This is the perfect classic white cake recipe. Light and fluffy, moist and full of flavor. There is a joke in the cake world that white is not a flavor, it's actually a vanilla cake. But a white cake is not just white. Let's dive into what makes the perfect, best white cake recipe.
What's In This Blog Post
Ingredients
All-purpose flour is used in this recipe instead of cake flour because I like the texture that all-purpose brings to this recipe. If you want to use cake flour, I suggest checking out my white velvet cake recipe.
Egg whites are used instead of whole eggs so that the cake is a BRIGHT white color. You can use fresh egg whites or pasteurised egg whites.
What makes a white cake?
Many people confuse white cake recipes with yellow cake or even vanilla cake. Although similar, these are different types of cakes. Mostly to do with how the eggs are incorporated.
A white cake recipe only uses the whites of the egg, sometimes whipped and then folded into the batter, sometimes added directly to the butter/sugar mixture.
Vanilla cake uses both the egg whites and the egg yolks (usually) and results in a slightly off-white colored cake, but in my opinion has the most flavor.
A yellow cake is made with the egg yolks only, so the batter has a very rich and golden color with lots of flavor and is a very moist cake.
Vanilla and white cake recipes are both used in many different recipes as a base by substituting spices or extracts. Yellow cake is traditionally paired with rich chocolate buttercream or ganache and is not often used as a base recipe for other flavors, although it certainly could be.
Again, people laugh and say that "white" and "yellow" is not a flavor but making an order for "all egg yolk cake" just does not have the same ring to it. It's just a way of describing the cake so we all are on the same page.
How to make the cake
- Preheat your oven to 335ºF and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or another preferred pan release.
- Combine the warm milk, oil, and extracts, and set them aside
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set it aside
- Place the soft butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and cream it until smooth.
- Sprinkle in your sugar slowly while mixing on low, and then let it whip on high until light and white (about 5 minutes).
- While mixing on low, add the egg whites one at a time (roughly) to the butter mixture and let them fully combine after each addition before adding the next. If your egg whites aren't at room temperature, you can microwave them for a few seconds. Be careful not to cook them! Cold egg whites will curdle the batter.
- Add ⅓ of your dry ingredients to the egg/butter mixture and mix on low until just combined. Then add in ½ of your liquids, then dry, then liquids, and the rest of your dry. Let mix until they are just combined.
- Add the batter into prepared cake pans and bake them at 335º F for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center.
- Let the cakes cool for fifteen minutes, then turn out the cakes onto a cooling rack. Wrap the cakes while they are still warm and place them into the freezer to flash chill. This locks in the moisture. Once the cakes are cool but not frozen, you can then trim off the brown edges of your cakes and frost them as desired.
How to make buttercream
- Combine egg whites and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment.
- Whisk to combine on low, then whisk on high for five minutes.
- Reduce the speed to low while adding in your warm butter in small chunks. Whip until everything is combined.
- Add in your vanilla and salt.
- Turn the mixer up to high and whip until light, fluffy, and no longer tastes like butter.
Want to learn more about how to decorate a cake like a pro? Check out my FREE training on how to make your first cake ever!
Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator
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Cups of Batter Needed
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5 cups
Note: measurements are estimated based off the vanilla cake recipe using standard US cake pans and sizes. Measurements used are for 2" tall cake pans only. Your results may vary. Do not overfill cake pans above manufacturer's recommended guidelines.
Recipe
Ingredients
White Cake Recipe Ingredients
- 8 oz unsalted butter room temp
- 14 oz sugar
- 6 large egg whites fresh not boxed at room temp
- 14 oz AP flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon almond extract use clear for a whiter cake
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 oz milk room temp
- 2 oz vegetable oil
Easy Buttercream Frosting
- 8 oz pasteurized egg whites room temperature
- 32 oz powdered sugar
- 32 oz unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Gold Drip
- 6 oz white chocolate
- 1 oz warm water
- 1 teaspoon warm brown food coloring
- 2 teaspoon Truly Mad Plastics super gold
- 1 tablespoon Everclear lemon extract or rose water can be used
Instructions
White Cake Recipe Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 335ºF and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or another preferred pan release.
