Light, fluffy and completely made from scratch. This easy, Vanilla Cake recipe comes together quickly with just a few simple ingredients. You will never want to use boxed cake mix again after making this delicious cake. The perfect vanilla cake for birthdays, weddings or just because.
I’ve spent a great deal of time trying vanilla cake recipes. For years I used a recipe that required the egg whites to be whipped to stiff peaks then folded into the batter. It is a great recipe, that produces a lovely fluffy cake, I wanted to develop a vanilla cake recipe that doesn’t require those extra steps. This recipe comes together quickly in just a mixing bowl. Which saves times and dishes.
I love the perfectly tender and moist crumb this cake has. Which comes from first creaming the butter and sugar together. This step is crucial to creating the best texture. The second reason this cake has such a great crumb is the addition of the sour cream, which adds moisture. I am confident in saying that you will love this cake as much as I do after you make it. I have included a few tips below to set you up for success.
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Room Temperature Ingredients Work Best
Yes, I know, you may be tempted to just pull the milk, sour cream, butter and eggs straight form the refrigerator and start making this cake, but I promise if you take a little extra time to allow those ingredients to come up to room temperature, your cake will have the best texture. You know that “perfectly moist and tender crumb” that I mentioned earlier? This is one of the first ways you achieve that. When you allow those ingredients to come to room temperature, they are able to emulsify easier than if they were mixed together while cold.
Creaming the Butter and Sugar
This is one of the most crucial steps to making this cake. When properly creamed, the butter and sugar should appear lighter in color and have increased in volume. Which is typically referred to as “light and fluffy” in recipes. Just like in most cookie recipes, creaming the butter and sugar before adding any of the other ingredients, helps create the best texture. When you are doing the creaming process, you are creating bubbles in the butter that will allow the cake to rise easier, creating a light and fluffy crumb.
How to Make Vanilla Cake
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle combine the softened butter and sugar. Begin creaming the butter and sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, for 4 minutes. Or until light and fluffy. Do not rush this process.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Measure out the milk, add in the sour cream and stir until fully combined. Set aside.
- Once the butter and sugar have become light and fluffy, add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mix on low just until combined.
- Pour in 1/3 of the milk mixture, mix on low until just combined.
- Continue this process until all of the flour and milk mixtures have been incorporated. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour into two 8″ round pans lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in a 350° F oven for approximately 30-40 minutes. To check if the cake is done, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, if the toothpick comes out with wet batter on it, bake longer. If the toothpick comes out with moist crumbs on it, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Tips
- Use room temperature butter, eggs, milk and sour cream for the best texture.
- Properly cream the butter and sugar before adding in the remaining ingredients.
- Do not over mix the cake batter. Mix just until all of the ingredients are combined.
- To prevent overbaking the cake, when checking with a toothpick, check for moist crumbs versus a clean toothpick. If pulled from the oven when the toothpick is clean, the cake will be overbaked and possibly dry.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Buttercream! My favorite frosting for cakes and cupcakes! This buttercream recipe is not as sweet as many you may have made or tried before. It certainly is not a crusting buttercream, which is preferred for many decorative piping techniques. You can still pipe with this buttercream; it just won’t get as stiff as some buttercreams. I am not a huge fan of uber sweet buttercream. This buttercream is not that but is still sweet and delicious!
- 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, 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 salt, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Mix well to combine. Enjoy!
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Vanilla Cake
Light, fluffy and completely made from scratch. This easy, Vanilla Cake recipe comes together quickly with just a few simple ingredients. You will never want to use boxed cake mix again after making this delicious cake. The perfect vanilla cake for birthdays, weddings or just because.
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
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Vanilla Cake
Preheat an oven to 350° F and line two 8" round cake pans with parchment paper.
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In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle combine the softened butter and sugar. Begin creaming the butter and sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, for 4 minutes. Or until light and fluffy. Do not rush this process.
-
In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Measure out the milk, add in the sour cream and stir until fully combined. Set aside.
-
Once the butter and sugar have become light and fluffy, add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
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Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mix on low just until combined. Pour in 1/3 of the milk mixture, mix on low until just combined. Continue this process until all of the flour and milk mixtures have been incorporated. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Pour into prepared pans. Using a scale can help you divide the batter equally. Bake in a 350° F oven for approximately 30-40 minutes. To check if the cake is done, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, if the toothpick comes out with wet batter on it, bake longer. If the toothpick comes out with moist crumbs on it, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
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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.
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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.
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Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl and add in the salt, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Mix well to combine. Enjoy!
This cake was a huge hit at my mom’s birthday party! I made the buttercream to go with it and it was yummy!
Thank you!!