This is the PERFECT white cake with a soft texture, moist crumb, and wonderful vanilla flavor; plus, it tastes incredible with creamy vanilla buttercream. Cake flour, egg whites, and sour cream are the secrets to the best texture. The cake batter is my gold standard and I use it as the base for many other cake flavors including strawberry cake, coconut cake, pistachio cake, burnt sugar caramel cake, and more.
I originally published this recipe in 2017and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
One reader, Shandra, commented: “This. Cake. Is. Excellent! Thank you, Sally, for such a delicious recipe. For my preference, this hit the spot on tenderness, fluffiness, and taste (which to me means non-eggy). And the frosting is excellent as well! Archived as my #1 white cake recipe. Yum! ★★★★★“
Why This Is My Best White Cake Recipe
This white cake recipe is adapted from my perfect vanilla cupcakes, a longtime reader favorite. The cake is my definition of *cake perfection* and has become one of the most popular cake recipes on my website. I’m even publishing it in my 2025 cookbook. Here’s why:
- Soft & airy crumb
- Fluffy, but not eggy
- Pure sweet flavor
- Stick-to-your-fork moist & tender
- Completely from scratch
- Easy & approachable dessert recipe
I love this cake so much that I used it as the base for several other cake recipes I have published including espresso chocolate chip cake, pineapple coconut cake, cookies and cream cake, plus more listed below. I even reduced the quantity of cake batter down to make the perfect 1-layer pineapple upside down cake.
It’s my flagship cake recipe, and I crown it with the smoothest, creamiest vanilla buttercream. Rainbow sprinkles add a little glitz and glamour because… what’s cake without sprinkles?
In the past 7 years, I’ve made this cake so frequently that I have the recipe memorized. I’m talking birthday parties, baby showers, summer parties, anniversaries, and even a couple bake sales. There are several success tips I’ve picked up along the way, and I’m thrilled to share them with you so you can enjoy cake perfection on your 1st try.
White Cake Success Tips
- Cream the Butter: To achieve a good rise, properly cream the butter and sugar together.You have the crutch of baking powder and baking soda, but the cake’s crumb truly sings when that creaming process steps in.
- Use Only Egg Whites: Do not use egg yolks. Using only egg whitesnot only gives you a pristine white cake, but also it ensures that the crumb is not weighed down by the fat in egg yolks. Think about it: lighter confections such as marshmallows and angel food cake require only the egg whites. It’s the same story here. You need 5 large egg whites in this cake.
- Use Pure Vanilla: You need pure vanilla extract for this cake, and a full Tablespoon in the cake batter. You’ll really taste it, so don’t skimp on the amount. If you have a vanilla bean, go ahead and scrape the beans from half of it into the batter for extra flavor, or you can swap the extract for the same amount of vanilla bean paste.
- Sour Cream Instead of Egg Yolks: Sour cream is the cake’ssecurity blanket. While it contains fat like the egg yolks would, it doesn’t really weigh down the crumb. It’s pure moisture and adds the most creamy, tender texture to every bite. It plays the same important role in coffee cake, too.
- You Need Cake Flour: Cake flour is almost 30x finer than all-purpose flour. Using it is a surefire way to achieve a delicate, soft-as-a-pillow texture. It’s sold in the baking aisle and you can use the rest of the box in any of these recipes that use cake flour including my popular confetti cake.
- Room Temperature: Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. When ingredients are the same temperature, they bind togethermore readily than if you had some cold and some warmer ingredients. Colder ingredients, especially egg whites, will produce a thicker batter and, since it’s cold, will take longer to bake. This changes everything.
Room-Temperature Ingredients
If a recipe calls for room-temperature eggs orany other ingredient such as milk or sour cream, make sure you follow suit. Recipes don’t do that for fun—room-temperature ingredients emulsify much easier into batter, which creates a uniform texture throughout your baked good. Think of cold, hard butter. It’s impossible to cream cold butter into a soft consistency. Same goes for eggs—they add much more volume to the batter when they’re at room temperature. Place your eggs in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes, and you can briefly warm the milk and sour cream (separately) on the stove or in the microwave to bring up the temperature. Here’s my trick for bringing butter to room temperature quickly.
This Is a 2-Layer 9-Inch Cake
You need two 9-inch round cake pans for this batter. This batter does not fit into two 8-inch cake pans (it’s too much). Three 8-inch pans work, as seen here in my fresh berry cream cake, but the layers are thin. If you want to make a 6-inch cake, use this 6-inch cake recipe, which is scaled down from today’s batter. Feel free to visit my page if you have any questions about changing the pan size.
Make sure you line your cake pans with parchment paper rounds, to help the cakes seamlessly release from the pan. If you need recommendations for round cake pans, I really like Fat Daddio’s pans and these Wilton cake pans.
