Easy Vanilla Cake

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. You can also find this recipe in my cookbook, Something Sweet, on page 156.

IMHO, is the best cake I have ever made. Something about the texture. ‘Tender’ I guess – the perfect balance of moist and light. Thank you Jess.

– Hannah (reader)

I made this cake for my nan’s birthday and it went down such a treat! The cake was so unbelievably moist and tasted amazing, this is such an incredible recipe. My dad’s already requested this cake for his birthday.

– Laura

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, Lemon Coconut Cake and my Peach 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 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

Yield Serves 8–10 1x

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 20 reviews

Prep: 60 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 1 hour 30 minutes

Soft and tender vanilla cake covered in vanilla buttercream.

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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

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Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7.  Spread frosting on one cake layer, add the cake layer on top. Repeat. Then cover top and sides with frosting.

Watch How To Make It

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 slice Calories: 564 Sugar: 54.2 g Sodium: 74.4 mg Fat: 28.8 g Carbohydrates: 73.2 g Protein: 5 g Cholesterol: 113.2 mg

Nutrition information is a guide only.

Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: CakeCuisine: American

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Jessica Holmes

Hi, I’m Jess, the creator of Sweetest Menu and the author of Something Sweet. A self-taught baker and published recipe writer who can’t stop making easy and delicious baking recipes.