I can’t stop thinking about my Moist White Wedding Cake Recipe that pairs pillowy white cake layers with old-fashioned white buttercream to recreate that timeless wedding-cake charm.
I grew up thinking a White Wedding Cake should be almost painfully pale and strangely sturdy, and this one hits that sweet spot. I rely on cake flour and egg whites so the crumb stays unbelievably fine and white, without being gummy.
It brings back that Moist White Wedding Cake Recipe feeling but with a cleaner finish, and the topper calls to mind Old Fashioned Birthday Cake Icing, simple, slightly retro, nothing showy. I can’t promise it’s perfect, I messed up a few times testing it, but the results kept me going back for another slice.
Ingredients
- Cake flour: finer, less protein so cake stays tender, not bread like
- Granulated sugar: main source of sweetness, adds moisture by melting, not healthy
- Unsalted butter: rich flavor, provides fat and tenderness, adds caramel notes
- Vegetable oil: keeps crumb moist, neutral taste, less structure control than butter
- Egg whites: lift and structure, low fat, add protein but dry if overbeaten
- Whole milk: adds fat and flavor, helps dissolve sugar makes batter smooth
- Vanilla extract: brings warm sweet aroma, masks eggy notes, small but mighty
- Confectioners sugar: super fine, dissolves in buttercream, makes frosting silky sweet
Ingredient Quantities
- For the cake: 3 cups (360 g) cake flour, sifted
- 2 1/4 cups (450 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 8 large egg whites, room temp
- 1 cup whole milk, room temp
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- For the buttercream: 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup vegetable shortening, softened (helps keep the icing very white)
- 8 cups (about 960 g) confectioners sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla or pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and line three 9 inch cake pans, or two 9 inch and one 8 inch, whichever you have, and dust lightly with flour or use parchment. Sift the 3 cups cake flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon fine salt into a bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) softened unsalted butter and 1/2 cup vegetable oil on medium speed until smooth. Add the 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
3. With mixer on low, add the 8 large egg whites one at a time, letting each incorporate before adding the next. Stop and scrape the bowl; this keeps the batter even and prevents overmixing.
4. Add the dry flour mixture in three additions, alternating with 1 cup room temp whole milk: flour, milk, flour, milk, finish with the last flour. Mix just until combined each time, then add 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon almond extract if using. Dont overmix or you’ll lose lightness.
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, smooth tops, and bake at 350 F for about 22 to 30 minutes depending on pan size, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops are springy. Rotate pans halfway through if your oven runs hot.
6. Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges and invert onto cooling racks. Peel off parchment and cool completely before frosting. If you want neater layers, chill cakes until firm before leveling.
7. For the buttercream, beat together 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) softened unsalted butter and 1 cup vegetable shortening until very smooth and pale. Gradually add the 8 cups sifted confectioners sugar in batches, mixing on low, then increase speed as it comes together.
8. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream a little at a time to reach spreadable consistency, then stir in 2 teaspoons clear vanilla or pure vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. Beat on high for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. If frosting is too stiff add more cream, if too thin add more sifted sugar. Using shortening and clear vanilla helps keep the icing very white.
9. Level the cooled layers, place one layer on a cake board, crumb coat with a thin layer of buttercream and chill 15 to 30 minutes. Finish with a smooth final coat and decorate as you like. Chill to set and bring to room temp before serving. Store in a cool place or refrigerate; bring to room temp before cutting for best texture.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven set to 350 F (175 C)
2. Three 9 inch cake pans or two 9 inch plus one 8 inch, plus parchment or extra flour for dusting
3. Electric mixer (stand or hand)
4. Sifter or fine mesh sieve
5. Mixing bowls, assorted sizes
6. Measuring cups, measuring spoons and a kitchen scale for accuracy
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for scraping and folding
8. Cooling racks and a cake board or plate for assembly
9. Serrated knife or cake leveler and an offset spatula for smoothing the frosting
FAQ
Recipe For White Wedding Cake Substitutions and Variations
- Cake flour: Use sifted all purpose flour plus cornstarch. For each 1 cup cake flour measure 1 cup all purpose, remove 2 tablespoons, add 2 tablespoons cornstarch, sift together twice — works fine for the 3 cups called for.
- Granulated sugar: Use caster or superfine sugar 1:1, it dissolves faster and gives a finer crumb. If thats all you got, pulse regular granulated in a food processor 8 to 12 seconds to make it finer.
- Egg whites: Swap with pasteurized liquid egg whites by equal volume. Or use 4 large whole eggs if you dont mind a slightly richer, more yellow crumb; if you use whole eggs cut the milk by about 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- Vegetable shortening in buttercream: Replace with more unsalted butter for better flavor but expect a less snowy white icing. A good compromise is three parts butter to one part shortening, or use all butter and chill the frosting to firm it up before decorating.
