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
I’m so glad to see you’re still answering questions on this recipe! I’m just wondering where you found the adorable sprinkles. I’m planning to try the cake for the first time on the weekend and I’m not happy with my sprinkles.
Hi Caileigh! So I get my sprinkles from Sweetapolita and Sweets & Treats. Because these need to be shipped you might consider going to a craft store like Michaels, and buying a few small bags of sprinkles and making your own mix! Wishing you luck! Please come back and share your photos!
The cake was delicious and a huge hit with everyone, especially the birthday girl! I ended up using regular sprinkles but it still looked great. I used 2% milk so it was probably a little more dense and moist than yours and I think I can see that different when I look at your photos. The only little issues I had were that the flour was a touch lumpy. I needed a double batch and my mixer wasn’t quite big enough for the job. I thought it would be a disaster but I had to search and know what I was looking for to find a lump once it was baked. I’m sure no one else noticed. The other little mishap was I found that the icing was a little dry so the sprinkles didn’t really stick and kind of rolled down the slopes and gathered in those lower areas. It wasn’t a big deal but I’m wondering if I might have done something wrong or if that’s typical. I’m definitely making it again next year and I’ve already been asked to share the recipe!
Hi Caileigh, Thank you for sharing! I think next time for a double batch, we should probably sift the flour to avoid the lumps. Did you also stir the batter pretty well with a spatula? Sometimes that help.s Regarding your comment for the frosting, due to the high sugar content it will lightly crust over pretty quickly, so depending on when you added the sprinkles, I’ve had that happen to me as well. Thank you should much again for sharing!
I tried this out yesterday and it turned out so well, moist cake with amazing taste.
Thank you for this recipe
You’re very welcome! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback!
I don’t make vanilla cake enough, seems like chocolate usually wins out. But I think it’s mostly because I don’t have a go-to vanilla recipe – now I want to try this!
Thanks Brenda!
While I was reading your article and the recipe, it seemed to me that I began to smell the vanilla 🙂 Everything is very deliciously described, honestly! I hope that my cakes will turn out to be as beautiful and tasty as yours.
This is, bar far, the BEST cake I have EVER made! This will be my go to recipe for vanilla cake from now on. I changed a few things. Didn’t have sour cream so I used 2% plain yogurt instead. And I whipped the eggs whites and folded them into the batter at the end. The cake rose up so high, yielding more cake, which as a baker who sells cakes, this is amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Awesome Alice!! I am so glad this worked out for you! Did you use just 3 egg whites then?
Hi,
Could one use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil?
Hi Marcy- The recipe has not been tested this way so I cannot properly answer the question. Sorry!
I made this for my mum for her birthday and made it Gluten Free (just exchanged the flour for gluten free flour). She loved it (we all did)! I’m making it again for my daughter’s birthday.
Thanks for such a great recipe!
That’s wonderful Krystal! Thank you for sharing!
Hi! Can I use buttermilk or plain yoghurt instead of sour cream? OR will the texture change if I omit sour cream? Also, I want to use this recipe for a 11 inch pan. Will it affect the texture of the cake? or do you recommend using 2 11inch pans? I am sorry for too many questions, but after 4 failed attempts of another recipe last night, I am now very scared and skeptical of trying a new recipe. I have a cake to deliver tomorrow 🙁
Hi Henna, I would recommend plain yogurt. Since there is already 1 1/4 milk in this cake you don’t want to add additional buttermilk, but you could certainly swap out the regular milk for buttermilk. Regarding the 11 inch pan, I’ve never used one and this recipe has not been tested that way so unfortunately I cannot directly answer that question. I am sure the cake would be very thick. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Hi! I will be trying this recipe today and I just wanted to know if I can substitute sour cream with buttermilk? Or what will the texture of the cake change if I omit sour cream? Also, I plan to bake the cake in 1 (11inch) pan as I have to make a 3 tiered cake and this cake would be at the bottom tier. Will the recipe work fine for a 11inch pan? I am sorry for too many questions but after 4 failed attempts of another recipe last night I am very skeptical and scared to try something new now 🙁
I made this cake for my son’s 2nd birthday. It was a total hit even though my cake didn’t look good as expected. Anyway, I’m planning to do this again but my cousin wants it mocha this time. Do you think it’s possible to tweak this recipe and make it mocha? If it is, what should i add & how much? Just can’t let go of this recipe. ?
Hi Abbie! I am SO glad you like it!! When you say mocha, do you want a chocolate mocha cake or truly a coffee mocha flavor? Shoot me an email, we can talk specifics. I don’t yet have a chocolate version of this cake but I am happy to recommend one!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! How would you about turning it into a chocolate cake?
Hi Carolyne, I am testing recipes! Nothing is up to par yet.
I have tried this recipe twice in as many weekends and the results are consistent – phenomenal! I used half cup less sugar on the second round though as the first was a bit too sweet for me. The children love both batches. My baking time is extended though – 40 minutes for cupcakes at 350° . I am in Barbados. One thing is for sure, this is my go to recipe. You had me at 10 minutes prep ☺
Awesome Alison!! I am glad you love them. I am questioning the 40 minute baking time for the cupcakes but maybe has something to do with your climate. Enjoy!
Hi, I’m practicing recipes for when my one year old gets older and i’ve just made this cake. I didn’t have a 9 by 13 inch pan but will buy one for the next time. I made the recipe in 2 x 20cm round pans (perfect amount of mixture to fill these.) I cooked for 40 minutes and they look perfect. I’m going to fill with buttercream and dust with icing sugar. Can’t wait to try a slice. Thank you for the recipe ???
Awesome Louise!! Enjoy!
What about using cake flour instead of all purpose? Will that work?
Hi Lucrecia, this recipe has not been tested with cake flour
How many grams would you suggest is 1 cup?
Hi Alex- it would vary by what you are measuring. For flour, I use 140g for 1 cup and for granulated sugar I use 190g per one cup
This is hands down the BEST vanilla cake recipe i’ve ever tried.
so fluffy!
i made a sugar syrup to make it a bit more moist, its a hit !!!
Awesome Abby! Thank you so much!!
Was amazing. My kids gulped 28 cupcakes in a day! Thnx!
Awesome!
I made this for my son’s birthday and OMG it is amazing! I made two 9×13 layers and put a thin layer of seedless raspberry jam in between and then iced it with a thin layer of vanilla buttercream icing. It was easily the best cake I’ve ever made. My nephew who barely eats anything asked for thirds, it was that good! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe; I’ll definitely be trying some of your other recipes in the future!
I’m going to make this for my son’s birthday party this weekend! Would you recommend that I simply serve this in the pan? Also since I have to make it the day before, would you recommend that I make it in the pan, ice it, and store it covered the the refrigerator until before we are ready to serve it?
Hi Joanna! Yes, I recommend serving it from the pan. You can make it a day ahead of time and try to store it in an airtight container to maintain the moisture. There’s no need to refrigerate this. Enjoy and happy birthday to your son.
I modified your recipe to make the most fabulous coconut cake! I omitted the sugar, milk, and half of the oil and substituted one can of cream of coconut (coco loco). And because you said it’s a dense cake, I separated out the egg whites, beat them to soft peaks and folded them in at the end. Amazing. Thanks for your recipe!
Sounds like a whole different recipe but it does sound delicious!!