Learn how to make this perfectly moist white cake recipe.
Did you know the main difference between vanilla cake and white cake? Technically, both cakes are vanilla, but the main difference is that vanilla cake uses whole eggs or egg yolks while white cake uses egg whites.
White cake is a great recipe to have in your back pocket because it’s also known as a bridal wedding cake for the light color.
The secret to this white cake recipe is sour cream and clear vanilla extract. The sour cream adds enough fat to keep the cake light and moist. The clear vanilla extract is full-body vanilla without the amber coloring. Of course, if you have regular vanilla, that will work perfectly fine too!
This white cake recipe pairs perfectly with any flavor you wish, like lemon curd, raspberry filling, strawberry buttercream, and even freshly made whipped cream. This white cake recipe will quickly become your new standard cake recipe for any occasion. It’s perfect for coloring with gel food color and filled, stacked, and covered for a beautiful wedding!
Tips for success:
- Read through all the ingredients and instructions so you can get a better idea of how much time and what you need to make this cake.
- A single batch of this cake recipe makes three 6-inch round cake layers or two 8-inch round cake layers. Double the cake recipe to make enough cake batter for three 8-inch cake layers.
- In this cake recipe, you need 1 cup buttermilk; if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily use 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to make your own.
- To make cake flour at home, mix 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch. Sift or whisk together to get rid of any lumps.
- Be careful not to overmix this cake batter, or else the cake will come out dense. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- You can bake the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap the cake layers in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to one month.
What Tools You May Need:
- 5-quart, Stand Mixer with mixing bowl & paddle attachment
- 3, 6-inch cake pans or 2, 8-inch cake pans
- Offset spatula
- 8-inch or 10-inch white cake board
- Whisk or sifter
- Rubber Spatula
- Non-Stick Cooking Spray and Parchment Paper
- Ice Cream Scooper with Trigger Release (for dividing cake batter evenly)
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Cake Stand, optional
Here’s the step-by-step tutorial on how to make this delicious white cake recipe!
Let’s Get Baking!
How to Make White Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk and stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high for 5 minutes.
- Add the egg whites, one at a time, to the stand mixer bowl and beat on medium until well incorporated.
- Turn the mixer on low and add sour cream. The mixture may look broken, and that’s okay. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Next, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until fully incorporated.
- Pour in the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix on medium for another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three cake pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely. Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and place them into the freezer to chill for 1 hour to 2 hours or overnight.
You May Also Enjoy:
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- How to Decorate Your First Cake (free course)
- Cake Decorating for Beginners (masterclass)
This light and fluffy white cake recipe is easy to make and decorate. This cake tutorial is simple and perfect for a last-minute sweet treat. With this cake recipe in your back pocket, you’ll always have a tasty and beautiful cake that’s a winner!
I’m so excited to see your cake creations. Please feel free to email me here at xokatierosario@gmail.com with any questions you may have; I’ll be happy to help!
Happy Decorating!
Hey, if you liked this tutorial, you really should check out Cake Decorating for Beginners, my signature masterclass. I coach you on everything I teach on these cake tutorials on a deeper level so that you can uplevel your baking and decorating skills. We 10x it to get the results you want most impressive cakes that your friends and family will love. Like any new skill, it’s essential to learn from the ground up to build a foundation so that you can take on any cake challenge. It is an investment your future self will thank you for. So check it out at XOKatieRosario.com/cake-masterclass. I will see you there!
Watch The How-to Video Below:
White Cake Recipe
Ingredients
White Cake
- 1 cup (or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 cups cake flour (or 2 ¾ cup ap flour & ¼ cup cornstarch)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
Instructions
White Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk and stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high for 5 minutes.
- Add the egg whites, one at a time, to the stand mixer bowl and beat on medium until well incorporated.
- Turn the mixer on low and add sour cream. The mixture may look broken, and that's okay. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Next, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until fully incorporated.
- Pour in the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix on medium for another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three cake pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely. Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and place them into the freezer to chill for 1 hour to 2 hours or overnight.
Notes
- Read through all the ingredients and instructions so you can get a better idea of how much time and what you need to make this cake.
- A single batch of this cake recipe makes three 6-inch round cake layers or two 8-inch round cake layers. Double the cake recipe to make enough cake batter for three 8-inch cake layers.
- In this cake recipe, you need 1 cup buttermilk; if you don't have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily use 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to make your own.
- To make cake flour at home, mix 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch. Sift or whisk together to get rid of any lumps.
- Be careful not to overmix this cake batter, or else the cake will come out dense. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- You can bake the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap the cake layers in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to one month.
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