Say hello to the best vanilla cake ever! It’s so moist and fluffy that you won’t believe it’s made completely from scratch. So say good-bye to box mixes and give this recipe a try. It’s perfect! I think you’ll love it!
Vanilla cake, my nemesis. For many years I struggled with making vanilla cakes. They were always too dense, too dry and too blah. But after many failed attempts and recipes changes, I’ve come up with, what I believe, is the perfect vanilla cake. It’s stick-to-your-fork moist, fluffy and packed with vanilla flavor.
I believe everyone needs a good vanilla cake recipe in their baking arsenal. This recipe is now my go-to. It’s perfect to use as a base for any kind of cake you want to make. Add a fun twist like fruit or candy, switch the vanilla extract for a different flavoring, put some bacon in it (oh, idea brewing!), the possibilities are endless!
I recently made this cake for my daughter’s first birthday party. It was the first time I had made it for anyone other than my husband and kids, so I was little nervous about what everyone would think of it. Let me tell you, it was a hit! I almost didn’t get a piece!
Getting ready for a party is hectic at my house so I wanted to make sure that I had plenty of time to setup. I decided to make the cake the night before. It was getting late so I put off decorating it till the next morning. To keep it from drying out, I just wrapped each layer in plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, I whipped up a simple vanilla buttercream and dyed it a pale pink. Frosted it, covered the top in gold sanding sugar and piped a quick braided border. I made sure to let it sit out for a couple of hours before serving so that it could come up to room temperature. It tasted like I had just made it and it looked so cute with the rest of the decorations I spent a week making!
How to Make the Perfect Vanilla Cake
The method for making this cake is so simple. Just the basic creaming method!
- Combine the dry ingredients and set them aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla.
- Lastly, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk. Starting and ending with the dry.
- Bake it for 20-30 minutes
I frosted this cake with my husband’s favorite, cream cheese frosting. It’s got a great tang to it and it’s not as sweet as your typical American Buttercream. Not a fan of cream cheese frosting? That’s ok! Top it with any kind you like! This cake is versatile so you really can top it with any type and any flavor frosting!
The Perfect Vanilla Cake
This is the vanilla cake recipe you've been looking for! It's light, fluffy and stick-to-your-fork moist!
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 & 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup whole milk
Frosting
- 2 - 8-oz bricks of cream cheese, softened
- 2 sticks of butter, softened
- 6 cups of powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Grease and flour 3 8-inch round cake pans.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and mixing well inbetween. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until well blended.
- Starting with the dry and ending with the dry, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk a little at a time.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Let it cool and frost with your favorite frosting.
Frosting
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the sugar one cup at a time until well mixed.
- Add the salt and vanilla, mix on medium for 5 minutes.
Enjoy!
Notes
If you like your layers a little bit on the thick side, bake this in 2 8-inch round pans instead of 3.
For a make ahead option, you can bake the cakes, wrap them in plastic wrap once cooled and place them in the fridge. Or you can bake, cool and frost then place in the fridge. Let it sit out for a couple of hours before serving.
Your daughter’s cake is adorable 😍 Love the decorations! This recipe looks delicious and I love the cream cheese frosting.
Thank you! I had so much fun making the cake and the decorations (even with the hot glue burns!). Cream cheese frosting is the best!