This moist vanilla cake is soft, sweet, and full of rich vanilla flavor. It’s easy to make, perfect with my go-to vanilla frosting, and works great as a layer cake or cupcakes.
I’m always chasing that perfect, go-to cake recipe—the one that works for every occasion and never lets you down. After months of testing and tweaking, this vanilla cake might just be the one. It’s soft, ultra-moist, and full of rich vanilla flavor, topped with my all-time favorite vanilla buttercream. The crumb is tender and fluffy, and the batter comes together fast with a hand or stand mixer. Whether you’re baking for a birthday, holiday, or just because you’re craving something sweet, this cake is always the right call. You can make it as a layer cake, cupcakes, or even a sheet cake if you need something easy to slice and serve.
P.S. If you’re team chocolate, don’t miss my Super Moist Chocolate Cake.
Readers Say:
My husband wanted a homemade, from scratch birthday cake. I have never made a cake from scratch. (Box cake mix queen here.) So I looked up recipes and this one caught my eye. Not complicated, easy read & best of all, delicious
Why You’ll Fall Hard for This Vanilla Cake
Over the years, millions of people have visited this recipe, and countless readers have made it. Here’s why they love it as much as I do:
- Perfectly balanced flavor. The cake itself isn’t overly sweet, which means it pairs beautifully with frosting and lets the vanilla shine, especially if you use the good stuff.
- Moist and tender crumb. This cake bakes up super moist with a tight, tender texture that holds up well to layering and decorating.
- Rich, spongey texture. It’s dense in the best way. Think soft, sturdy, and satisfying, not light and airy. If you love a vanilla cake that feels like a true bakery-style slice, this one’s for you.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Below I’ve included the main ingredients you’ll need for this vanilla cake recipe and frosting. The full recipe details and ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card, so don’t forget to scroll to the end.
- Oil – Oil makes for a lighter, moist crumb. Vegetable oil and coconut oil will both work great.
- Sour Cream – My essential ingredient for an ultra-moist cake! Sour cream (either light or full-fat) brings lots of added moisture and richness to cakes and cupcakes. If you don’t have sour cream, substitute plain Greek yogurt instead. If you need to, you can omit it completely but note that this vanilla cake will not be nearly as moist. Sour cream should be at room temperature.
- All-purpose flour: I often get asked if cake flour can be used, and the simple answer is no. They’re not a 1:1 replacement. Sifted, all-purpose flour is the way to go. Be sure to sift it be for best results.
- Milk – You can use any kind of milk (whole, 2%, etc.) you have on hand. The milk should be at room temperature before you start, so they’re easier to combine with the batter.
- Unsalted Butter – For the frosting. My secret to perfect buttercream frosting is cold butter (trust me!), so keep it chilled in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Or milk, to adjust the consistency of the frosting. I prefer to use heavy cream as it always yields the creamiest, fluffiest vanilla frosting.
Oil vs. Butter in Cakes: Which Is Better?
Oil alllllll the way. Oil makes this cake bake up more light and tender than butter-based cake. The difference comes from butter being a solid fat at room temperature (even after baking), while oil stays liquid and moist.
Another major perk of working with oil? There’s no waiting around while your butter comes to room temperature! Many cake recipes often call for room-temperature butter so that it’s easier to whip, but not this one.
If you’d prefer to bake this cake using butter instead, use 1/2 cup of melted butter in place of the oil that’s called for in the recipe. Just know that it won’t come out quite as soft or moist, so I usually don’t recommend it.
How To Make a Moist Vanilla Cake
Here’s just how simple it is to make the perfect vanilla cake from scratch:
- Combine the wet Ingredients. Begin by beating together the sugar, oil, and the rest of the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Next, you’ll beat in the sour cream, and set the bowl aside.
- Sift the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine.
- Make the cake batter. Slowly mix the sifted flour mixture into the wet ingredients, alternating with milk until you have a smooth batter.
- Bake. Add the vanilla cake batter to a 9×13-inch baking dish, and then bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes. Once the cake is done, take it out and leave it to cool completely before frosting.
How to Make the Vanilla Frosting
This cake is frosted with my favorite Perfect Vanilla Frosting. It’s honestly the most versatile buttercream frosting. I use it for everything, from this vanilla cake to Rainbow Cupcakes, Red, White, and Blue Layer Cakes, and Sugar Cookies!
The best buttercream frosting is whipped, fluffy, and very spreadable. Here’s how to prepare this easy frosting for decorating your vanilla cake. I have a more detailed tutorial on how to make frosting if needed (linked above- see my perfect vanilla frosting).
