Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

Moist vanilla cake with the perfect crumb for creating a beautiful, tiered cake.

This versatile vanilla cake recipe is delightfully fluffy, yet strong enough to make a four-layer cake. Depending on the season and available produce, you can also layer it with fresh fruit and whip cream, just as I did in the Creamsicle Clementine Cake. Alternatively, you can use it to make a more complex, tiered cake for special occasions like the Cherry Vanilla Cake with dark chocolate ganache – the perfect recipe to impress any Valentine.

I bake the cake on a baking sheet for several reasons; not only does it cook faster and more evenly, but you can also make a cake in any shape or size with perfectly-even layers. Added bonus: it will also leave you with offcuts to snack on (a little baker’s secret). They are so versatile that you can even store them in the freezer for cake pops or little verrines. I usually double the recipe and make two trays, allowing me to save one in the freezer for future use.

Ingredients

114g butter, room temp

100g vegetable oil

360g sugar

4 eggs, room temp

20g vanilla extract

450g cake flour

4g salt

12g baking powder

325g buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Line a baking sheet (I use 12”x 16”) with parchment paper.

3. Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

4. In a stand mixer beat butter and oil until homogenous.

5. Slowly add sugar and beat on high until pale and fluffy.

6. Add vanilla and slowly incorporate 1 egg at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

7. Mix in dry ingredients and milk, alternating two to three times.

8. Pour batter onto the prepared sheet and using an offset spatula (or bench scraper) distribute the batter as evenly as possible.

9. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, flipping the tray around halfway through. (If you are baking two trays make sure to rotate the two trays top to bottom).

10. Let cake cool completely* then flip it over and peel off the parchment paper.

11. Using a 6-inch cake mould (or anything round) as a guide, cut four discs of cake. It’s OK if one disc is actually two halves- it will be a middle layer and no one will ever know!)
    

*If you are baking this cake ahead of time, keep the cake in the tray and wrap it tightly in plastic film. It will keep on the counter for a couple of days without getting too dry or in the freezer for up to two months.