There's nothing quite like a light, fluffy, homemade vanilla cake that's made completely from scratch. Whether you're baking for a birthday, wedding, or just because, this moist vanilla cake recipe from scratch is the perfect go-to recipe. With simple ingredients and an easy method, you'll never need a boxed mix again!
After years of testing vanilla cake recipes, I wanted to create a foolproof version that didn't require whipping egg whites separately, because, let's be honest, busy moms don't have time for extra steps! If you have the time for the extra steps and want a traditional, airy sponge cake, you can always check out my The Best Berry Chantilly Cake recipe. But if you want a streamlined, no-fuss mixing method that still delivers a premium bakery-style crumb, you are in the right place.
Table of contents
Now, if you've made this specific cake before, you might notice some subtle changes to the ingredient list below. The original version was fantastic and a total reader favorite, but I am always looking for ways to improve my recipes, and I promise you, this is my absolute best vanilla cake yet!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour & Cornstarch - Mixing a little cornstarch into your all-purpose flour acts just like a delicate cake flour, giving you an ultra-soft, bakery-style crumb. You can easily substitute both with an equal amount of actual cake flour if you have it on hand.
- Eggs - A specific combination of whole eggs and one extra egg white gives the cake incredible lift and structure without making it too dense.
- Sour Cream - This adds moisture that keeps the cake layers incredibly soft and fresh for days. You can substitute this with an equal amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
- Buttermilk - Helps keep this vanilla cake soft, moist, and tender. You can substitute the buttermilk by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar (apple cider vinegar works too) to a cup of whole milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Vanilla Bean Paste - Since vanilla is the star here, using a high-quality paste gives you a deeply elegant flavor and those beautiful gourmet flecks. You can substitute this with a high-quality pure vanilla extract as a direct 1:1 swap.
How To Make Moist Vanilla Cake From Scratch
Making this bakery-quality vanilla cake at home is incredibly simple, and the entire batter comes together in just a few easy steps.
- Sift together your all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl, then whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until the mixture is light, pale, and fluffy.
- Add the whole eggs one at a time, followed by the single egg white and the vanilla bean paste, mixing well after each addition.
- Whisk your sour cream and buttermilk together, then slowly alternate adding this liquid mixture and your sifted dry ingredients into the batter.
- Divide your finished, smooth vanilla cake batter evenly between your prepared cake pans so they are ready for the oven.
- Bake the layers until golden, let them cool completely, and then frost with the buttercream for the ultimate homemade vanilla cake!
👉 Sky's Tips
- Bring Ingredients to Room Temperature: For a perfectly smooth batter that doesn't curdle, make sure your eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream are all at room temperature before you start mixing.
- Spoon and Level Your Flour: If you aren't spooning the flour into the measuring cup, it's easy to accidentally pack too much flour into the bowl, which makes the cake dense. For the absolute best measurement, fluff your flour first, spoon it gently into your measuring cup, and level it off with a flat edge.
- Don't Overmix the Batter: When alternating your wet and dry ingredients, mix just until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops the gluten and will turn your soft, velvety cake dense and tough.
- Cool Layers Completely: Never try to frost a cake that is even slightly warm! Let your layers cool completely in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature before frosting.
I hope you give this Moist Vanilla Cake from Scratch a try soon! It's a classic that always hits the spot.
-Sky🩷
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📖 Recipe
Moist Vanilla Cake from Scratch
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs 3 whole eggs plus 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 pound unsalted butter softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- For the Vanilla Cake: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a large bowl (or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light, pale, and fluffy.
- Add the whole eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the single egg white and the vanilla bean paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the sour cream into the buttermilk until completely smooth and combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly alternate adding your sifted dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture to the batter. Start and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix!
- Divide the smooth batter evenly between your prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the layers comes out clean.
- Let the cake layers cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them onto a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature before frosting.
- For the Buttercream Frosting: In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment add the softened butter and begin mixing it until smooth, light and fluffy. Approximately 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on the lowest setting, slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. Once all of the powdered has been added, turn the mixer speed up to next setting and mix for 1 minute.
- Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl and add in the vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and heavy cream. Mix well to combine.
- Decorate the cooled cake layers and enjoy!
Tiffany says
This cake was a huge hit at my mom's birthday party! I made the buttercream to go with it and it was yummy!
Simply Scratch Made says
Thank you!!