Servings
Font
Back
The Best Vanilla Cake
4.9 from 100 votes

The Best Vanilla Cake

The Best Vanilla Cake combines butter, neutral oil, sugar, eggs, milk with vinegar, and vanilla extract to create a tender, moist cake. The batter is gently folded with sifted flour and baking powder to avoid over-mixing. Baking in two 8-inch pans and frosting with vanilla or chocolate buttercream creates a classic layer cake suitable for many occasions.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 300 kcal
Course: Dessert, Cake, Baked Goods
Cuisine: North American, American

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake
  • 115 g butter 4 oz / 1 stick. At room temperature, unsalted
  • 100 g neutral cooking oil ½ cup. Can be substituted with 4 oz / 115 g of butter, generic cooking oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 300 g white sugar 1 ½ cups
  • 4 egg room temperature, large
  • 180 mL milk ¾ cup. Preferably full fat, see recipe notes
  • 10 mL white wine vinegar 2 tsp, or apple cider vinegar
  • 15 mL vanilla extract 1 tbsp. Try to use a good quality extract.
  • 315 g all-purpose flour 2 ½ cups, measured by spoon and level method
  • 2 tsp baking powder
Buttercream Frosting Options
  • 2 recipe buttercream frosting vanilla flavor
  • 2 recipe buttercream frosting chocolate

Instructions

Vanilla Cake
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C. Line the bottom of two 8 inch pans with parchment paper, and butter and flour the sides. Set aside. (See recipe notes for baking instructions for 9 inch pans, cupcake pans, or 9 x 13 inch pans).
  2. Whisk the butter, oil, salt, and sugar until the mix is creamy and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
  4. Mix the milk, vinegar, and vanilla together. Add this milk mixture to the cake batter, and stir it in.
  5. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together and whisk to combine.
  6. Fold the flour into the wet ingredients in 2 - 3 additions, and mix until just combined. Do NOT over-mix.
  7. Divide the batter between the two cake pans. You can either do this by weight, or by using an ice cream scoop to divide the cake batter evenly.
  8. Using an offset spatula, spread the cake batter in the cake pan so that it's evenly spread. Knock the pan on a firm surface 3 - 4 times, to evenly spread out the batter and to remove any air pockets.
  9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 - 30 minutes, rotating the pan once, halfway through the baking time. (See recipe notes for baking instructions for 9 inch pans, cupcake pans, or 9 x 13 inch pans).
  10. The cake should be springy to the touch (when you gently touch the middle of the cake, it should spring back up). Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly in the pan. While still warm, turn the cake out onto a wire rack and let it cool down completely. 
Ribbon Cake Instructions
  1. Please see recipe here for instructions to make Ribbon Cakes.
Decorating Options (with your choice of frosting)
  1. Make the vanilla buttercream as per the linked recipe, before you're ready to assemble the cake. Then just before you're ready to use the buttercream frosting, you can whip the frosting for a few minutes to make it fluffy again.You can also choose to make the chocolate buttercream as well.
  2. If needed, slice off any domed tops of the cake layers with a serrated knife to make them evenly flat on top.
  3. Place one cake layer on a cake serving plate or decorating plate, with the flat bottom facing down. Place about ½ - ¾ cup of the frosting on top of this cake layer and spread it evenly. You can choose to add a little more of the frosting if you like. 
  4. Place the second cake layer on top, and gently press it down to make sure the cake layers stick together. Make sure the flat bottom of this cake layer is facing up, so that the cake has a nice flat surface on top.
  5. Apply a thin coating of the frosting to completely cover the cake. This is the crumb coating. Allow the crumb coating to set in the fridge for a few minutes, or up to 1 hour.
  6. Spread the rest of the frosting over the cake evenly. Use an offset spatula to create swirls for an old fashioned cake look, OR use a bench scraper or spatula to smooth out the frosting. 
  7. Decorate the cake as you like.

Notes

  • Use weight measurements for accuracy, particularly with flour, to avoid dryness.
  • Substitute buttermilk for milk by leaving out the vinegar if desired.
  • Rotate pans midway through baking for even cooking.
  • Adjust baking times for different pan sizes: 9 inch pans bake 20-25 minutes, cupcakes bake 15-20 minutes, and 9x13 inch pans bake 28-33 minutes.
  • Multiple buttercream frosting options are available for varying flavors.

Nutrition Information

Calories 300kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 38g (13%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Cholesterol 74mg (25%) Sodium 299mg (12%) Potassium 165mg (4%) Sugar 26g (52%) Vitamin A 315IU (6%) Calcium 83mg (8%) Iron 1.2mg (7%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 300

% Daily Value*

Calories 300kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 38g 13%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 299mg 12%
Potassium 165mg 4%
Sugar 26g 52%
Vitamin A 315IU 6%
Calcium 83mg 8%
Iron 1.2mg 7%

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