- Whip the butter. This is key. Since this frosting begins with cold butter, you’ll need to whip it a little longer at the start. Cut the cold butter into cubes, then add it to your mixer and whip it for a good 3-5 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally.
- Add powdered sugar. With the mixer on low, you’ll gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla, and lastly the heavy cream.
- Whip again. Continue to beat your vanilla frosting for an additional several minutes or so to get it nice and airy.
- Frost the cake. When your cake is completely cool, it’s ready to frost. Place dollops of frosting around the top of the cake and use an angled spatula to spread the frosting. Don’t press too hard or you’ll risk pulling the top of the cake along with you! See below for more helpful frosting and decorating tips.
Tips for the Best Vanilla Cake
- Room temperature ingredients: I’ve made this cake both ways, and I can assure you that room temperature ingredients does allow the ingredients to better incorporate together.
- Sifted flour. I know it’s a pain, but I’ve made this cake so many times over the years, and using a fine mesh strainer to aerate the flour is the way to go.
- Don’t over (or under) mix the batter. Once the dry ingredients have been added, low and slow is the name of the game. There’s a bit of a delicate balance when preparing cake batter. If you over-beat the ingredients, your cake won’t rise and will come out overly dense. Meanwhile, batter that’s not well mixed will bake unevenly.
- Try not to substitute ingredients wherever possible. You’ve heard the saying, “cooking is an art, baking is a science”. Think of the ingredients and ratios in a cake recipe as a tested and successful science experiment. Straying from the recipe can have unpredictable results.
- Avoid overbaking or underbaking. Baking times may vary depending on the type of pan you’re using (see the next point below) and your individual oven. Test the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is ready to come out.
- Different types of pans will bake differently. Cakes in glass baking pans will always need to bake longer since glass doesn’t conduct heat as well as metal pans.
More Frosting and Decorating Ideas
Here are more frosting options to pair with this easy vanilla cake:
You can be as creative or as basic as you’d like when it comes to how you frost your cake, too. Most of the time I just smear the frosting in an even layer all over so I can get to slicing ASAP. But the vanilla buttercream frosting is also perfect for piping! I have helpful tutorials on How to Use a Piping Bag and How to Use and Decorate with Piping Tips that walk you through it.
Then, try one or more of these fun topping ideas:
- Fruit – Top your cake with fresh berries, fruit, or a compote.
- Chocolate Ganache – Drizzle the top of the cake with an easy homemade chocolate ganache (borrow the filling from my Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes!)
- Caramel Sauce – Add a bit of caramel or butterscotch sauce over top.
- Sprinkles – Top your cake with fun and festive colorful sprinkles, nonpareils, or chocolate shavings.
- Crushed Cookies – Give your cake a crunchy texture thanks to a sprinkle of crushed cookies, like Oreos or Nilla Wafers.
Variation Ideas
This recipe makes a very simple and very delicious single-layer vanilla cake. But it doesn’t have to end there. Here are some more recipe variations you can try:
- Cupcakes – This vanilla cake recipe can easily be made as vanilla cupcakes. The batter will make a hefty 24 cupcakes, with a little left over. For some helpful cupcake decorating tips, check out my post on How to Decorate Cupcakes.
- Layer Cake – I make this cake as an 8” three-layer cake in my recipe for Moist Vanilla Layer Cake. If you’d like to bake this as a 9-inch or 10-inch layer cake, the baking times will need to be adjusted accordingly. All the details are in the post.
- Bundt Cake – I’ll be honest, I don’t love the way this recipe bakes as a bundt cake. Luckily, I developed the perfect fluffy Vanilla Bundt Cake instead. The preparation is a bit different but just as easy!
- Gluten-Free – I’ve made a gluten-free vanilla cake using 1-to-1 gluten-free flour and it came out great. If you’re looking for another easy gluten-free dessert, try my Easy Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes.
- Poke Cakes- I’ve used this as a base recipe for many of my poke cake recipes.
How to Store a Frosted Cake
Whenever possible, this homemade vanilla cake should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature to keep it fresh and moist. However, if you live in a hot and humid environment, you may want to store this in the refrigerator instead. Take the cake out of the fridge ahead of time and serve it at room temperature. Either way, be sure you’re using an airtight container.
Can I Freeze Vanilla Cake?
Yes, though it’s best to freeze homemade cakes before they’re frosted. Once the vanilla cake is baked and cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, plus a layer of foil. Store your cake frozen for up to 1 month.
