You’ll love this soft and tender Vanilla Cake made from scratch. This buttery vanilla layer cake is covered in a simple, creamy vanilla buttercream, making it perfect for parties, birthdays or celebrations.
Vanilla magic ✨
Today, I’m sharing my go-to vanilla cake with you. Three layers of buttery cake covered in a light vanilla buttercream. This cake is perfect for parties, celebrations and any time you need a vanilla cake fix.
Simplicity at it’s best!
Over the years, I’ve shared so many of my favourite chocolate cake recipes with you. From my super fudgy Chocolate Mud Cake to my light and fluffy Chocolate Olive Oil Cake and even my gluten free Flourless Chocolate Cake. But what about vanilla?!
Just a few weeks ago I shared my favourite Vanilla Cupcake recipe with you and I realised it was time for my go-to Vanilla Cake. It’s taken me years to get it just right. But I use it all the time for an easy go-to cake that pairs well with any frosting. Plus you can easily colour the batter if you’d like too!
This gorgeous vanilla cake is anything but plain. In fact, I can eat fistfuls of this cake without any icing or anything on it. Just fresh out of the oven. It’s buttery and sweet and just a little bit dense – making it perfect as a layer cake.
And of course, the only way to make it better, is to lather the middle, top and sides with homemade vanilla buttercream. Basically, it’s the magic of vanilla and butter 😉
So what makes this Vanilla Cake so special? Well it’s made with caster sugar for sweetness and good quality vanilla extract of course. We use full fat milk (whole milk) for moisture, as well as Greek yogurt. The yogurt is important as it ensures the cake is soft and tender.
I also use the reverse creaming method (just like my Coconut Cake), which gives the cake a tight, tender crumb. And by adding the dry ingredients first, then the wet ingredients, it helps prevent over-mixing. Dry cake? No thank you.
TIPS TO FOR MAKING PERFECT VANILLA CAKE
- This recipe can make a three layer 6-inch cake (as pictured) or a two layer 8-inch cake.
- We use the reverse-creaming method for this cake. It will ensure the cake is soft and tender with a tight crumb.
- Start by adding your dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and caster sugar. If you don’t have access to caster sugar, you can use granulated sugar instead. Read more about caster sugar HERE.
- Next, add your butter. Make sure your butter is at room temperature – and not fridge cold.
- Beat briefly, until your butter breaks apart and is coated with the flour mix. You can stop when the pieces of butter are roughly pre-sized.
- Next add eggs, one at a time, while mixing on low speed. Then pour in milk. Make sure you use full fat milk – not reduced fat milk.
- Add good quality vanilla extract. And then finally, add Greek yogurt. Also make sure you use thick natural Greek yogurt – not sweetened yogurt. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, you can use full fat sour cream instead.
TIPS FOR MAKING VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
- You will need a hand mixer or stand mixer to make this frosting.
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature. You don’t want it to be fridge cold OR melty by any means.
- Once you beat together the butter, you’ll add a few teaspoons of vanilla. Use the best quality vanilla extract you can.
- Then add 2 cups of icing sugar (powdered sugar), along with 2 tablespoons of milk. Continue to beat.
- Finally, add 2 more cups of sugar and continue to beat. The frosting should be smooth and creamy. If it’s too thick, you can add a touch more milk.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Easy Vanilla Cake
Soft and tender vanilla cake covered in vanilla buttercream.
Ingredients
Vanilla cake
- 315 grams (2 and 1/4 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 250 grams (1 and 1/4 cups) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 and 1/2 level teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 230 grams (2 sticks or 1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, roughly chopped
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 240 ml (1 cup) full fat or whole milk
- 2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) full fat Greek yogurt
Vanilla buttercream
- 230 grams (2 sticks or 1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract
- 500 grams (4 cups) icing or powdered sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons full fat or whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line three 6-inch round cake pans with baking or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk briefly. Add butter and beat with an electric mixer on low speed, until butter is broken into small pea-sized pieces and completely covered in flour.
