Everyone needs a classic Vanilla Cake Recipe, and this is mine! It has a great flavor and moisture. No dry cakes around here! This is a great recipe that can be used for any occasion. You can also use it to make cupcakes, which are great for kid parties or bake sales!

One important step in this recipe is beating together the butter and the sugar. Make sure you take a few minutes to get it nice and fluffy. You will know what I mean when you are mixing it. It will go from a heavier texture to something much lighter. This will give the cake a lighter texture in the end, so don’t skip this step!

Another thing to note is the switch from whole milk to buttermilk for the high-altitude recipe. When you are at high-altitude you want the structure of the cake to set up faster, so you want your batter to be thicker. That is why you switch to buttermilk which is a denser liquid. I also think it adds a great flavor to this recipe.

Vanilla Cake can be considered basic, but sometimes that is what you need! It is especially great for kid parties or a big crowd where you don’t know everyone’s taste preferences. You can always take it up a notch with some creative frosting flavors, such as my Strawberry Buttercream Recipe! Or you can stick to the classics with my Vanilla Buttercream Recipe or Chocolate Frosting Recipe.

The Vanilla Cake Recipes are below. You will find the high-altitude recipe first, and the sea level recipe at the end. I hope you enjoy and be sure to leave a comment if you try it out or have any questions!

High Altitude Vanilla Cake Recipe

A delicious vanilla cake recipe that can be used for any occasion! This recipe will make enough for 24 cupcakes, a 3 layer 6 inch cake, or a 2 layer 8 inch cake.

4.50 from 2 votes

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Equipment

• Cake Pans (three 6inch or two 8 inch)
• parchment paper
• Cake Strips (optional)

Ingredients

  

• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar minus 2 tbsp
• 3 cups flour plus 3 tbsp
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 360F.
• If you are using cake strips, place them in a small bowl of water to soak.
• Crack your eggs into a small bowl and set aside.
• Measure out your buttermilk and set aside.
• Prepare your baking pans. Use 1-2 tsp of avocado oil (or your oil of choice) to grease your pans. Then use 2-3 tbsp of flour to dust your pans.
• Cut parchment paper to fit in the bottom of your pans and place it in the bottom.
• In a small bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix with a fork until they are incorporated.
• Add the butter and sugar to your mixing bowl. Mix on medium high to high speed for a few minutes, until the mixture starts to get fluffy. Scrape the bowl and mix for another 30 seconds.
• Add in half of the eggs and mix until just combined. Add in the rest of the eggs and mix until just combined.
• Scrape the bowl and add in the vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
• Add in half of the buttermilk and mix until combined.
• Add in half of the flour mixture and mix until combined.
• Add in the rest of the buttermilk and mix until combined
• Add in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined.
• Mix the batter by hand to make sure everything is incorporated. Add the batter to your cake pans. Evenly distribute the cake batter between the pans and fill until they are 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full.
• If you are using cake strips, put those around the cake pans before putting them in the oven.
• Baking time will vary depending on the cake size and thickness. I like to set a timer for about 35 minutes to check on how the cake is doing. I will then bake for additional time as necessary. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean and the sides start to pull away from the edge of the pan.
• Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool in the pans for about 15 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the pans and let it completely cool on a cooling rack.
• Either frost the cake or store it in an airtight container. The cake will last for about 1 day at room temperature, or 7 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze the cake layers in plastic wrap for up to 2 weeks if you want to make them ahead of time. You could also freeze any leftover cake that has been frosted for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Vanilla Cake Recipe

A delicious vanilla cake recipe that can be used for any occasion! This recipe will make enough for 24 cupcakes, a 3 layer 6 inch cake, or a 2 layer 8 inch cake.

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Equipment

• Cake Pans (three 6inch or two 8 inch)
• parchment paper
• Cake Strips (optional)

Ingredients

  

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• If you are using cake strips, place them in a small bowl of water to soak.
• Crack your eggs into a small bowl and set aside.
• Measure out your buttermilk and set aside.
• Prepare your baking pans. Use 1-2 tsp of avocado oil (or your oil of choice) to grease your pans. Then use 2-3 tbsp of flour to dust your pans.
• Cut parchment paper to fit in the bottom of your pans and place it in the bottom.
• In a small bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix with a fork until they are incorporated.
• Add the butter and sugar to your mixing bowl. Mix on medium high to high speed for a few minutes, until the mixture starts to get fluffy. Scrape the bowl and mix for another 30 seconds.
• Add in half of the eggs and mix until just combined. Add in the rest of the eggs and mix until just combined.
• Scrape the bowl and add in the vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
• Add in half of the buttermilk and mix until combined.
• Add in half of the flour mixture and mix until combined.
• Add in the rest of the buttermilk and mix until combined
• Add in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined.
• Mix the batter by hand to make sure everything is incorporated. Add the batter to your cake pans. Evenly distribute the cake batter between the pans and fill until they are 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full.
• If you are using cake strips, put those around the cake pans before putting them in the oven.
• Baking time will vary depending on the cake size and thickness. I like to set a timer for about 35 minutes to check on how the cake is doing. I will then bake for additional time as necessary. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean and the sides start to pull away from the edge of the pan.
• Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool in the pans for about 15 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the pans and let it completely cool on a cooling rack.
• Either frost the cake or store it in an airtight container. The cake will last for about 1 day at room temperature, or 7 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze the cake layers in plastic wrap for up to 2 weeks if you want to make them ahead of time. You could also freeze any leftover cake that has been frosted for up to 3 months in an airtight container.