- Combine milk, oil and extracts and set aside
- Combine your flour, baking powder and salt and set aside
- Place butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and cream until smooth. Sprinkle in your sugar and then let whip on high until light and white (about 5 minutes)
- Add the egg whites one at a time (roughly) to the butter mixture while mixing on low and let fully combine after each addition before adding the next. If your egg whites aren't at room temperature you can microwave them for a few seconds. Be careful not to cook them! Cold egg whites will curdle the batter.
- Add in ⅓ of your dry ingredients to the egg/butter mixture and mix on low until just combined. Then add in ½ of your liquids, then dry, then liquids and the rest of your dry. Let mix until just combined.
- Add batter into prepared cake pans and bake at 335º F for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center.
- Let cool ten minutes then turn out cakes onto a cooling rack. Wrap warm and place into the freezer to flash chill. This locks in the moisture. Once cool but not frozen you can then trim off the brown edges of your cakes and frost as desired. Chill cake.
Easy Buttercream Frosting
- Combine egg whites and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment. Whisk to combine on low then whisk on high, adding in your butter in small chunks, vanilla and salt. Turn mixer up to high and whip until light, fluffy and white.
Gold Drip
- Melt chocolate and water in the microwave and whisk until smooth. Add in a couple drops of food coloring. Let cool to about 90 degrees before attempting to drip over the chilled cake. Once chocolate is set, you can combine the everclear and gold dust to make a paint and paint the drip.
*note: this is a non-toxic gold dust
Viji says
Hi Liz,
I have been baking cakes for my kids bday for sometime but once I started using your recipes, they are the best.Thank your for the wonderful recipes.
One question on this cake. If I am to replace egg whites with whole eggs(including the yellow) what changes should I make(I understand the color will change which is fine).any changes in measurements or butter?
Elizabeth Marek says
No other changes needed other than making sure you are using the same weight of whole eggs as egg whites. A large whole egg weighs about 1.67 ounces
Jennifer says
I FINALLY found this delicious recipe and have been using it since the beginning of 2020, it’s the best white cake recipe I have found. I will say that I can never just bake this cake for 35 minutes it’s usually 45 minutes to 50 minutes. However, It just seems a little odd but I haven’t seen anyone else post about that so is it just me?
Elizabeth Marek says
Every oven, elevation and environment is different. If your cake takes longer to bake then just note that and know how long to bake it for in the future 🙂
Melissa says
Hey Liz! You write that you prefer vanilla bean paste and pure vanilla extract in this recipe but the ingredients lists vanilla extract and almond extract. Will you please share how much vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract should be used in place of the others? Thanks so much!
Elizabeth Marek says
vanilla extract is pure vanilla extract. If you want to use vanilla bean paste then you would use the same amount.
Pamela Jean says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I'm a beginning baker and I found it really easy to follow. The cake itself was beautiful & delicious, not too sweet, and easy to add color to if needed. My family also enjoyed it so I know I will definitely be making this again.
Cheers!
Sheri says
Has anyone tried this with Italian Buttercream? And what are your thoughts?
Catherine says
Forgive me if this has been asked already.
I want to do a marbled cake using colored batter instead of chocolate. Would you use this recipe for it or your vanilla cake?
Thank you!
Elizabeth Marek says
I would use my white velvet cake because it's very white and you can add color easily without it over-mixing
Shaelee says
Great recipe, it came out perfect and it was a beautiful color and was done perfectly. Thank you for the recipe
Hatch Castillo says
I used your recipe in December of 2020 for a friend's bday. Hands down, the best white cake I've ever made. Probably one of the best cakes I've ever made. This recipe is a Keeper! Thanks for passing it on 🙂
Pam says
Can I use box egg whites?
