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 2017 and 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 whites not 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’s security 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 together more 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 or any 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 cake pans & conversions 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
- Cookies & Cream Sheet 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:
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.
If you want to make a 6-inch cake, use this 6-inch cake recipe, which is scaled down from this batter.
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.
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.
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.
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
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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 (spooned & leveled)
- 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) full fat 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
- 2 teaspoons 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 paddle or 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. (At this point, it’s best to use the whisk attachment.) 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 cake tightly 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 or Stand) | 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.
Hi Sally, thank you so much for all your amazing recipes, you are my go to website for all my baking needs! I am making my niece’s first birthday cake and wanted to check if I can add some chocolate chips and maybe some red coloring to the batter. I am attempting to make the cake resemble a watermelon on the inside. Would this recipe be enough for 20 people if we cut the pieces smaller? Thanks for your help!
Hi Valerie, absolutely! 3/4 – 1 cup mini chocolate chips would be plenty. You can also use red gel food coloring. Hope the cake is a hit!
Made ur vanilla cake recipe, the cake was amazing. This is the fourth recipe
we’ve made of urs, each and everyone
has been super delicious. So happy I
found ur site
Can I substitute all or half of the butter with unmelted coconut oil?
I would say that you could substitute out 1/4 of the butter for solid coconut oil. (Cream it with the butter and sugar.) The cake’s texture won’t change much.
Hello! I was wondering if I could add cinnamon powder to this cake recipe? My little one is requesting a cinnamon cake for his birthday. I was planning on making a 9×13 cake for his party.
Hi Sammi, a bit of cinnamon would be great here. Or here is our snickerdoodle cake instead!
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS RECIPE, DELICIOUS, MOIST, FLAVOURFUL, EVERYONE LOVES THIS CAKE AND WANT THE RECIPE!! GRANDAUGHTER WILL ONLY EAT WHITE CAKE( she is 10 years old) and has made it herself as loves it, she now has the recipe for herself!!
This is an awesome cake! I wonder if you could substitute shortening for the butter to make the cake whiter?
Hi Joan, shortening has very different baking properties than butter, so we don’t recommend making that swap here. So glad you enjoy this cake!
This was an amazing recipe. It’s my husband’s second favorite scratch cake.
Made this recipe as cupcakes for my toddler’s birthday party. Didn’t use everything at room temperature (I know, I know… But it was late and I was short on time as it was). They still turned out fantastic! Everyone asked about them and we have been very much enjoying the leftovers. Used 1/2 – 1 cup less icing sugar in the icing and it was delicious.
Instead of cake flour can I use self rising flour and omit the baking pwd and backing soda
Hi Haze, we don’t recommend using self rising flour. Here’s our guide to making a DIY version of cake flour if needed. Happy baking!
I am going to try this recipe out for a baby shower. I have already purchased a 12×18″ sheet pan and plan to do two layers. I was going to do one batch per layer, but seeing the recommendation for how to accommodate a 9×13″ pan, I wonder – should I bump the recipe up to one and a half times the recipe per 12×18″ layer – do you think this could work?
Hi Sherah, we haven’t tested this recipe in a 12×18 pan. You’ll need between 1 and 2 times the recipe (1.5 is probably about right) to have the correct amount of batter. You can see our post on Cake Pan Sizes and Conversions to find out exactly how to calculate the square inches for a pan and then adjust the recipe. We hope it’s a hit at the baby shower!
My cakes are just cooling. I plan on serving them tomorrow. Is there a reason why you say to frost them then serve. Can I not frost them a day before?
Hi Dawn, you certainly can frost ahead of time if you prefer. The frosted cake will keep at room temperature for a few hours, but we’d recommend keeping in the refrigerator overnight if serving the next day. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving. Hope the cake is a hit!
can you use whole eggs instead? 3?
Hi Sam, we don’t recommend it. Using just egg whites is key to this cake’s soft, fluffy texture. If you want to use some whole eggs, you can try our vanilla cake instead.
Could you turn this into a funfetti cake by adding sprinkles to the batter?
Hi KaSandra, You can fold in 1/2 -2/3 cup of sprinkles (jimmies, not nonpareils) to this batter for a confetti cake. Enjoy!
Simply perfect white cake. I have never made a cake with such a tender crumb and spot on vanilla flavour. Found my new favourite!
Does Sally have a rough weight in mind for egg whites? Asking because I only have small eggs and I know how important egg whites is important for this recipe and I want to add more as required. Thanks!
Hi Mary, Egg weights can vary but usually large eggs in the shell are about 57g, and 50g out of the shell. A yolk weighs about 18g and a white 30g. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Excellent cake. I used the 9×13 and baked like she said, for 38 minutes exactly. Perfect! Will be making this again.
