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All Posts / Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe

Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe

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By Rosie Published: March 31, 2015 Updated: May 27, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links.

Easy Moist Vanilla Cake. Fluffy, Light, and Homemade!Delicious moist, fluffy vanilla cake
Table of Contents
  1. A Winner of a Recipe for Moist Vanilla Cake!
  2. How to Make a Moist Vanilla Cake
  3. Vanilla Cake Decorating Tips and Tricks
  4. Moist Vanilla Cake

A Winner of a Recipe for Moist Vanilla Cake!

I’ve been meaning to upload a white cake recipe for a long time, but before I did so, I wanted to make sure that it was the perfect white cake. I wanted to share a recipe that would give you a fluffy, moist vanilla cake that was practically foolproof. After a few months in the lab I finally came up with this recipe, and it’s definitely a winner!

Fluffy, layered moist vanilla cake with pink frosting swirls on a glass cake stand. A large slice is taken out.

For my vanilla cake, I use cake flour instead of regular all purpose flour. Cake flour is more fine than all purpose flour, and, in my opinion, it makes a fluffier cake. To keep the cake nice and pure white, I only use egg whites. Using egg yolks will turn the cake yellow, so be sure to separate those eggs!

Pink ombre frosting roses decorating a  round layer cake. The cake sits atop a glass cake stand.

Although you can certainly decorate your cake however you choose, I decided to dress my vanilla cake up with beautiful rose swirls. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love roses (Rosie loves roses, who would’ve known 😀 ). With it being spring and all, I thought that a rose cake would be perfect. Why? Let’s think about it. Spring equals flowers. Besides, I know a lot of people (including myself) that will be celebrating their wedding anniversaries this time of the year, and this cake is perfect for that occasion! Besides anniversaries, this cake would be perfect for:

  • bridal showers
  • small weddings
  • Easter
  • Mother’s Day
  • Spring/ Summer birthday parties
A sliced, two-layer, moist vanilla cake decorated with pink frosting rose swirls on a glass cake stand.

The frosting that I used for this cake was a simple buttercream.

How to Make a Moist Vanilla Cake

Buttercream Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 sticks softened butter, unsalted
  • 8 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions

  • Mixed the ingredients until nice a creamy! (SUPER easy!!)

Keep in mind that you don’t have to use as much buttercream as I used. Especially if you’re not going to do the rose swirls.

Bright pink buttercream frosting rose swirls decorate the outside of a layer cake atop a glass cake stand.

Vanilla Cake Decorating Tips and Tricks

  • For decorating, I used about 2 cups of buttercream for a crumb coat. After making this cake, I actually think that I should have colored the crumb coat pink, instead of using white buttercream. I think a pink crumb coat would have looked better. Although this cake was still gorgeous.
  • My cake is ombre. I started off with the dark colors on the bottom, and the colors on top were lighter. For the coloring, I divided the buttercream into two separate bowls. In one bowl I dropped in two drops of Wilton’s Gel Food Coloring in magenta, and in the other bowl I added 4 drops of the same coloring.
  • For the Rose Swirls, I used a Wilton 1M Tip, and, of course, I placed each color of buttercream into a separate piping bag.
Pink ombre rose swirls embellish a round cake on a glass cake stand.

As of now, I am a beginner when it comes to cake decorating. If I can do this, I know you can do it too. It looks complicated, but I promise you that creating these rose swirls are super easy. Below is the recipe for the vanilla cake, but check out my video for the cake & decorating tutorial!

Watch my Vanilla Cake tutorial!

Let me know how you enjoyed this recipe. Tag me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, subscribe to I Heart Recipes on YouTube, and check out my brand new cookbook, Super Soul Food with Cousin Rosie, loaded with many recipes you can’t find anywhere else.

