Description

Stop looking - this is the only Vanilla Cake Recipe I bake! Whether you're after a cake that is perfect for making a layer cake or a classic vanilla sheet cake, my vanilla cake recipe can do it all. One batter, multiple formats, endless frosting opportunities, this moist and tender vanilla cake will be your new back-pocket recipe.

Ingredients

Scale

VANILLA CAKE BATTER

230g unsalted butter, at room temperature
300g granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
4 large eggs (about 200g not including shells), at room temperature
260g buttermilk, at room temperature (see recipe notes for substitutes)
80g sour cream, at room temperature
400g all-purpose flour
8g (2 tsp) baking powder
5g (1 tsp) baking soda
2g (1/2 tsp) salt (omit if you are using salted butter)

TO FINISH

Frosting of your choice (see my Frosting Recipes)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180° /350°f. Grease and line two 8” cake tins with parchment paper. If using, fit with cake strips.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a medium bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar and vanilla together on medium speed until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and sour cream and mix well to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
With the mixer running (if you are using a stand mixer, if you are using an electric mixer you can stop the mixer between additions), alternate adding in the dry ingredients and the wet, starting and ending with the dry. Add the dry ingredients in three additions and the wet in two - so it will go dry, wet, dry, wet, dry. Doing it this way stops you from accidentally over mixing.
Mix until combined - scrape down the bowl once or twice to ensure that everything is well incorporated.
Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing down slightly with the back of a spoon and tapping the cake pan on the counter to remove any bubbles.
Bake the vanilla cakes for 33-35 minutes, checking after 30, until the centre springs back when lightly pressed and a skewer or tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes on a rack before inverting the pans and turning out the cakes and allowing to cool on a wire rack completely.
If using the same day, the cakes can be stored at room temperature lightly covered, otherwise wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill or freeze until required.

For a 9x13" cake: Preheat the oven to 325°f / 160°c - the lower temperature for the sheet cake helps it to bake up nice and flat. Grease and line a 9x13" pan (I prefer metal - mine is from nordicware), with a small amount of parchment paper hanging over the sides of the pan to form a sling for easy removal. Make the cake batter as directed, add to the prepared pan, and smooth down with an offset spatula. Bake for 35 to 37 minutes, checking after 30, until the middle springs back when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Notes

This recipe is for the cake only. I have paired it with my classic vanilla buttercream frosting, but it is also amazing with my vanilla swiss meringue buttercream or my chocolate frosting. For a stacking guide, see my post: How to stack a layer cake: A step by step guide

How to make vanilla cake in other formats:

To make a three layer cake: The recipe as written can be made into a three layer cake by dividing the batter between three. You will need to reduce the bake time slightly. Alternatively I do a 1.5x of this recipe if I want a chunky three layer cake, which I usually make if I am making a larger cake that I want to be more impressive. The batter portion per pan for the 1.5x version will be the same.

To make a half pan sheet cake: I greased and lined a half sheet pan with parchment paper, and then spread the cake evenly into the pan - it will be quite thin. Bake at 325°f / 160°c for 25-3o minutes.

Make ahead instructions:
My vanilla cake recipe is great to make ahead of time. In fact, you want to make sure that it is nice and cool before you frost it, so ideally give yourself a few hours to let it cool (but if you have to use the freezer cooling method it also works and I have most definitely been there). Here are your make ahead options along with how to store cake:

Make and store airtight. If you are storing at room temperature, you can make this cake a day or two ahead of time, and store airtight at room temperature - either tightly wrapped or in an airtight container (just make sure that the lid isn't touching the surface of the cake as it can get a little sticky as it sits

Make ahead and freeze. Because of its texture and the moisture from the sour cream and buttermilk in the cake, this cake is great to freeze ahead of time, and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Leave it to cool, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. Defrost in the fridge overnight or you can frost it with the layers frozen (I do this all the time) and then leave in the fridge for a few hours to finish defrosting.

What is the best substitute for buttermilk?! As a professional recipe developer, I have a lot of thoughts on this. One of my pet peeves online is seeing people recommend using milk and lemon juice in the place of buttermilk. Please do not do this. Lemon juice and milk is much thinner than buttermilk, and it is going to make your batter the wrong consistency.
My general rule of thumb is a 3:1 ratio of sour cream (or greek yoghurt) to milk, so for this recipe, you would use 195g of sour cream to 65g of milk. Whisk together and use immediately.