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Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

A homemade vanilla cake recipe, completely from scratch! This sweet and easy vanilla cake recipe is perfect for any occasion.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 426 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup whole buttermilk
FOR THE FROSTING:
  • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 lb. box of confectioner's sugar (approximately 3 ¾ cups), sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
  • Optional: sprinkles

Instructions

MAKE THE CAKE:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the paper.
  2. Place a large sifter or sieve in a medium mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; sift. Set aside.
  3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Reduce the speed. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla extract and oil; mix to combine.
  4. Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of buttermilk). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake starts to get too dark before it’s cooked through, tent with foil.
  6. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
MAKE THE FROSTING:
  1. Combine the softened butter, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract and heavy cream in a large bowl. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add extra cream, if necessary, until desired consistency is reached. Spread frosting onto cooled cake. Top with sprinkles, if desired.

Notes

  • Properly measure the flour. Spoon flour into the cups and lightly level with the straight edge of a knife. Packing the measuring cups too tightly and using too much flour will result in a dry cake.
  • Use thick, full-fat buttermilk. This adds richness, moisture and flavor to the cake that you won't get with low-fat varieties.
  • Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature. This helps them blend together more easily and smoothly, and helps to avoid over-mixing (which can result in a dry, dense cake).
  • Sift the confectioners' sugar to avoid any lumps in your frosting.
  • Do not over-bake the cake or it can become dry. Start checking for doneness by the 30-minute mark, since total baking times will vary depending on your personal oven and the pans that you use.
  • Frost the cake with buttermilk chocolate icing or a creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. Really, any frosting will work (even store-bought from a can)!
  • Use sprinkles for any occasion -- rainbow sprinkles for a birthday, red and blue for July 4th, red and green for Christmas, and so on. It's a festive cake at every celebration!
  • This recipe yields two 8-inch round cakes, 2 (thinner) 9-inch round cakes or three 6-inch round cakes for stacking. If making a layer cake, you will likely need to double the frosting so that you have plenty for decorating the sides, top, and inside layers.
  • Use the same batter to make about 24 cupcakes (depending on the size). Cupcakes require a shorter baking time, so start checking them at the 15-minute mark.
  • For a smaller cake, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the cake in an 8-inch square pan.
  • Fold rainbow sprinkles into the batter for a funfetti cake.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1slice Calories 426kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 62g (21%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 19g (29%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 74mg (25%) Sodium 227mg (9%) Potassium 111mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 48g (96%) Vitamin A 554IU (11%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 53mg (5%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 426

% Daily Value*

Serving 1slice
Calories 426kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 62g 21%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 227mg 9%
Potassium 111mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 48g 96%
Vitamin A 554IU 11%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 53mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.