This perfectly Moist Vanilla Cake is a timeless dessert, full of sweet vanilla flavor and topped with my best vanilla frosting. It’s an easy cake recipe that you can make as cupcakes or a layer cake, too!
Easy Homemade Vanilla Cake
I’m always chasing the perfect cake recipe. After months of trialing and adjusting to get it just right, this easy vanilla cake recipe might be my most versatile dessert ever. There’s rarely an occasion when this cake isn’t the answer, whenever I need a dessert for a special occasion, or just because I’m craving something sweet.
My cake recipe is a real classic. It makes perfect, ultra-moist cake, frosted with my all-time favorite vanilla buttercream frosting. The crumb is rich and spongey, and the batter comes together easily using either a stand or hand mixer.
Birthdays, parties, potlucks, bake sales – this cake is the best, perfect for frosting and decorating. You can even make it into a layer cake or cupcakes!
p.s. For a chocolate version of this recipe, try my Super Moist Chocolate Cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
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:
- Taste: The cake itself isn’t overly sweet, allowing it to pair perfectly with the frosting. High-quality vanilla gives the best flavor.
- Texture: Dense but spongy. If you are looking for a light and fluffy vanilla cake, this isn’t it.
- Crumb: Very moist with a tight and tender crumb.
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
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
Below are some common mistakes and how to avoid them, along with a couple of handy tips for making the best moist 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
A classic homemade vanilla cake is seriously the best dessert for any occasion! It’s just as delicious as a birthday cake as it is for everyday baking, and I’ll never run out of ways to decorate it. 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
Made this cake to take into work.
I did swap sour cream for Greek yogurt because that’s what I had on hand and made an almond butter butter cream. Matched perfect.
This weekend I will try it with chocolate buttercream or even might try to make cupcakes
Thx again
Wonderful Marion, thank you so much!
Can I freeze the frosting?
Yep, the frosting can be frozen for about 2 months in an airtight container, or try and remove any excess air from a Ziploc bag.
Can I refrigerate frosting if I’m not icing the cake for a couple days?
Yes, keep it in an airtight container, and then let it come to room temperature and rewhip in your mixer before frosting the cake for best results
Grease the pan or not?
Depends on your pan. I use a nonstick pan and I don’t remove the entire cake from the oven, so I don’t find it necessary to grease my pan
This cake is FANTASTIC! It took me much longer than 30 minutes, both times I made it, closer to 45-50 minutes.
Thanks so much for sharing. Not sure if it’s your oven or pan that would have caused a longer bake time, but I am glad to worked out for you!
This cake is perfect ! It took me much longer to cook though, 54 minutes to be precise. It is perfect, a base vanilla cake recipe to keep and have fun with different toppings.
Thank you so much Caroleann! I really am curious to know why you had to bake it for so long. Did you change the pan size or do you have a special type of oven?
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Is it possible to use a 9 in round pan instead of a 9 x 13 pan? Thank you very much for sharing this!
Hi Ashley, yes you can. YOu may find the layer cake version of this cake more helpful, there is a section that specifically discusses how to make the cake in various size pans, including the 9-inch rounds. Visit the Vanilla Layer Cake recipe for more details.
Recipe was very good. I made it into a layer cake using two 10 inch pans, and it was just the right amount of batter. I also used the Greek yogurt (low-fat) instead of the sour cream, which you said could be substituted. Cake was plenty moist, and the tablespoon of real vanilla really boosted the flavor.
This recipe is spectacular & will not disappoint! I served my cake with a cool whip topping and used fresh strawberries on top. Right after dinner cake was served. Some people had 2 or 3 pieces of cake and someone scraped the bottom of the pan for the crumbs!! It was that good. Next time I bake it I will bake 2. This will be the only recipe I will use for vanilla cake. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Thank you so much Dawn! I am beyond happy to hear that!
Morning mmmm what a nice cake..thanks so much for sharing some nice recipes with us….I really enjoyed my yummy moist vanilla cake ever👌
You’re very welcome!
