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Home » Cakes

October 20, 2019 Cakes

The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe!

This fluffy cake is The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe I have ever had. It is super moist, fluffy, and not too sweet. You can pair it with really any flavor frosting or filling and make it your own! I love me a good multipurpose cake!

The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

It has been so hard for me to come up with a good vanilla cake recipe. All the recipes I have seen had SOOOO much sugar in them it was crazy. All of that sugar turned into a really crunchy, hard outside after the cake baked which I wasn't feeling at all.. I knew there had to be a better way to get a really good, moist, beautiful cake without ALL of that sugar.. I'm talking 3+ cups of sugar...(I know right).

The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

The secret is in the goop!

I know what you are thinking...what is goop?! But let me tell you, I wish I had started using this stuff sooner! It is a life saver if you love making beautiful, perfect cakes, and it is super easy! All you need is vegetable oil, vegetable shortening, and flour. That is it! Just mix 1/2 cup of each ingredient in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until well combined. Add into a mason jar or other airtight container and store until you need it.

The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

Use about a quarter size amount on a paper towel and "goop" each of your cake pans before baking. Your cake will come out super easy and beautiful every time!

The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

Let your cakes chill in the fridge

I know that it takes a little forethought, but I have found it so helpful to bake my cakes the day before I need to decorate them, and let them sit overnight in the fridge. It makes the cakes a lot easier to work with. It makes them easier to cut, and decorate and there are less crumbs running a muck getting into your perfect buttercream frosting. Trust me, it makes life easier.

The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

To store in the fridge let your cakes cool completely, and then wrap them in a few layers of cling wrap.

The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

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The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe!


★★★★★

5 from 7 reviews

  • Author: Rose
Print Recipe
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Description

This cake is super moist, fluffy, and not too sweet. You can pair it with really any flavor frosting or filling and make it your own!


Ingredients

Scale

FOR THE CAKE:

2 ¾ cup all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¾ cup butter

1 2/3 cup sugar

5 egg whites

2 ½ tsp vanilla

1 ¼ cup milk

FOR THE FROSTING:

3 sticks softened butter

5 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp heavy whipping cream


Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all dry ingredients (minus sugar) into a small bowl and set aside. Combine the milk and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Slowly add in the sugar until fully combined and fluffy.

Add in the egg whites one at a time, making sure to combine each before adding the other.

Add in about ½ of the dry mixture while mixing on a low speed. Alternate adding in dry and wet ingredients until they are all combined. Mix for an additional 3 minutes on a medium speed.

Prepare three 6″ cake pans with “goop” (see above) and distribute the batter evenly between them.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool completely before frosting.

FOR THE FROSTING: 

Cream together the butter until light and fluffy and there are no lumps. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time while on a low speed.

Add in the vanilla and heavy cream and mix until light and fluffy. About 3-4 minutes.

To assemble the cake, place one layer of cake on a cake board or plate and top with about 1/2 cup of buttercream and smooth out evenly. Add the next layer and continue with each layer of cake. Completely cover the outside of the cake with the remaining buttercream and smooth with a bench scrapper or spatula. Personalize by adding toppings of your choosing!

Enjoy!

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If you enjoyed this recipe, check out my heavenly German Chocolate Cake!!

Categories: Cakes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nicole White says

    September 19, 2019 at 8:32 pm

    Hi Rose! This looks like a great vanilla cake recipe! I'm definitely going to try it!!

    Reply
    • Rose says

      September 19, 2019 at 9:21 pm

      Thanks Nicole!!

      Reply
    • Cora Barkhuizen says

      September 21, 2019 at 8:58 am

      Good day, I live in South Africa. Please want to know how many grams is one stick of butter.
      Here we buy the butter in blocks.
      Thank you
      Cora

      Reply
      • Susan says

        September 22, 2019 at 5:58 pm

        One stick of butter is 113 grams.

        Reply
        • Crystal West Story says

          October 09, 2019 at 7:01 pm

          Hi Rose! I'm sure learning a lot from your blog & recipes. I am currently making the black forest cake for my son's 5th birthday (minus the cherries of course) & I'm using the "goop"!!! It is working well! I love it! I've been making cakes (mainly doctored mixes) for about 12ish years on & off & would love to be on your level...just can't seem to get there... anyway, my question for this recipe is, if I don't care if this cake is white in color can I use the whole egg & if so how many?

          Thanks again for all you do, I learn lots!

          Reply
          • Rose says

            October 13, 2019 at 9:10 pm

            Three whole eggs.

    • Cassia says

      January 13, 2020 at 3:53 am

      Hi Rose, would it turn out well if I wanted to use 2 9 inch pans instead?

