Look no further if you want to bake a simple vanilla cake recipe from scratch that is moist, fluffy, and easy to make. I have been making it for years and is good to eat plain or to fill and frost. A simple recipe that freezes very well.
A canvas recipe
The simplest of cakes: the vanilla butter cake.
Fill and frost it to your liking, or eat it plain as a snack. It will stay moist if properly stored and can be frozen.
Like most recipes in this blog, I have been making it for years with great results.
I tweaked a few details and tested it some more in order to post it here as my best vanilla cake. But well, I think it is and hope you will too.
Are butter cakes different from yellow or white cakes? Any cake made with butter (instead of oil) can be called a butter cake. So, yellow or white cakes can also be butter cakes if they are made with that ingredient.
Ingredient list
- Butter is one of the star ingredients, so buy the best quality you can afford.
- White granulated sugar.
- Milk: use whole whenever possible. Buttermilk also works.
- Flour: I use cake flour, but all-purpose flour works just fine. Or maybe a mix of both if you want to experiment.
- Vanilla extract.
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
How to make a butter cake
If you follow the instructions in the recipe, you will have a fluffy and wonderful cake.
- Mix butter and sugar.
- Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Mix well after each addition.
- Add vanilla paste or extract.
- Add dry ingredients in 3 parts.
- Add milk in 2 parts. You start and end with the flour mixture.
- Beat at low speed until you have a smooth batter. Don't overbeat at this point!
- Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Instructions: follow instructions to ensure the best results. Don't overbeat the batter after adding dry ingredients.
- Vanilla: I like to use 2 or 3 teaspoons, depending on the type of extract I'm using. Since this is a vanilla cake, make sure the flavor shines.
- Baking: have the oven preheated for better results and test for doneness with a cake tester or a brochette stick. It should come out clean. But don't overbake it.
- Storing: let the cake cool completely on a wire rack. After that, cover it in plastic wrap or place it under a cake dome. It keeps at room temperature for a day or two and in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. After that, freeze it for up to a month.
Related recipes you might like:
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Butter Cake (easy recipe)
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, or cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup whole milk, at room temperature
Instructions
- Turn the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Butter and flour (or use baking spray) a 9-inch (24cm) round cake pan with a removable bottom, and put it in the fridge while making the batter.
- In a large bowl beat ¾ cup unsalted butter for 20-30 seconds, until creamy.
- Always beating, add 1 ¼ cups sugar gradually and beat for 3-4 more minutes, until light and creamy. This is important for a fluffy cake.
- Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well each time. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix everything well.
- Sift the dry ingredients (2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt) and add them to the previous mixture in 3 parts, alternating with ¾ cup whole milk in 2 parts. This means you start and end with flour.
- Mix everything very well (I use a spatula) and if you use the electric beaters do so at low speed; you do not want to beat much at this point as that will toughen the cake after it’s baked.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cold pan (which was in the fridge) and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out dry.
- Let cool on a metal rack until lukewarm enough to remove.
- Let cool completely.
- It keeps for a few days in the fridge and can be frozen for 1 month, well wrapped in both cases.
- If you want to fill it I recommend doing it the next day. Also, a cold cake that has been in the refrigerator is easier to fill and frost.
Kathy ciccone says
This cake is easy to make and is absolutely delicious. I frosted it with homemade buttercream frosting , then sprinkled it with coconut. I will never use boxed cake mix again.
Paula Montenegro says
So happy to know you loved it Kathy!
Sherrice Bruce says
I LOVE MAKING THAT PLAIN CAKE IT IS YUMMY*
Paula Montenegro says
So happy you liked it Sherrice!
Ronak Mehta says
Baked this cake for my birthday and it was an absolute hit! So moist and tasty. Thank you for doing what you do
Paula Montenegro says
So happy you liked it Ronak! Happy belated birthday!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
It is always nice to have a good basic recipe that you can dress up or down. You are such a talented baker that I know if you like this recipe it is a good one. I've added it to one of my Pinterest boards. Thank you.
Paula Montenegro says
Hey Karen! So great to hear from you. Hope you like the cake, it's a simple and wonderful recipe. Enjoy the week!