I spent months perfecting this Tender Vanilla Cake, a versatile base recipe bursting with pure vanilla flavor that pairs beautifully with any frosting or filling.
I’m weirdly proud of this Soft Moist Vanilla Cake. When I say it took me MONTHS to perfect, I really mean it.
The crumb is so soft it practically melts, and the secret feels like a love note from cake flour and pure vanilla extract, nothing fancy just honest flavour. Folks DM me calling it a Yummy Vanilla Cake Recipe but honestly it still surprises me.
I messed up a lot, learned from crumbs and burnt edges, scribbled notes no one asked for. If you’re curious why it stays this tender, my messy file titled How To Make Your Cake Moist tells the odd little reasons.
Ingredients
- Cake flour: Soft, low protein flour gives tender crumb, mostly carbs, little protein, not fibrous.
- Granulated sugar: Pure sweetness, adds carbs and structure, no fiber, use sparingly if you’re watching sugar.
- Unsalted butter: Adds rich flavor and moisture, provides fat and some calories, not much protein.
- Vegetable oil: Neutral oil keeps cake moist longer, it’s pure fat, calorie dense, no carbs or fiber.
- Eggs: Binders that add protein, they help structure and lift, add richness and moisture too.
- Sour cream or yogurt: Adds gentle tang, moistness, fat and some protein, makes texture tender and soft.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla gives aroma and perceived sweetness, almost no calories, boosts flavor depth.
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 1/2 cups (312g) cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (60ml) neutral vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temp
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) pure vanilla extract
- Optional pinch of extra salt or a scrape of vanilla bean for more flavour
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and line two 8 inch cake pans or one 9×13, then lightly flour or line with parchment, set aside.
2. Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and the 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl so it’s evenly combined; if you like, sift once to keep the crumb extra fine.
3. In a large bowl beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, then beat in the vegetable oil until incorporated.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until just combined and scraping the bowl so nothing’s stuck, you want a smooth batter not overworked.
5. In a measuring cup stir together the whole milk, sour cream (or yogurt) and the 2 tablespoons vanilla extract. If using extra pinch of salt or a scrape of vanilla bean, add it here.
6. Add the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the butter mixture in alternating additions, beginning and ending with the dry (3 additions of dry, 2 of wet is fine), mixing only until just combined after each addition, stop as soon as you don’t see streaks.
7. Give the batter a final gentle scrape and fold to ensure everything is mixed, but don’t overmix or the cake will toughen.
8. Divide batter between prepared pans, smooth the tops, then gently tap the pans on the counter to release big air bubbles.
9. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 22 to 27 minutes for two 8 inch layers, or 30 to 35 minutes for a 9×1
3. Ovens vary so start testing a few minutes early.
10. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. If you’re impatient, chill briefly to make frosting easier, but never ice a warm cake.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven (preheat to 350F / 175C)
2. Two 8 inch cake pans or one 9×13 pan, plus parchment or nonstick spray and a little flour
3. Mixing bowls, one large and one medium (for dry and wet)
4. Electric mixer (hand or stand) or a sturdy whisk if you gotta do it by hand
5. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a kitchen scale for the grams if you have it
6. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for the cake flour
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding and scraping the bowl
8. Offset spatula or knife to smooth tops and run around pan edges
9. Wire cooling rack and a toothpick or cake tester to check doneness
FAQ
Soft Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Cake flour
- All purpose flour + cornstarch: For each 1 cup cake flour use 1 cup AP, remove 2 tbsp flour and add 2 tbsp cornstarch, then sift. Works well, a touch denser than true cake flour.
- Pastry flour: Use 1:1, gives similar tenderness and is the easiest swap.
- Whole wheat pastry flour: Use up to 50 percent swap for nuttier flavor, increase liquid slightly if batter seems stiff.
- Granulated sugar
- Caster (superfine) sugar: 1:1, dissolves faster so cake is finer textured.
- Light brown sugar: 1:1, adds moisture and light caramel notes, crumb will be a bit darker.
- Coconut sugar: 1:1, lower glycemic index, gives caramel taste and darker color.
- Honey or maple syrup: Use 3/4 cup liquid sweetener per 1 cup sugar, reduce other liquids by ~3 tbsp and lower oven temp by 25 degrees F, batter will be moister.
- Unsalted butter (softened)
- Neutral vegetable oil (canola, sunflower): Use equal volume in recipes that dont rely on creaming for lift, cake will be moister and slightly denser.
