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.
Quick Glance at the Recipe: White Cake Recipe
- Recipe Name: White Cake Recipe
- Why You'll Love It: Soft, fluffy white cake with a delicate crumb and bright white color that's perfect for decorating.
- Time and Difficulty: 15 minutes - Intermediate difficulty
- Main Ingredients: All-purpose flour, egg whites, butter, sugar, milk, baking powder
- Method: Traditional creaming method with egg whites added to whipped butter and sugar.
- Texture and Flavor: Light, tender crumb with a subtle vanilla flavor and moist interior.
- Quick Tip: Wrap the cakes while still warm and flash chill them to lock in moisture.
Jump to:
- Quick Glance at the Recipe: White Cake Recipe
- My Experience With White Cake
- White Cake Ingredients
- What Makes A White Cake?
- How To Make A White Cake Step-By-Step
- How to Make Easy Buttercream Step-By-Step
- Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator
- Cups of Batter Needed
- Cups of Frosting Needed
- Watch: How To Decorate A Cake Step-by-Step
- Recipe
My Experience With White Cake
There's a running joke in the cake world that "white isn't a flavor." People say it's just vanilla cake without the yolks.
But professional bakers know that white cake really is its own thing.
By removing the egg yolks and using only egg whites, the cake becomes lighter in color and slightly more delicate in flavor. It also produces that bright white crumb that's perfect for wedding cakes and elegant layer cakes.
White cake, vanilla cake, and yellow cake are all closely related recipes, but the way the eggs are used changes the texture, flavor, and color.
This cake pairs beautifully with white chocolate ganache as a frosting - the vanilla flavor of the ganache complements the delicate crumb of the cake perfectly.
White Cake Ingredients
This recipe uses traditional baking ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
All-purpose flour - Provides structure for the cake. I prefer all-purpose flour here because it gives the cake a slightly stronger crumb that holds up well for layered cakes. If you prefer cake flour, check out my white velvet cake recipe.
Egg whites - Egg whites keep the cake bright white while still adding structure and moisture. You can use fresh egg whites or pasteurized egg whites.
Granulated sugar - Sugar sweetens the cake and helps create a light, fluffy texture when whipped with the butter.
Unsalted butter - Butter adds flavor and richness to the cake. Make sure it's soft so it creams properly with the sugar. If you brown the butter you can make a delicious brown butter cake.
Milk - Milk adds moisture and helps create a soft crumb.
Vegetable oil - Oil keeps the cake moist even after refrigeration.
Baking powder - This gives the cake its lift and light texture.
Salt - Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
Vanilla extract or clear vanilla - Vanilla adds flavor. Clear vanilla can be used if you want to keep the cake extra white.
What Makes A White Cake?
Many people confuse white cake, vanilla cake, and yellow cake, but the difference mostly comes down to how the eggs are used.
- White Cake uses only egg whites, which keeps the crumb bright white and gives the cake a delicate texture.
- Vanilla cake uses whole eggs, which results in a slightly off-white color and a richer flavor.
- Yellow cake uses egg yolks, which give the cake a deep golden color and a richer, more custardy flavor. 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.
White cake and vanilla cake are both commonly used as base recipes for flavored cakes, while yellow cake is traditionally paired with chocolate frosting or chocolate ganache.
The names might sound simple, but they're just shorthand so bakers know exactly what type of cake they're working with.
How To Make A White Cake Step-By-Step
Remember to always bring your cold ingredients to room temperature and use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. I use "ounces" for my measurements because it's easier to mis en place everything out. If you prefer metric, you can switch the measurements on the recipe card below.
- Preheat your oven to 335ºF (168ºC) and prepare two 8" x 2" cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release.
- Combine the warm milk, oil, and extracts, and set them aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together: flour, baking powder, and the salt and set it aside.
- Place the soft butter into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth.
While mixing on low, Sprinkle in your sugar, and then let it whip on high until light and white (about 5 minutes) until lightened in color and very fluffy.
- 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.
Mix until smooth.
- 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 Easy Buttercream Step-By-Step
- Combine pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the mixture on medium speed until it becomes thick and glossy.
This creates the base for the easy buttercream.
- Begin adding softened butter one piece at a time while mixing on medium speed.
At first, the mixture may look curdled or separated. This is completely normal.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and salt. Then whip on high until light, fluffy, and no longer tastes like butter.
- Optional: Switch to the paddle attachment. Mix the easy buttercream on low for several minutes to remove air bubbles and achieve the smoothest possible texture.
Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator
Select an option below to calculate how much batter or frosting you need. Adjust the servings slider on the recipe card to change the amounts the recipe makes.
Choose a pan type
Choose a cake pan size
(based on 2" tall cake pan)
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(based on 2" tall cake pan)
Cupcake Tin Size
Choose number of pans
Cups of Batter Needed
8 cups
Cups of Frosting Needed
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.
Watch: How To Decorate A Cake Step-by-Step
Before you start decorating, watch the video below where I show you every step of decorating a cake from start to finish. Seeing the process in action makes it much easier to follow along
- Liz Marek.