      Reply
  2. Stephanie Strunk says

    September 20, 2019 at 3:20 am

    I've been looking for a vanilla cupcake recipe to try for my mini cupcake bouquets. This one sounds amazing to try.

    Stephanie

    Reply
    • Rose says

      September 20, 2019 at 8:09 pm

      Yay - thanks for trying it - please let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  3. mercy odili says

    September 20, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    woo! thanks, i will try it this weekend.

    Reply
    • Rose says

      September 20, 2019 at 8:09 pm

      Awesome - thank you!

      Reply
    • Leila says

      October 29, 2019 at 9:22 pm

      My husbands birthday is coming up, and this is a recipe I am sure to try. I have 2 9 inch baking pans. I plan on making it a 3 tier cake. Would to have to double the recipe?

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  4. Dan says

    September 21, 2019 at 11:10 pm

    Can you put funfetti sprinkles in the cake.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      September 22, 2019 at 5:55 pm

      Yes! Fold in about 1/4 cup of jimmies once the cake batter is mixed.

      Reply
      • Val says

        August 31, 2020 at 6:18 pm

        Hello! I will be making this cake tomorrow (9/1/2020). Can I double this recipe and use it with 2 9in pans, and still bake at 350?

        Reply
  5. Karen Strickland Cochran says

    September 22, 2019 at 11:30 am

    Looks good. Will definitely try

    Reply
  6. Kimm Brown says

    September 22, 2019 at 5:08 pm

    I made this cake a few days ago and it was amazing. One of the best vanilla cakes I’ve ever had. The crumb was amazing. Perfect for stacking. I did use buttermilk instead of milk. I am wondering how it would be to replace some of the AP flour with cake flour to give it a slightly lighter, less dense crumb. I will definitely be making this again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lesley Montes says

      September 27, 2019 at 9:00 pm

      Hello! How much of the ap flour did you replace with cake flour?

      Reply
      • Kimm Brown says

        September 30, 2019 at 1:05 pm

        Hi Lesley, I didn’t actually replace an AP flour with this bake. It was a question for Rose. I was thinking about it tho. And wasn’t sure about the ratio. I wonder if it would be an equal swap?

        Reply
      • Michelle L Chamberlain says

        March 26, 2020 at 12:07 am

        1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of Cake Flour for every 1 cup of All Purpose Flour.

        I made it with all Cake Flour and it was wonderful. The cake was perfect! Great base recipe for plating with flavors as well. I am going to make a coconut cake with this.

        I am rating only the cake. The frosting was way to sweet for me and even two of my kids but the acrual cake was perfect!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
  7. Amber says

    September 24, 2019 at 8:29 am

    Hi, just wondering what’s the oven temperature on which you are baking this cake. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Susan says

      September 25, 2019 at 4:16 pm

      So sorry! It should be at 350 degrees F. Got the recipe updated with the temperature. 🙂

      Reply
      • Amber says

        September 25, 2019 at 5:10 pm

        I tried this recipe last night and it was so delicious. Haven’t tasted a better vanilla cake before. I halved all the ingredients and now i wish i had more hehe. Thanks so much! ?

        Reply
        • Rose says

          September 26, 2019 at 2:06 am

          That's SO awesome - thank you for doing this for me!!

          Reply
  8. Pam Hull says

    September 27, 2019 at 11:39 pm

    I made cupcakes out of this recipe. It really is a great recipe but I have to say, I have another recipe that I think I like a little better. It has buttermilk in it and it’s divine but this is wonderful!!!! I also used cream cheese in the frosting because everything is better with cream cheese right??? Thanks for the recipe!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rose says

      September 29, 2019 at 11:24 pm

      Thanks so much Pam!

      Reply
  9. Jercy says

    October 10, 2019 at 5:12 pm

    Hi Rose.....
    May I please request you to post all the ingredients in grams.

    Reply
  10. Wntress Savoy says

    October 15, 2019 at 12:32 pm

    Hi, I love you making your cakes. If you don't mind what brand of AP flour do you use or can cake flour be used? if so what brand would you recommend and what is the ratio for cake flour vs. AP flour. Thank you

    Reply
    • Rose says

      October 16, 2019 at 3:45 am

      I use Great Value (Walmart) brand all-purpose flour.

      Reply
  11. penny says

    October 18, 2019 at 3:02 pm

    Can e whole eggs be substituted for 5 egg whites? I'm not concerned about the color.

    Reply
    • Rose says

      October 22, 2019 at 8:04 pm

      Yes 🙂 I haven't done it but usually it's 3 whole eggs for 4 egg whites, so you may have to use 3 or 4 large eggs.