Pro Tips
1. Weigh the flour and sugar if you can. Cups lie to you, especially with cake flour, and a little too much makes the cake dense. If you only have cups then spoon the flour into the cup and level it with the back of a knife, dont pack it down.
2. Get everything really at room temp and dont rush the creaming. Cold egg whites or milk fights the batter and overheated butter makes it greasy. Add egg whites one at a time on low and scrape the bowl often, that little pause keeps the texture light.
3. For even layers, weigh the batter into each pan and tap the pans on the counter once before baking to release big air bubbles. Use an oven thermometer and rotate racks halfway, ovens vary a lot so trusting the timer alone will bite you.
4. For super white, silky buttercream beat the butter and shortening until pale and airy, then add sugar slowly and finish with cream to control texture. Chill the cake after a thin crumb coat, then smooth the final coat with a warm metal spatula dipped in hot water and dried off, it gives a nearly pro finish.
Recipe For White Wedding Cake
I can't stop thinking about my Moist White Wedding Cake Recipe that pairs pillowy white cake layers with old-fashioned white buttercream to recreate that timeless wedding-cake charm.
12
servings
1093
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven set to 350 F (175 C)
2. Three 9 inch cake pans or two 9 inch plus one 8 inch, plus parchment or extra flour for dusting
3. Electric mixer (stand or hand)
4. Sifter or fine mesh sieve
5. Mixing bowls, assorted sizes
6. Measuring cups, measuring spoons and a kitchen scale for accuracy
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for scraping and folding
8. Cooling racks and a cake board or plate for assembly
9. Serrated knife or cake leveler and an offset spatula for smoothing the frosting
Ingredients
-
For the cake: 3 cups (360 g) cake flour, sifted
-
2 1/4 cups (450 g) granulated sugar
-
1 tablespoon baking powder
-
1 teaspoon fine salt
-
1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
-
1/2 cup vegetable oil
-
8 large egg whites, room temp
-
1 cup whole milk, room temp
-
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
-
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
-
For the buttercream: 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
-
1 cup vegetable shortening, softened (helps keep the icing very white)
-
8 cups (about 960 g) confectioners sugar, sifted
-
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
-
2 teaspoons clear vanilla or pure vanilla extract
-
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and line three 9 inch cake pans, or two 9 inch and one 8 inch, whichever you have, and dust lightly with flour or use parchment. Sift the 3 cups cake flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon fine salt into a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) softened unsalted butter and 1/2 cup vegetable oil on medium speed until smooth. Add the 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- With mixer on low, add the 8 large egg whites one at a time, letting each incorporate before adding the next. Stop and scrape the bowl; this keeps the batter even and prevents overmixing.
- Add the dry flour mixture in three additions, alternating with 1 cup room temp whole milk: flour, milk, flour, milk, finish with the last flour. Mix just until combined each time, then add 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon almond extract if using. Dont overmix or you'll lose lightness.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, smooth tops, and bake at 350 F for about 22 to 30 minutes depending on pan size, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops are springy. Rotate pans halfway through if your oven runs hot.
- Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges and invert onto cooling racks. Peel off parchment and cool completely before frosting. If you want neater layers, chill cakes until firm before leveling.
- For the buttercream, beat together 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) softened unsalted butter and 1 cup vegetable shortening until very smooth and pale. Gradually add the 8 cups sifted confectioners sugar in batches, mixing on low, then increase speed as it comes together.
- Add 1/2 cup heavy cream a little at a time to reach spreadable consistency, then stir in 2 teaspoons clear vanilla or pure vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. Beat on high for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. If frosting is too stiff add more cream, if too thin add more sifted sugar. Using shortening and clear vanilla helps keep the icing very white.
- Level the cooled layers, place one layer on a cake board, crumb coat with a thin layer of buttercream and chill 15 to 30 minutes. Finish with a smooth final coat and decorate as you like. Chill to set and bring to room temp before serving. Store in a cool place or refrigerate; bring to room temp before cutting for best texture.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 264g
- Total number of serves: 12
- Calories: 1093kcal
- Fat: 61.4g
- Saturated Fat: 27g
- Trans Fat: 0.92g
- Polyunsaturated: 3.7g
- Monounsaturated: 29.9g
- Cholesterol: 94mg
- Sodium: 283mg
- Potassium: 167mg
- Carbohydrates: 141.7g
- Fiber: 0.9g
- Sugar: 119g
- Protein: 6.3g
- Vitamin A: 292IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 37mg
- Iron: 0.42mg