White Cake Decoration
While the ingredients in the cake batter don’t leave any room for substitutions, we can have some fun with a variety of frostings.I prefer vanilla frosting, which I include in the recipe below. But I encourage you to play around with chocolate buttercream, rainbow chip frosting, or chocolate cream cheese frosting. For a lighter, less sweet option, I love pairing this cake with whipped frosting. Each of these frostings are absolutely remarkable on this lovely cake. The vanilla frosting makes a lot, so expect a thick layer between the cakes.
*Crumb Coat Details*
To ensure the layer cake is stable, it’s important to apply a crumb coat. A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting on the exterior of the cake that locks in any loose crumbs and helps stabilize the layers. After you stack the 2 layers with frosting in between, cover the top and sides of the layered cake with a very thin layer of frosting (about 1 cup). If desired, run a bench scraper around the cake to help smooth out the frosting. Refrigerate the uncovered cake for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour to “set” the crumb coat. Then cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
Here Are All the Cake Flavors Made From This Perfect Batter
It’s impressive that this combination of ingredients can produce so many cakes. I will ALWAYS turn to this recipe.
- Elmo Cake & Cookie Monster Cake
- Espresso Chocolate Chip Cake
- Pineapple Coconut Cake
- Fresh Berry Cream Cake
- Burnt Sugar Caramel Cake
- Coconut Cake
- Pistachio Cake
- Strawberry Cake (very popular recipe)
- Reduced batter for 1 layer: Pineapple Upside Down Cake & 1-Layer Sprinkle Cake
To Change the Cake Pan Size:
Can I use 8-inch pans?
This batter does not fit into two 8-inch cake pans (it’s too much). Three 8-inch pans work at the same oven temperature, as seen here in my fresh berry cream cake, but the layers are thin.
Can I make this into a 6-inch cake?
If you want to make a 6-inch cake, use this 6-inch cake recipe, which is scaled down from this batter.
Can I make this into a Bundt cake?
Yes. Same oven temperature. This batter will fit into a 10 to 12-inch Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time, so use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Can I make this into a 9×13-inch cake?
Yes. Same oven temperature. Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13-inch pan and bake for 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Can I use this for a tiered cake?
I recommend following my Homemade Wedding Cake recipe as a guide for a tiered cake, and it will be best to use cake dowels and boards for support. The bottom tier of that cake is sturdier than this white cake, though the flavor is pretty identical.
Can I make this into cupcakes?
My vanilla cupcakes recipe is essentially this same recipe, only halved. If you want more cupcakes, you can follow this white cake batter recipe and use the baking instructions for the cupcakes.
The Perfect White Cake
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.9 from 216 reviews
- Author: Sally
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Save Recipe
Description
This is the PERFECT white cake with a soft texture, moist crumb, and wonderful vanilla flavor; plus, it tastes incredible with creamy vanilla buttercream. By following the recipe below and all of my success tips, you’ll enjoy an ultra-light cake, just like the kind you find at a bakery or from a box mix. But it’s all made from scratch in your very own kitchen. See various flavors above and all of my recipe Notes below.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (295g) cake flour()
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature*
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 cups (600g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
- 2teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or use clear imitation vanilla extract for stark white frosting)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional: sprinkles, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy—about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the egg whites. Beat on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 24–25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low speed. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more cream if frosting is too thick, or a pinch more salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble and frost:First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place one cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Spread 3/4 to 1 cup of vanilla buttercream in an even layer on top. Top with the second cake layer, upside down, and spread the top and sides with 1 cup of buttercream in a very thin layer to make the crumb coat. If desired, run a bench scraper around the cake to help smooth out the frosting on the sides. Refrigerate the cake until the crumb coat has set, about 20 minutes. Finish by spreading the top and sides with the remaining buttercream. Decorate top of cake with sprinkles, if desired.
- Slice and serve immediately or keep at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
- Cover leftover caketightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared and then covered and refrigerated overnight. Assemble and frost the cake the next day when you are ready to serve. Frosted cake can be frozen up to 2 months if you have room in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Fat Daddio’s Cake Pans or Wilton Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld orStand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Straight Spatula (for frosting) | Round Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Amount of Batter: If it’s helpful for using different size cake pan sizes and conversions, this recipe yields about 7 cups of cake batter.
- Cake Flour: If you can’t find cake flour, here is a DIY homemade cake flour substitute you can use instead.
- Carton Egg Whites: You can use carton egg whites. The carton should give measurements for substituting for fresh egg whites.
- Milk, Sour Cream, Substituting Buttermilk: Whole milk and sour cream are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work instead, though the cake may not be as light. Same goes for a lower-fat milk. If you want to use buttermilk, the best way to do so is to have it replace both the sour cream AND milk in this recipe. Use 1 and 1/2 cups of buttermilk, then leave out the sour cream and whole milk.
- Other Cake Sizes (6-inch, 8-inch, 9×13-inch, tiered cake, Bundt cake, cupcakes): Please see FAQ above the recipe.
- Almond Cake: If you want to add almond flavoring, I recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract for an almond cake. I usually just do this to the cake, but you could certainly swap some of the vanilla in the frosting for almond for an even deeper almond flavor. Decorate the cake with sliced almonds, if desired.
