Moist Vanilla Layer Cake

Everyone needs a go-to, easy vanilla cake, especially if you’re making a layer cake. This is my moist vanilla cake adapted to make a stunning, three-layer cake with vanilla buttercream frosting. I’ve also made this recipe as a 6-inch mini vanilla cake and vanilla cupcakes. It’s one of the easiest cakes to make because it’s an oil-based cake recipe, so there’s no waiting around for the butter to soften or worrying about properly creaming the butter and sugar together. The oil also creates a more tender, fluffy crumb, especially when it’s paired with sour cream in the batter.

Of course, there’s plenty of rich vanilla flavor in this cake (no imitation vanilla here!), as there should be. If you’re looking for the best all-rounder vanilla layer cake, this is the only recipe you’ll ever need. Also, try my yellow layer cake and classic chocolate cake.

Ingredient Notes

These are the important ingredients in the vanilla cake layers. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable recipe with the full list and exact measurements.

• Vegetable Oil – Oil contributes to the moistness and texture of this cake. Make sure it’s neutral-flavored.
• Vanilla Extract – High-quality, pure vanilla extract is a must for the best flavor. Avoid imitation vanilla since it’s… well, imitation.
• Sour Cream – Essential for keeping the cake moist. If you don’t have sour cream, I recommend substituting it with non-fat Greek yogurt.
• All-Purpose Flour – Measured correctly, either by weighing out the flour using a digital kitchen scale, or using the spoon and level method. Sift the flour afterward to remove any lumps. All-purpose flour is not interchangeable with cake flour in this recipe. I have, however, had success testing this vanilla cake recipe with a 1:1 measure-for-measure gluten-free flour when making my gluten-free vanilla cupcakes.

For the Vanilla Frosting

• Butter – The butter for the frosting should be unsalted and COLD. The extra time it takes to whip the butter to a softened consistency yields a smoother, more stable buttercream frosting.
• Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar. Powdered sugar is key for a thick, silky frosting that isn’t grainy.
• Heavy Cream – Or milk, to adapt the consistency of the frosting and make it creamy.

How to Make a Vanilla Layer Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

If you’re new to baking and assembling layer cakes, I recommend reviewing the step-by-step process in detail in my tutorial, how to make a layer cake. It’s very easy, and with practice you’ll be stacking this vanilla cake like a pro.

Bake the Cake Layers

Let’s start with prepping the pans and baking your vanilla cake layers.

• Prepare the cake pans. First, generously grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans. I like to use Crisco vegetable shortening as opposed to a cooking spray. Afterward, line the pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Properly prepping the pans ensures that the cakes don’t stick, and makes it much easier to remove them after baking.
• Add bake-even stripes (optional). I love using bake even stripes because it helps the cake layers to bake flatter. Without them, the edges of the cakes bake quicker, causing the centers to dome. You’ll notice the outside edges of the cake are also a little darker without them. Bake even stripes should be very wet when applied to the outside edge of the pan.

• Mix the wet ingredients. With your pans prepped, beat together the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Add the sour cream and mix well.
• Combine and add the dry ingredients. Next, whisk the dry ingredients together. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet batter, followed by half of the milk, and mix just until the flour starts to incorporate.

• Finish the batter. Then, add the remaining dry ingredients and milk. Beat the cake batter on low speed until it’s just combined. Do not overmix.
• Fill the pans and bake. Lastly, divide the batter evenly between the three pans (about 1 ⅔ cups per cake pan). Bake the cakes at 350°F for 20-23 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The vanilla cakes will need to cool completely before you frost and stack them.

Frosting and Assembling the Cake

For this classic cake, you’ll need quite a bit of frosting. Besides the filling in between the layers, you’ll need extra frosting for decorating. You won’t have to worry about running out of frosting!