Before serving, thaw the vanilla cake completely and let it come to room temperature before frosting.
More Cake Recipes to Try
Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 15 slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy and homemade Moist Vanilla Cake recipe is perfectly sweet and fluffy and full of rich vanilla flavor. Topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream frosting, it’s the best vanilla cake to make for any occasion!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups (380g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup(120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 3 teaspoons (11.2 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 1 ¼ cups (296 ml) milk (any type), at room temperature
For the Frosting
- 3/4 cup ( 170g )unsalted butter, cold
- 2 1/2cups (325g ) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml ) pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15ml ) heavy whipping cream or milk
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add the sour cream and beat until well combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients and sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half the dry ingredients, and half the milk, and beat on low speed just until the flour starts to incorporate. Repeat until all ingredients are added and combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
- Pour the batter into a 9-inch by 13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 28-32 minutes. Test the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely prior to frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Cut the butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally, and beating until the butter is whipped and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated into the butter then add the vanilla extract and heavy cream and mix to combine. Beat for about 60 seconds.
- Continuing beating, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 3-5 minutes to whip additional air into the frosting. Spread over cooled cake.
Notes
- The batter will be quite thin. It’s important that you stir the batter after mixing, to ensure everything on the bottom of the bowl is well mixed.
- This can easily be made into vanilla cupcakes or a vanilla layer cake
- Greasing the pan: if you are using a pan that isn’t nonstick, or you plan to remove the whole cake from the pan, be sure to grease and flour the pan first.
- Baking times will vary by pan type and true internal oven temperatures.
- Storing this cake: Whenever possible, cakes should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If you live in a hot and humid environment, you may want to store this in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.
- Freezing this cake: I do not prefer to freeze cakes once they’re frosted/ If you need to freeze this cake, double wrap it in plastic wrap and then with foil. Thaw to room temperature to serve.
-
Ingredient substitutions
- Sour cream: This is essential for keeping the cupcakes moist. If you don’t have sour cream. I recommend substituting it with non-fat Greek yogurt. The recipe calls for light sour cream, but you can also use full-fat sour cream. If you need to, you can omit it completely, but note the cake will not be nearly as moist.
- Butter instead of oil: You can use 1/2 cup of melted butter instead of oil, but I don’t think it is nearly as good. You can also use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.
- Gluten-free flour: I have tested this recipe with a one-for-one gluten-free flour and it worked out great
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 15
- Calories: 443
- Sugar: 47.5g
- Sodium: 187.5mg
- Fat: 18.9g
- Carbohydrates: 65.2g
- Protein: 4.7g
- Cholesterol: 65.4mg
Hands down, this is the best vanilla cake I ever made ! It is so moist as it was the first day I baked it !! Perfect recipe!!
Amazing!! Thank you so much Michaela! I really appreciate that!
Hi,thank you for sharing the recipe,can i use buttermilk and can i add baking soda,thanks.
I have made this recipe with buttermilk
Hi. Can I replace the sour cream with regular yogurt?
Yes, this is discussed in the blog post and also on the recipe card.
Can I double this double the recipe to fit a 9 inch pan?Thanks
Hi Jasmine- there’s no need to double it. This recipe will make a 2 layer 9-inch cake
WOW!! The best ever vanilla cake. I have never baked a cake from scratch. I’ve only made box cakes at random times over the years. I had been craving vanilla cake and came across this recipe. I figured it was so easy that I couldn’t mess it up. I had all the ingredients except sour cream. I knew that the cake would turn out good because the batter was so tasty. I am absolutely pleased with this cake. I don’t have to look anywhere else for recipes. This is my go to site. Thank you so much! No more box cake.
This is SO amazing Maria!! I was the same way at one point and now I never grab cake mix anymore!
Will this cake taste just the same with regular fat sour cream and whole milk? I only have those in the fridge and I am scared of the texture of the cakes changing.
Yes, it might be more dense but you can still use those ingredients.
Excellent recipe, we loved this vanilla cake.
Made this last week and it was gone in 2 days. One of the best Vanilla cake recipes I have tried. I knew it would be a winner as soon as I saw your recipe had oil and sour cream in it and it did not disappoint. It really was super moist. The only thing I cut the sugar in the recipe to just over 1 cup as I felt 2 cups was too sweet for us (but just personal preference) . Thank you.
Dianne this is amazing!! Thank you so much sharing!!
Thank you for such an easy recipe. I made it for my husband coz he loves cakes. Very tasty thank u soo very much.
You’re welcome!!