- Next, add eggs, one at a time, while continuing to mix on low speed. Then, pour in milk and vanilla. Start to beat on low speed and then turn up to medium speed. Finally, add Greek yogurt. Mixture should be creamy and smooth.
- Divide cake batter between prepared pans. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Carefully transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, add butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla.
- Add 2 cups of sugar, along with 2 tablespoons of milk, and continue to beat. Add remaining 2 cups of sugar and beat briefly until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk.
- Spread frosting on one cake layer, add the cake layer on top. Repeat. Then cover top and sides with frosting.
Liza Torres says
Can I use butter and oil in the recipe?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Liza, I haven’t tried so I can’t say, but I recommend sticking to the recipe and using butter for the best results.
Molly Rs says
Amazing cake and so moist loved it
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Molly!
Rachel Attard says
Ho, I would like to ask if it is possible to use gluten free flour. Would it come soft?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Rachel, I haven’t tried this recipe with gluten free flour so I can’t say – sorry!
Funke says
Loved everything about the cake, the recipe the mixing method was pretty easy and fast. Thanks
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Ebony says
Hi there,
Is the frosting on this cake a really thick texture? I need a really thick frosting that isn’t going to go soft and runny, so I can do multiple tiers and then add drips and edible ornaments on the top for a birthday cake. I will probably need to add food coloring and don’t want it to go runny.
Hope you get what I’m on about! The cake looks yum…
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Ebony, you can adjust the thickness of the frosting quite easily by adding less milk.
Patricia says
Hi,I want to make ot in two 8 inch pans. How long do I have to bake it for?
Can I not use vanilla extract in the buttercream and use dried frozen strawberry powder instead to make it pink?
Thank you
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Patricia, it really depends on your oven but I’d check around the 30 minute mark.
Anisha says
Hi. I just wanted to ask if I can make this cake without the yogurt but with everything else?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Anisha, the yogurt really helps the cake to stay soft and moist. You could use sour cream instead? But yes, you could make it without it, you just might need to add a touch more milk.
Laurie says
Yummy looking cake, and I love that this recipe is convertible. I’ve been wanting a 6” vanilla cake recipe that I can make into a larger cake as well. My question: Can cake flour sub for any of the AP flour?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Laurie, excited you are going to try this recipe! I recommend going with the recipe as written, simply because I haven’t tested it with cake flour so I can’t be sure of the results.
Joscelin Marchant says
Hi, I’d like to make this cake with only 2 layers but in 24cm tins, Should I double the recipe? Thanks!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, yes this cake will nicely make two 8 inch layers. So for your 24cm tins (roughly 9.4 inches) you could either have two thinner layers or maybe double the recipe. It’s really up to you!
Bev says
Hi Jessica
Will this cake be ok to cover with fondant? One layer?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Bev, yes I think that would work nicely!
Lave says
Hi i want to make this with sunflower oil, what should I mix first?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Lave, I haven’t tested this recipe with oil, only butter so I can’t say. I recommend following the recipe as written if you can.
Asher Cole says
Hi Jessica
I am making this tomorrow for my little girls birthday party. It looks like a beautiful recipe thank you.
I would like it to be a tall 6 inch cake. Would you suggest doubling the recipe?
It is to serve 15 small kids and a handful of adults.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Asher, so excited you are going to make this cake. As it, the recipe will make 3 layers, so if you want more, you may want to double the recipe. It would be awfully tall with 6 layers, but perhaps you could bake an extra layer or two and use the remaining batter as cupcakes. Hope you have a lovely celebration!
Jenn says
Best vanilla cake I’ve ever made. Tastes just like the one my mom made when we were kids. Great recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
Aw this makes me so happy! Thank you for your kind feedback Jenn ☺️
Iona Milne says
What temperature should the oven be? I have a standard conventional over, it is not a fan oven.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Iona, you can bake your cake at 180C (360F).
Darshna says
Hey Jessica, how would I make this in an eggless version? Thanks!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Darshna, I haven’t tested this recipe without eggs so I can’t say – sorry!
Josh says
Loved this cake! It was so nice and moist.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you loved it Josh!