Do you think this cake could take a 3rd layer? I wouldn’t 1.5x the recipe and make it all at once. I’d make a half batch in addition to the written recipe. I’m looking for the height of 3 full layers.
I’ve made this cake before and it’s delicious! I’m just wondering if the baked cakes can handle the weight of another layer. Thanks!
Hi Sam, yes, that will work just fine!
I’ve never made a cake before and this recipe looks easy enough. I’m excited to try and make it. However, can I use coconut oil instead of butter? Or use both?
Hi Crystal, for the best flavor we recommend using just butter, but you can try coconut oil or a mix of both as long as the coconut oil is in its solid state, so you can cream it with the sugar.
I cannot believe how good this turned out! Better than any local bakery I’ve ever had. And my family agrees! My dad doesn’t even like cake and he ate two slices!! My husband too!! Best frosting ever too. Tastes just like a bakery, but cleaner. Thank you so much for this gem!! Not a single one of your recipes has ever failed me. You are always my go to!! I just know that this will be one of those recipes that future grandkids will enjoy. A keeper!!!
Hi! This is a great recipe! Have you ever used it to make cake pops?
Hi Rachel, thanks for trying this recipe! Our cake pops use a similar recipe for the cake but scaled down.
Hi! Can I use kefir instead of sour cream and milk? (I see you give indications for buttermilk). Thanks!
Hi Margherita, yes, you can use kefir as a 1:1 substitute.
Hi! Can I make this cake in a sheet pan?
Hi Joanie, see FAQ above the recipe for details about other cake pan sizes.
I would love to use this recipe to make a strawberry shortcake. Do you have any ideas on what I would need to change?recommendations on what I
Hi Nellie, we have this separate strawberry shortcake cake recipe that you might enjoy. Or are you looking for a strawberry flavored cake? If so, our strawberry cake is a favorite!
Hi Sally. I use only extra large eggs, so what is the weight in grams of 5 egg whites in your white cake recipe? Thx
Hi Sara, Egg weights can vary but usually large eggs in the shell are about 57g, and 50g out of the shell. A yolk weighs about 18g and a white 30g.
I’m looking for a recipe for a Butterscotch Mousse Cake. Is there a way I could use your perfect White cake and a butterscotch flavouring, and a butterscotch mousse?
I’m an amateur baker, so any tips would be helpful. Thank you
Hi Andrea, I haven’t made a butterscotch mousse before. You may be able to do something with this butterscotch pudding as the filling, with a “dam” or “ring” of buttercream/frosting around the edges to prevent it from spilling over the sides.
Hi! How many people will this cake be enough for? I’m looking at about 15 kids and 6 adults for our party.
Hi Tejashree, this cake yields 10-12 generous slices, but you can always cut smaller pieces.
Hi Sally and team. I have made this recipe so many times over the years. It is amazing which I think is why I reached for it again. A friend of mine requested almond cake. Would you recommend adding almond extract to this recipe or just adding it to the icing? Any other recommendations you might have would be welcome also.
Hi Lisa, We recommend using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract for an almond cake. We 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. We’re so glad this is a favorite for you!
Cake I make this into 4 inch size cakes? How many would this make? And what would the cook time be?
Hi KG, I’m unsure exactly how many it would make, but the cook time will be shorter. I’m not positive as I haven’t tried it myself.
I love this recipe! If I wanted to turn it into a granadilla cake how would I do it? Just add a can of pulp or is there a substitution I would have to make? This is the only recipe page I trust so I don’t want to just look up another recipe!
Hi Latana, we wish we could help, but it would definitely take some recipe testing to incorporate granadilla pulp into the batter, since it is such a wet ingredient. You’d need to tweak the other dry and wet ingredients to accommodate it. For best results, we’d recommend searching for a granadilla cake that has plenty of positive reader reviews. Let us know if you find one you love!
Can you use Buttermilk?
Hi Maryann, if you wanted 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.
Can you explain the science behind buttermilk adequately replacing all of that rich dairy in the recipe? Buttermilk is so lean; even if you use cultured whole milk “buttermilk,” which isn’t technically buttermilk, there’s significantly less fat in the cake than with whole milk and sour cream. How does that not adversely impact the finished cake? Thanks for your time.
Hi Erica, it’s not a seamless substitute, which is why the recipe initially calls for sour cream and whole milk (the preferred option). If you really want to use buttermilk, the best way to sub it in is to replace both the whole milk and sour cream.
Can you substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream in the white cake recipe?
Hi Carol, yes, you can use low fat or full fat Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream.
I am going to save and make this cake. I’d like to know if I can do the substitution for the cake flour using the cornstarch. (for each cup of flour, take out 2T and substitute 2T cornstarch). Or is cake flour better?
Hi Anna, yes, you can use our DIY cake flour substitute. Enjoy!