I just made the sponge for this recipe and used it for a boston cream pie as I had a craving and not much butter. This is definitely going to be a go staple. It is quite soft and spongy but strong enough to layer. I wouls call it the softest cake i have made in a long time
That’s awesome Hanna, thank you so much for sharing! Boston cream is one of my favorite desserts!
Have you tried this recipe without eggs?
This has not been tested without eggs or with an egg replacement
Best cake recipe i ever had. Making this from last three years and every body in my home loves it. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
Oh I am so honored to hear that!! Thank you!
Any idea how long I would need to bake if I did a bundt pan. Also would I need to double the frosting recipe ?
Hi Missy, I don’t love how this recipe turns out in a bundt pan personally. I would instead recommend this vanilla bundt cake. Are you trying to frost the entire thing?
Hello, I love this recipe, it’s the best vanilla cake I’ve ever tried, however sometimes when I make it it sinks after I fetch it out the oven to cool and becomes really doughy? I always put a skewer in to make sure it’s completely cooked and I make it the same every time (I think 🤷) so not sure what I could be doing wrong? Any advice would be amazing, thank you
Hi Charlotte, I would add another 2 minutes to your bake time. If the cake is doughy and it sinks, that means it’s not cooking all the way through. Also make sure you oven is fully preheated before starting. For instance, my oven beeps at “full temp” after about 10 minutes, but it’s only actually preheated about halfway. It takes a full 20-25 minutes to preheat.
I have been having the same issue. This is such a beautiful cake when it works. I think the gluey doughy texture is caused by overmixing which leads to the gluten over developing in the flour within the cake. I made it again yesterday with my new handheld mixer (it is alittle faster even on the lowest setting than my last one so I was very cautious). However the texture has been unfortunately affected. Could I fold the flour and milk in at the end by hand with a spatula instead? I think this would safeguard me from overmixing!
Hi Lou, I’ve adjusted the recipe recently, including suggestions for using room-temperature ingredients and sifted flour. Mixing on low speed etc. You could certainly try hand-mixing it, but I think you find you might over-mix it as well. Instead, I would mix just until the flour starts to combine then finish with your spatula, and perhaps adding the flour more slowly. For as many times as I’ve made this, I don’t really have inconsistent results. To your point, overmixing the batter will cause the gluten to over develop.
This cake is DELICIOUS! FYI I made it with vegan sour cream, gluten free flour and almond milk and it turned out so well!
So glad to hear that Angela!
So yummy. Would vanilla bean paste work in this?
Yes! that would be wonderful
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe! I found it while looking for an easy vanilla cake that used oil and haven’t looked back. Made it as a great bake the first time but have also used it to make 2 x 6″ layers and miscellaneous cupcakes.
Fantastic results every time (even though my oven needed way more baking time.
Is it possible to adapt this to a lemon cake? How much lemon zest and lemon juice would work and do I trying out keep the vanilla extract?
Thanks in advance
Hi Tis, first of all, thank you so much for your comment, this truly makes me happy! Here is the lemon version of this same cake.
LOVE your recipe! It’s my go to, very moist and everyone loves it! Thank you!
That’s wonderful Samantha! Thank you so much!!
I love this recipe. But I find my batter is always somewhat lumpy. Any advice? I follow the directions exactly and still get flour lumps.
Hi there, I think it’s because this is a liquid-heavy batter, I find that sifting the flour can help with this and slowly incorporating it while adding in the milk can help with that
Have you tried making this as a funfetti cake?
Hi Taylore, yes, the batter is pretty thin so I actually have a different recipe that I prefer to use for funfetti cake. Here’s the link: https://beyondfrosting.com/homemade-funfetti-cake/
I made this today for my sister’s birthday and everyone loved it!!! I’ve been looking for a really good vanilla recipe and I think I found the ONE! 😋 Thank you Julianne for sharing this recipe ❤️
That makes me so happy! Thank you so much for sharing!
Looks delicious but do the dairy products need to be at room temperature ?? Can’t wait to try
Hi Melanie, I have done it both ways, it will work either way