Just wondering how long would I need to bake if I made this in a 6 inch pan? Thanks!
Hi Mary- you’ll want to read through this post for the vanilla layer cake, has all the info you need
This recipe tastes really good. From now, it will be my forever vanilla cake. Thanks for sharing!
This is so awesome Michelle! Thank you for the feedback- it’s greatly appreciated!
Used this recipe as a base for poke cake, since we had to use our strawberry gelatin and we ran out of butter. Followed your advice and excluded the sour cream, we also had to use cake flour since we ran out of AP flour, as well as almond extract instead of vanilla. We tasted the cake before poking and pouring the gelatin – it tasted great, and it was good enough to eat on its own! We turned the leftover batter to cupcakes as well. Thank you for the recipe!!
You’re so welcome! I am glad to hear this!
Very easy recipe! My oven is a little hot so mine was golden on top as well, but I am wondering if using 3 egg whites would help with color and taste. This one seems like more of a yellow cake texture and smell. Has anyone tried that? Just like how cake mix for white cake calls for the whites only?
Hey Keely- thank you for sharing. This recipe with only egg whites will not produce a great result, it would require additional adjustments.
Hi,
Is there any way of making this an eggless cake? Thanks
Hi Becky- I have not tested it, as I am not familiar with eggless baking.
Can I make this 2 days in advance and frost it on the day it is to be served? If so how would I store it? Frige?? Thank you!
There’s a section in this post with a title called “how to store a frosted cake” that might be helpful for you to read. It depends on the climate you live in. However the unfrosted cake can be stored in an airtight container.
I’m making this cake now! It smells delicious. It’s been baking for 33 minutes in a glass baking dish, but every time I have checked it (from 28 minutes on) it’s literally jiggling in the center! I followed the recipe to a T. I know glass pans can take longer, but about how much longer? The edges are golden brown and perfect but the inside is jiggling!
You’re doing the right thing to keep it baking. There’s no set time for baking it’s all depending on the pan and oven type. Also if the oven wasn’t fully preheated when you put it in that can add a couple minutes to baking. Could be just a few more minutes. Also you can try rotating the pan in the oven to avoid hot spots.
This happened to me too. I know my oven is a bit low (about 10 degrees) so I set for 360. After 28 min. the middle was still liquid. probably had to add about 8 minutes to it. Smells good. Can’t wait to frost and eat!!!
Hi Julie- what type of pan are you using?
This cake was amaaaaazing! I made it for my little girl’s third birthday and the whole family loved it! I dumped a handful of raspberries in the frosting and it was a nice tart addition. One question, though. Your slices look so beautifully flat. How did you do that? The top of my cake was a bit raised. The taste was perfection, though! Thanks for sharing!
That sounds delicious!
So this is my new favorite Cake recipe. It’s awesome!
BTW for all the people that think it tastes like cornbread (it doesn’t) I adapted the recipe for a sweet jalapeño cornbread.
Use 1.5 cups sugar instead of 2
1.5 cups Masa and 1 cup cornmeal instead of flour
After batter is almost finished mixing add:
1 cup corn (fresh or thawed frozen)
1/2 cup diced fresh Jalapeño
Will need to add a few min to bake time.
Thanks Aaron!
My 4 year old twins and I just made this. I’m not a great baker, but it turned out so good. I used the ff Greek yogurt.
Amazing Jen! I love that you twins helped you bake this! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe was delicious and easy to make! I have been searching for a perfect and easy buttercream icing forever. I have tried so many and this was by far my family’s favorite! The cake didn’t last long! I ran out of vanilla extract after using the last bit for the cake batter, but I had Almond and it actually turned out very tasty in combination with the vanilla cake! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Great! Thanks for sharing Deanna!
Hello, what would you recommend bake time will be if I divide the batter in two 8inch pans? Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Hi Fabiola- I recommend looking at the vanilla layer cake recipe for further details on the adjustments for layer cakes
Hi! Can I sub the vegetable oil with butter?? If so, how much?
I don’t think the recipe is quite as good with melted butter, but you can use 1/2 cup butter, melted in place of the oil
So good!!! ( and easy!)
Really reminds me of a bakery cake. Will definitely be making this again!!
Woohoo! Thanks for sharing Manda!
Can I do two 8inch round pans? What would be the baking time for that?
This would be a more helpful post for you with the information you need but for a quick answer: For two 8-inch pans: divide the batter evenly, about 2 1/2 cups per each pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes.
https://beyondfrosting.com/moist-vanilla-layer-cake/