep Time 35

Cook Time 30

Frosting Chill Time 4

Ingredients

White Cake batter:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp (300g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoon (45ml) sunflower oil (you can also use canola or vegetable oil)
1 ⅓ cups (265g) granulated sugar
4 large egg whites at room temperature
2 teaspoon (10ml) pure vanilla extract
½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream, at room temperature
¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature

1 x recipe for Vanilla Whipped Ganache Frosting

NOTE: for best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans, dust lightly with flour and line the base with rounds of parchment paper.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk well to blend evenly. It's important to distribute the leavening agents uniformly to prevent large air pockets in the cake. Set aside
Combine butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and mix together on medium-high speed using an electric handheld mixer until pale, light and fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing to ensure there are no bits of butter that haven't been blended.
Add the egg whites 2 at a time and mix for 1-2 minutes until well combined between each addition. Scrape down the bowl again. Add sour cream and mix it in evenly.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and then add half of the flour mixture until just combined then add half of the milk. Scrape down the bowl and repeat adding half of the remaining flour, followed by the rest of the milk and finally gently mix in the rest of the flour. Be sure to stop and scrape down the bowl frequently so the batter is even. It's important not to over-mix, however undermixing will mean the batter is not homogeneous and it will not bake evenly.
Divide the batter evenly between two pans (about 600g per pan) and spread it out evenly using a small offset spatula, tap the pans on the countertop to force out any large air bubbles and bake for 25-30 minutes or until evenly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Prepare the frosting. Follow this recipe for Vanilla Whipped Ganache and spread about 1 cup over one layer of white vanilla cake. Place the other layer on top and cover the cake with the remaining frosting. If serving later, keep the cake covered under a cake dome, or keep refrigerated if serving the next day.