Name: Moist Vanilla Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 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; 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

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!

For a chocolate version of this cake recipe, try my Super Moist Chocolate Cake. Looking for more fun baking ideas? Check out my favorite Easy Cake Recipes!

A slice of frosted vanilla cake on a white plate, garnished with rainbow sprinkles.

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!

What to Expect

Over the years, millions of people have visited this recipe, and countless readers have made it. Here’s what you need to know.

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

The ingredients for vanilla cake laid out in bowls

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. Slowly mix the sifted flour mixture into the wet ingredients, alternating with milk until you have a smooth batter.

Eggs combined with the other wet ingredients for vanilla cake batter in a glass mixing bowl.

Milk is added to the cake batter ingredients in a glass mixing bowl.

A hand blender is used to combine vanilla cake batter ingredients in a glass mixing bowl.

Vanilla cake batter in a glass mixing bowl.

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.

Baked vanilla cake inside a metal baking pan.

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 Success

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.

A slice of frosted vanilla cake on a white plate, garnished with rainbow sprinkles, with another slice of cake in the background.

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.

A forkful of vanilla cake held up in front of a slice of frosted cake garnished with rainbow sprinkles.

Easy Recipe Variations

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.

A slice of frosted vanilla cake topped with rainbow sprinkles on a white plate next to a forkful of cake.

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.