I perfected a Vanilla cake recipe with cake flour and there’s one small, surprising step I’m finally ready to share.

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I always thought a vanilla cake was boring until I nailed this one, it’s honestly the perfect thing for birthdays or any celebration when you wanna look like a pro. The crumb is tender, the flavor deep and not sickly sweet, thanks to plenty of unsalted butter and a good splash of pure vanilla extract.

People ask me about Diy Cake Mix Recipes all the time, and they ask How To Bake Vanilla Cake too, but what I love about this is how forgiving it is, you can make it fancy or simple and it still steals the show. You’ll want to try it.

Ingredients

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Main structure, mostly carbs little fiber, adds chew and bulk to crumb
Rich in fat gives tenderness, flavor and golden color, not a health food
Pure carbs makes cake sweet, helps browning, no real nutrients
Eggs bring protein, fat and moisture, help structure and lift, yolks add richness
Sour cream or yogurt adds tang, fat and protein, keeps cake moist, acidity reacts
Whole milk dilutes batter for tenderness, adds fat and lactose carbs, boosts browning
Vanilla extract tiny calories big aroma, makes flavor rounded and classic vanilla notes

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/2 cups (312g) all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temp

1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar

4 large eggs, room temp

1/2 cup (120g) sour cream or greek yogurt, room temp

1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temp

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round pans with parchment and lightly flour them, and bring the butter, eggs, sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and milk to room temperature while the oven heats.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the 2 1/2 cups (312g) all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; if you have a scale use it, if not spoon and level the flour so you dont pack it.

3. In a large bowl beat 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter (room temp) with 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bowl down once or twice.

4. Add the 4 large eggs, room temp, one at a time beating until each is incorporated, then stir in the 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; scrape the bowl again so nothing gets missed.

5. Whisk together the 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and 1 cup (240ml) whole milk until smooth.

6. With mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, starting and ending with the dry (dry, half wet, dry, half wet, last dry) or do dry, wet, dry; mix only until just combined, dont overmix or youll get a dense cake.

7. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smooth the tops with a spatula and give each pan a gentle tap on the counter to remove big air bubbles.

8. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through if your oven bakes unevenly, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs not wet batter.

9. Let the cakes cool in their pans 10 to 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, invert onto a wire rack, peel off parchment and cool completely before frosting or stacking.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven set to 350°F (175°C)
2. Two 9-inch round cake pans, lined with parchment and lightly floured
3. Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl
4. Electric mixer (stand or hand)
5. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale (optional but helpful)
6. Rubber spatula and a whisk
7. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for the dry ingredients
8. Wire cooling rack and a toothpick or cake tester
9. Sharp knife or offset spatula to run around edges and smooth tops

FAQ

How do I know when the cake is done? Insert a toothpick in the center, it should come out with a few moist crumbs not wet batter. The top should spring back when gently pressed.

Can I swap sour cream for something else? Yes, plain Greek yogurt works great. You can also use buttermilk but reduce the milk slightly to keep batter consistency right.

Can I make this as cupcakes or a 9×13 pan? Yes. For cupcakes bake about 18 to 22 minutes. For a 9×13 pan bake about 30 to 35 minutes, check early cause ovens differ.

How should I store or freeze the cake? Store frosted cake at room temp up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze unfrosted layers wrapped tightly in plastic then foil up to 3 months.

Can I use oil instead of butter? You can, but butter gives better flavor. If you swap, use about 3/4 cup neutral oil for 1 cup butter and expect a slightly different crumb.

My cake sinks in the middle, what went wrong? Common reasons: underbaked center, overmixing, or opening oven door too early. Make sure ingredients are room temp and follow baking times.

PERFECT VANILLA CAKE Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All-purpose flour: Swap for cake flour for a softer, finer crumb. To make cake flour from your AP flour measure 2 1/2 cups then remove 5 tablespoons of that flour and replace with 5 tablespoons cornstarch, sift together a few times. Or use a 1:1 gluten free all-purpose blend (make sure it contains xanthan gum) if you need GF.
Unsalted butter (1 cup): Use 3/4 cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable) for a moister, slightly denser cake. Or use melted coconut oil 1:1 if you want a hint of coconut, but expect a bit different texture. If you only have salted butter just use the same amount and skip or reduce the recipe salt.
Sour cream or Greek yogurt (1/2 cup): Replace with 1/2 cup buttermilk for equal acidity and tenderness. If you dont have buttermilk, stir 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar into 1/2 cup milk and let sit 5 minutes to sour it, works great.
Whole milk (1 cup): For richer flavor use 1 cup buttermilk, it adds tenderness and tang. For dairy free use 1:1 unsweetened almond or oat milk, the cake will be slightly lighter in fat but still bakes fine.

Pro Tips

1) Weigh the flour if you can, seriously. Spoon and level is ok but a scale keeps the cake consistent so you wont end up with a gummy or dry crumb every other time.

2) Get everything truly room temp. That means the butter soft enough to dent with your finger, eggs warmed in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes if you forgot to pull them out, and the milk closer to room temp. Cold ingredients fight each other and will make your batter look curdled or heavy.

3) Mix gently and stop as soon as it looks combined, dont try to “fix” it by overbeating. Add the dry and wet in alternating additions and scrape the bowl well, but when you see no streaks of flour quit mixing, overmixing = dense cake.

4) For even rise and moist layers: use an oven thermometer and rotate pans halfway, lower the temp 10 degrees if the edges brown too fast, and when the cakes are out brush them with a simple syrup or splash of milk if you plan to frost right away. Let them cool enough to handle before frosting or youll get a melty mess.

PERFECT VANILLA CAKE Recipe

Recipe by Samantha Dalling

0.0 from 0 votes

I perfected a Vanilla cake recipe with cake flour and there's one small, surprising step I'm finally ready to share.

Servings

servings

Calories

466

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven set to 350°F (175°C)
2. Two 9-inch round cake pans, lined with parchment and lightly floured
3. Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl
4. Electric mixer (stand or hand)
5. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale (optional but helpful)
6. Rubber spatula and a whisk
7. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for the dry ingredients
8. Wire cooling rack and a toothpick or cake tester
9. Sharp knife or offset spatula to run around edges and smooth tops

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (312g) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temp
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream or greek yogurt, room temp
1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temp
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round pans with parchment and lightly flour them, and bring the butter, eggs, sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and milk to room temperature while the oven heats.
In a medium bowl whisk together the 2 1/2 cups (312g) all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; if you have a scale use it, if not spoon and level the flour so you dont pack it.
In a large bowl beat 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter (room temp) with 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bowl down once or twice.
Add the 4 large eggs, room temp, one at a time beating until each is incorporated, then stir in the 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; scrape the bowl again so nothing gets missed.
Whisk together the 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and 1 cup (240ml) whole milk until smooth.
With mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, starting and ending with the dry (dry, half wet, dry, half wet, last dry) or do dry, wet, dry; mix only until just combined, dont overmix or youll get a dense cake.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smooth the tops with a spatula and give each pan a gentle tap on the counter to remove big air bubbles.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through if your oven bakes unevenly, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs not wet batter.
Let the cakes cool in their pans 10 to 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, invert onto a wire rack, peel off parchment and cool completely before frosting or stacking.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.