      Reply
  12. Carole lynskey says

    March 02, 2020 at 8:59 am

    Hi Rose, I was so thrilled to read your recipe using the small amount of sugar, only to be disappointed at you using 5 cups of icing sugar in the frosting! Defeats the whole purpose of cutting down sugar in baking. Regards
    Carole

    Reply
  13. Serenity says

    March 20, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    I don’t have vegetable shortening, can I make this recipe without the “goop”? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rose says

      March 21, 2020 at 3:44 am

      Of course! Just use cake release spray or oil and flour your pan.

      Reply
      • Serenity says

        March 29, 2020 at 2:57 pm

        I made this with just butter and flour for the sides and it worked perfect. This recipe is delicious!!! I enjoy cake that doesn’t fall apart into a big crumb mess when you cut into it and this one is the perfect texture. So yummy!!! We all loved it! Thank you so much.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
        • Rose says

          April 05, 2020 at 2:55 am

          SO glad you liked it Serenity!

          Reply
  14. Michelle L Chamberlain says

    March 26, 2020 at 12:10 am

    1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of Cake Flour for every 1 cup of All Purpose Flour.

    I made it with all Cake Flour and it was wonderful. The cake was perfect! Great base recipe for plating with flavors as well. I am going to make a coconut cake with this.

    I am rating only the cake. The frosting was way to sweet for me and even two of my kids but the acrual cake was perfect!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Michelle L Chamberlain says

      March 26, 2020 at 12:11 am

      Supposed to be playing with flavours, not planting. Sorry for the typo!

      Reply
  15. Jill says

    March 28, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    Did you use metal pans? If I were to use glass pans should the cakes be baked at a different temperature?

    Reply
    • Rose says

      April 05, 2020 at 2:56 am

      Hey Jill - I've never baked cakes in glass pans so I'm not sure how you'd adjust the recipe.

      Reply
  16. Samantha says

    April 05, 2020 at 5:49 pm

    Rose - I want to make this recipe for my husbands 30th birthday but am confused by the directions and scaling. I have two 9" round pans to make a double layer cake. Do I need to double the scale (i.e. use the 2x measurements) or is the 1x recipe enough?
    Sincerely,
    Lost and confused new wife and beginning baker!

    Reply
  17. Dolores Jonusas says

    April 06, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    HI, Rose - I'm always looking for a great vanilla cake recipe and this one sounds really nice. I will be trying it. However, when you double or triple the recipe, it doesn't indicate the size of the pans for the larger amount. Any chance you could let us know. Many thanks! 🙂

    Reply
  18. Kayla Vaught says

    April 09, 2020 at 2:48 am

    Hey I have a question I am gonna make this cake for Easter For my husband lol. do you use salted butter or unsalted butter

    Reply
  19. Sirin says

    April 15, 2020 at 6:46 pm

    Hello, i was wondering which scale did you used in this cake. Also, how many people can eat from it?
    Thank you!

    Reply
  20. Susan says

    May 04, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    Hi Rose! My question is in regards to the "Goop" recipe for greasing/flouring cake pans. Does Canola Oil work as a substitution for Vegetable Oil in the recipe for Vegetable Oil? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Rose says

      May 04, 2020 at 7:15 pm

      Yes!!

      Reply
  21. Chandra Persaud says

    May 25, 2020 at 2:01 pm

    Hi do you have the ingredients in weight please?

    Reply
  22. Ronak Mehta says

    September 15, 2020 at 6:38 am

    Baked this cake for my birthday and it was an absolute hit! So moist and tasty. Thank you for doing what you do

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  23. Siobhan says

    November 05, 2020 at 7:33 pm

    Hi Rose,

    Wondering what milk did you use in your recipe? And does the type of milk (skim, 3%, buttercream, etc) change the amount used? Also, is it safe to assume the butter is unsalted? Looking to bake it this weekend for my daughter's 2nd birthday.

    Thanks a bunch!

    Reply
    • Rose says

      November 19, 2020 at 3:58 pm

      I'm so sorry I missed your comment. I use whole milk and salted butter, but I think 2% and unsalted would also work!

      Reply
  24. Lisa says

    September 13, 2021 at 9:03 pm

    Salt or unsalted butter?

    Reply
    • Rose says

      September 21, 2021 at 12:33 am

      Unsalted

      Reply
  25. Shreya says

    June 11, 2022 at 5:24 pm

    Hi! I see a couple people have commented this but I have 2 9 inch pans. Would I double the recipe?

    Reply
    • Susan says

      August 11, 2022 at 9:24 pm

      I would try doubling it - you may have a little batter left over though! Let us know how it turns out if you do!

      Reply

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