• Make the frosting. Cut the cold butter into pieces, and whip it for 5-7 minutes, until lighter in color. Next, add the powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, alternating with the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Mix well in between each addition, then whip the frosting on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until it’s smooth and airy.
• Stack the cakes. Use a cake leveler or a serrated knife to trim any domes from the cooled cake layers, and fill a piping bag with about 2 cups of vanilla frosting (see how to use a piping bag). Starting with the first cake layer, pipe and spread a layer of frosting evenly over the cake. Place the second layer on top, and repeat, ending with a third and final cake layer.
• Add a crumb coat and frost the cake. Finally, fill any gaps between the layers and smooth the frosting over to make a crumb coat. Then, use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of your layer cake.

Coloring the Buttercream Frosting

My favorite gel food dyes include the Wilton Color Right Food Gels or AmeriColor Gels. For this vanilla layer cake, I divided the frosting into three bowls and colored two of them shades of blue, leaving the last bowl uncolored:

• 1 cup of frosting for the roses (AmeriColor teal)
• ½ cup for the darker blue color
• ¼ cup of the white, undyed frosting 

The best way to dye frosting in different shades is to start with half a drop in one bowl and then get progressively darker. Just remember that you only need a TINY bit of gel to color in these small amounts of frosting. It’s helpful to use a toothpick to add small amounts to your bowls at a time, so you don’t add too much. For more helpful tips on coloring buttercream, see my in-depth guide, how to color buttercream. 

How to Decorate a Layer Cake

If you’re not fully comfortable with piping frosting, check out my full tutorial on how to use piping tips and the techniques used in my buttercream flower cake. I also recommend doing a few “test runs” by piping the frosting onto clean parchment paper before you take your skills to the cake. You can even reuse the frosting by scraping it back into your piping bag.

If you’re just starting out, this is a super approachable way to decorate a cake. Here are some of the tools I used:

• 1M Piping Tip: Start by piping your roses, and then fill in the open spaces with the stars and rosettes.
• Open Star Tips: Size 18 and Size 21 can be used to create a variety of shapes and rosettes.

If you use your piping bags with couplers, you can easily switch out the tips with the different frosting colors. These can be purchased at stores like JoAnn Fabrics, Michael’s, a cake supply store, or online.

Baking in Different Pan Sizes

This recipe has been used for several other size pans without adapting the cake batter or baking temperature. Just use a toothpick to test the cakes for doneness at the earliest suggested times. You may also need to scale the frosting recipe accordingly.

• Two 9-inch cakes: Bake at 350ºF for 28-32 minutes. The baking times vary due to how full the pans are, the type of pans you’re using and the true oven temperature. Please note these 9-inch cakes did “crust” a little more on the outside edge due to extended baking times and they rose quite a bite in the middle, so you’ll lose more of the dome when you trim the cakes afterward.
• Two 8-inch cakes: Divide the batter evenly, about 2 ½ cups per pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes.
• 6-inch cakes: A full recipe will make four 6-inch layers, filling each one with about 1 ⅓ cup of batter. Bake for approximately 24-30 minutes. You can halve the recipe for a mini two-layer cake. 
• Two 10-inch cakes: I’ve never tested this with 10-inch pans myself, but I would recommend making 2 layers so you still have nice, thick cake. Trying baking for 15-20 minutes and assessing if additional time is needed. 

How to Store a Layer Cake

• Store the cake covered. The best option is to use a cake carrier which allows the cake to be kept airtight, locking in the moisture. You can also slice the cake and store it in a Tupperware container. 
• Refrigerate as needed. You do not have the refrigerate this cake unless you live in a hot or humid environment. If you need to refrigerate the cake, try to do so in an airtight container. If it’s already sliced, then I recommend placing plastic wrap up against the sliced edge to help prevent it from drying out. It’s best to serve at room temperature, so remove the cake in plenty of time prior to serving. 
• Freeze the unfrosted cake. I normally don’t freeze a decorated cake. I’d recommend freezing the layers and frosting in advance, and then thawing and decorating when ready. Place a piece of parchment paper on the top and bottom of the cake layer, double wrap the cooled layers in plastic wrap.

More Easy Layer Cake Recipes

• Homemade White Cake
• Red Velvet Layer Cake
• Homemade Carrot Cake Recipe
• Lemon Layer Cake
• Oreo Chocolate Cake
• Marble Cake