- Light coconut oil (solid at room temp): 1:1 swap, gives subtle coconut notes if you don’t mind that flavor.
- Vegan/baking margarine: 1:1, behaves most like butter when creamed.
- 3 large eggs
- Flax “eggs”: 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg, rest 5 minutes. Good binder, slightly denser crumb.
- Applesauce or mashed banana: 1/4 cup per egg, adds moisture but expect a denser, slightly flavored cake.
- Silken tofu purée: 1/4 cup per egg, neutral flavor and good lift when whipped a bit first.
- Commercial egg replacer: Follow package directions, reliable for light cakes.
Pro Tips
– Measure the cake flour the right way: spoon it into the cup and level it off, or weigh it if you can. Too much flour makes the cake dry, too little and it will be too loose. If all you have is all purpose flour, swap 2 tablespoons of each cup with cornstarch and sift once for a lighter crumb.
– Get everything truly room temp. Cold eggs or milk make the batter curdle and it wont rise as well. If you’re short on time, set eggs in warm (not hot) water for 10 minutes, and let the sour cream sit out while you prep.
– Be gentle with mixing. Add dry and wet in alternating additions and stop as soon as streaks disappear, then do one final gentle fold. Overworking the batter will give you a tough cake, and you dont need to whip it into oblivion.
– Watch the bake not the clock. Ovens vary a lot so start checking a few minutes early. If the tops brown too fast tent foil loosely over the pans. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs not wet batter.
– Make life easier when frosting: cool completely, or chill the layers briefly so crumbs dont mix into the icing. If you want extra moist cake, brush each layer with a simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated till dissolved) before stacking.
Soft Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe
I spent months perfecting this Tender Vanilla Cake, a versatile base recipe bursting with pure vanilla flavor that pairs beautifully with any frosting or filling.
12
servings
369
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat to 350F / 175C)
2. Two 8 inch cake pans or one 9×13 pan, plus parchment or nonstick spray and a little flour
3. Mixing bowls, one large and one medium (for dry and wet)
4. Electric mixer (hand or stand) or a sturdy whisk if you gotta do it by hand
5. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a kitchen scale for the grams if you have it
6. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for the cake flour
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding and scraping the bowl
8. Offset spatula or knife to smooth tops and run around pan edges
9. Wire cooling rack and a toothpick or cake tester to check doneness
Ingredients
-
2 1/2 cups (312g) cake flour
-
1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
-
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
-
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
-
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
-
1/4 cup (60ml) neutral vegetable oil
-
3 large eggs, room temp
-
1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temp
-
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt
-
2 tablespoons (30ml) pure vanilla extract
-
Optional pinch of extra salt or a scrape of vanilla bean for more flavour
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and line two 8 inch cake pans or one 9×13, then lightly flour or line with parchment, set aside.
- Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and the 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl so it's evenly combined; if you like, sift once to keep the crumb extra fine.
- In a large bowl beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, then beat in the vegetable oil until incorporated.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until just combined and scraping the bowl so nothing's stuck, you want a smooth batter not overworked.
- In a measuring cup stir together the whole milk, sour cream (or yogurt) and the 2 tablespoons vanilla extract. If using extra pinch of salt or a scrape of vanilla bean, add it here.
- Add the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the butter mixture in alternating additions, beginning and ending with the dry (3 additions of dry, 2 of wet is fine), mixing only until just combined after each addition, stop as soon as you don't see streaks.
- Give the batter a final gentle scrape and fold to ensure everything is mixed, but don't overmix or the cake will toughen.
- Divide batter between prepared pans, smooth the tops, then gently tap the pans on the counter to release big air bubbles.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 22 to 27 minutes for two 8 inch layers, or 30 to 35 minutes for a 9×1
- Ovens vary so start testing a few minutes early.
- Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. If you're impatient, chill briefly to make frosting easier, but never ice a warm cake.
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: 110g
- Total number of serves: 12
- Calories: 369kcal
- Fat: 11.6g
- Saturated Fat: 7.2g
- Trans Fat: 0.29g
- Polyunsaturated: 1.9g
- Monounsaturated: 3.2g
- Cholesterol: 71mg
- Sodium: 214mg
- Potassium: 94mg
- Carbohydrates: 46.1g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 26.6g
- Protein: 4.8g
- Vitamin A: 160IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 47mg
- Iron: 0.54mg