Recipe
Ingredients
White Cake Recipe Ingredients
- 10 oz milk room temp
- 2 oz vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract use clear for a whiter cake
- 14 oz AP flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 oz unsalted butter room temp
- 14 oz sugar
- 6 large egg whites fresh not boxed at room temp
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
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
VALERIE NAQUIN says
Liz,
Why do you recommend using AP flour for this recipe, when in you video for baking a cake from scratch, you highly recommend using cake flour?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Not everyone has access to cake flour so I try to offer recipes that use both. If you can get cake flour I definitely recommend the vanilla cake recipe
Ann says
Hi, is the milk and oil liquid measures or by weight? I'm trying this out this weekend, and I want to make sure I'm on the right track.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Everything by weight is easiest
Radha Ganeriwala says
Hey Liz, thankyou for your recipe and wisdom. Highly appropriate. I have a question, please. I would be so grateful if you could help me. Thankyou!
I made this cake and it was very soft and crumbly when it came out of oven. I wrapped and placed it in freeze6for 10 minutes and it was easier to handle. I frosted (at night) and placed it in fridge for consumption next day. It was tasty but a bit dense and not soft or moist. When I placed it in microwave for 10 seconds, it was the most moist and tasty cake again. How do I get it to remain so without getting dense?
The Sugar Geek Show says
When the cake is freshly baked, it will be soft because the butter in the cake is soft. Chill the cake so the butter in the cake is easier to handle for stacking and filling but the cake should be eaten at room temperature, just like you would eat butter or it will taste hard and dense. So take the cake out of the fridge a few hours at least before consuming.
Margie says
Can you stack to a 3 tier and cover in fondant? Is it dense enough?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can stack most any type of cake because the weight of the cake sits on dowels or straws, not on top of the cake
Cheryl says
2751 calories per serving????
The Sugar Geek Show says
Thats for the whole cake lol
Nicki J says
Sounds great, but would be better if it had actual measurements for ingredients as we don't use cups and sticks of butter as measurements
The Sugar Geek Show says
Hi Nicki, did you read the recipe? This recipe isn't in cups and sticks. I always write my recipes by weight. If you need grams you can easily convert it with an online calculator.
Darlene hutson says
A must have recipe for every Baker.
Joan says
When you say 14 oz why not use 1 3/4 cups? Is this American way of measurement?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Because volume measurements aren't accurate and this recipe will fail if there's too much/not enough flour. Measuring by weight is the way we where taught in pastry school for accuracy so that's what I use in all my recipes 🙂
Andrea H says
Is this actually 1 tablespoon of almond extract?
The Sugar Geek Show says
1 tsp vanilla and 1 almond but you can change it up to suit your tastes!
Irene says
Hi is AP flour (all purpose flour) x
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yep!
Evelyn Keplinger says
WHat Gold did you paint the cake with? Do u sell it?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Truly mad plastics super gold https://www.trulymadplastics.com/store/#!/TMP-Super-Gold/p/76477425
Erin says
Could I use cake flour instead of AP?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Not for this recipe but you might check out the vanilla cake recipe if you want to use cake flour 🙂 It's my favorite cake recipe!
Joycelyn says
Why do you say cake and pastry flour can't be used in this recipe? Cake and pastry flour is all I've ever use for cakes and they've always turned out just fine. I'd be more than leery subbing AP flour for cakes as it's better suited for yeast recipes & quick breads.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Hey there, I say it can't be used for this recipe because this recipe is formulated for AP flour. I always recommend that you use a recipe as it's written and if you want to use cake flour, check out my vanilla cake recipe.
Janet says
Hi if people understood that different flours had different protein levels ( aka gluten) they wouldn't ask such inane questions. AP flour has 9-12% protein, cake flour 6-8% protein. Should be listed on the packaging nutritional info.
Michaela says
Do you use bleached or unbleached flour?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Bleached but you could use unbleached. The only difference is the color.
Leesa says
Hi there! I just wanted to confirm if I didn't want to use almond extract would I just double the vanilla extract?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can double the vanilla
Lois Delaney says
When you say this recipe is enough for 2 x 8" pans, is that 2" or 3" deep pans please?
The Sugar Geek Show says
2" deep
Katrina says
Hi, is this recipe good for making rainbow cupcakes you think?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Definitely, it takes color very easily 🙂
Steve says
Will this work for a 9x13 cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Totally, you can use any kind of pan 🙂
Taylor says
Using a 9x13 pan, is it just enough batter for one cake? Would you need to adjust the temperature or bake time?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Bake time varies on the size of the cake, the larger the cake, the more time it will take for it to bake. Nothing else needs to be adjusted.
Jenn says
How long will this cake retain moisture and flavor— for example, can it be iced one day, fondant covered the next and then decorated the 3rd day and still be moist for delivery the 4th?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes it can, that is what we usually do here but we do it in three days. I bake, chill and crumb coat in one day to retain the most moisture, then decorate on the second day and deliver on the third