Sugar Geek Show says
Definitely
lisa says
The ingredients say, "fresh not boxed". So, can we get this confirmed one way or the other?
Elizabeth Marek says
I have tested it with both and either will work
Dahrah says
I love all your recipes!! I am also looking for a vanilla cake recipe that uses all purpose flour like this one. Have you tried this recipe with 4 whole eggs perhaps? Will that give it more flavor aside from the vanilla? Will it affect the texture?
Elizabeth Marek says
If you use whole eggs instead of just egg whites (by weight) then this will be a vanilla cake
chlo says
oh my gosh this recipe is absolutely wonderful. the cake is so soft and lightly sweet, balanced by a deliciously sweet icing. the family ate this up!! this is my new go to recipe for a white cake, thank you lots!!
Kelly says
Made this recipe, and it was so good! Super fluffy, didn't taste any of the baking powder, and great flavor! Tasted very professional and was super easy to make! I always struggle with butter cakes being too dense, but I was really surprised by how fluffy this was. Highly recommend this white cake recipe and was super thrilled I found it since I have been trying to recreate a bakery cake I love, and this tasted spot on.
Kristi says
I'm new to your site. Are the ounces all in weight or just some of them, like the butter is weight but the milk is volume? Thank you.
Elizabeth Marek says
Everything is by weight except for small ingredients like teaspoons and Tablespoons
Jesse says
Probably the best white cake I’ve made. This will be my go-to from now on. It’s tender, takes color and flavor well, and holds up to decorating. Thanks for sharing!
Margaret says
Hi Liz, I'm making a grooms cake. Can I cover this cake with fondant icing to decorate?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can
Trudy Metzger says
My second time trying to comment and rate recipe. I love the flavour but the cake caves in every time, no matter what I do. We weigh ingredients. After more than 30 years of baking, this is the best flavour white cake I’ve found, and also the only one I cannot master. Any suggestions?
Elizabeth Marek says
It sounds like you might not be baking it for long enough or mixing for long enough
TBB says
I tried to do a white cake from scratch many years ago and it came out so dense and heavy that I became afraid to ever try again!! I do all of the other cakes I do from scratch but for some reason the white cake stumped me… that is until I decided to try again and came across your recipe! Grant it I did use the mix to make cupcake and not an actual cake … but when I say they were fabulous! Thank you so much! You’ve restored my confidence in trying white cake from scratch!
April says
Hi in the recipe ingredient list it says milk but down below in reading in your notes it says to make sure the ingredients are all at room temperature and it says buttermilk not milk in this cake. Are we supposed to use milk or buttermilk?
Elizabeth Marek says
Use milk as instructed in the recipe. Buttermilk is just an example in the notes of something that should be brought to room temperature.
Katelynn says
Hi! My family doesn't care for the taste of almond extract. The kind we tried tasted like cherry. Can I substitute it for something, or do not all almond extracts taste like cherry?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can leave it out
Katelynn says
Hi. Is there an almond extract that doesn't taste like cherry? My family doesn't like that cherry taste. OR can I sub for more vanilla?
Elizabeth Marek says
You can leave out the almond if you dont like it
Peachy says
This made the most perfect level layers with excellent crumb. I didn’t flour my 8” anodized pans. My oven temp is correct and my layers gook the longer time. It would be wonderful to upload a photo of them backing, then one of the cakes removed from the pans. A butter knife used carefully to loosen the edges, and the parchment and oil spray were sufficient for easy removal.
For this occasion, the celebrant likes chai tea so I added cinnamon to the cake batter, and later soaked three chai tea bags for 5 minutes in the warmed milk in a standard custard filling recipe
I LOVE this cake recipe. It’s perfect!
Angel says
This blows my old go-to white cake recipe out of the water. The almond extract really bumps it up to a new level. I'll definitely be using it for all my white cakes from now on. I live in high altitude, and the only change needed was bumping the oven up to 360.