Vanilla Cake

Moist Vanilla Cake

This Moist Vanilla Cake recipe creates a fluffy, almost pure white cake. It's easy and foolproof!
Watch Video Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword Moist Vanilla Cake, Vanilla Cake Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour hour
Total Time 2 hours hours
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 2 sticks/1 cup softened butter unsalted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 6 egg whites
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Instructions

  • In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg whites.
  • In a separate bowl add the cake flour, salt, and baking powder. Sift together.
  • Start alternating adding the flour and the buttermilk into the bowl of wet ingredients, while mixing on a low speed.
  • Once the cake batter is nice and smooth pour the batter into two 9 inch greased and floured cake pans.
  • Bake the cakes on 350 F for 25 – 30 minutes or until done.
  • Remove the cakes from the oven, remove them from the cake pans, and place them on a cooling rack.
  • Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
  • Watch my tutorial on how to do the Rose Swirls.

Video

If you loved this recipe, leave me a review below. This helps future recipe makers and ensures continued high-quality recipes for years to come!
© 2025 I Heart Recipes
Recipe by: I Heart Recipes

If you enjoyed my Moist Vanilla Cake, check out these other cake recipes!

3 Layer Orange Lemon Cake

Homemade Southern Caramel Cake (from Scratch)

Strawberry Pink Moscato Cake

Homemade Key Lime Pound Cake

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EXPLORE RECIPE CATEGORIESAll Posts, cake, Dessert, Easter

MEET THE RECIPE AUTHOR

Rosie

I’m a Soul Food blogger living in the Pacific Northwest, bringing Southern cooking to gorgeous Seattle, Washington. I was born and raised in the PNW, but my family roots go all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where my grandparents were born and raised. I live every day to bring the traditional values, recipes, and love of food to life for my family—whether they’re online or in real life. So, welcome to the party, family!

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Comments

  1. Key2cakes says

    April 1, 2015 at 10:25 am

    Beautiful rose cake!!! Have a Happy Easter!

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      April 4, 2015 at 4:32 pm

      Thank you! Happy Easter!

      Reply
  2. Ester Moore says

    April 15, 2015 at 8:39 pm

    SO Beautiful and very Creative! I can tell you love to cook and bake. This cake should have been placed on the Spring cover of Better Homes and Gardens magazine!
    Thanks for sharing. Lovely bouquet!

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      April 16, 2015 at 11:24 am

      Thank you! I appreciate the compliment sweetie! XOXO

      Reply
  3. Debbie says

    November 17, 2015 at 2:42 am

    If the eggs are used without being separated, it will be a yellow cake , but will it turn out ok ? And could a hand mixer be used ?

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      November 17, 2015 at 3:18 pm

      Yes, to both questions. 😀

      Reply
  4. Bridget Thomas says

    March 3, 2016 at 4:39 am

    I can’t wait to make this cake, your red velvet cake is a new family favorite. You’ve actually shown me that decorating a cake can be simple yet elegant. Looking forward to more recipes and how to videos.

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      March 3, 2016 at 5:40 pm

      Yes. Cake decorating can be fun, and easy. I have more cake recipes coming, so stay tuned! XOXO

      Reply
  5. Methma says

    April 11, 2016 at 1:19 am

    Hi I live in Sri Lanka and cant find buttermilk here.Whats the alternative to it that would still give the delicious cake?

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      April 11, 2016 at 7:51 am

      Hi Methma! A alternative is 1 cup of regular milk and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Mix, the two, and let sit for 5 minutes, then use. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Brandon says

    November 10, 2016 at 7:10 pm

    Is this cake more moist or dry? I have been looking for a moist vanilla cake for years!

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      November 10, 2016 at 7:11 pm

      It’s a moist cake

      Reply
  7. Valerie says

    December 15, 2016 at 2:35 am

    Hi, your cake is so beautiful! Do you sift the sugar first and then measure it or do you sift it first and then measure the sugar?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      December 15, 2016 at 4:05 pm

      Yes, sift the sugar for the frosting 🙂

      Reply
  8. Amber says

    August 6, 2017 at 8:34 pm

    Ms. Rosie….!

    I tried this cake and LOOOOVED IT! Next time I’ll be sure to take a picture! Thank you so much for this and I look forward to more cake recipes!!!

    Reply
  9. R says

    February 22, 2018 at 4:58 am

    Just found your site, I love it. Can I use this cake for the coconut cake recipe you posted with a box mix and can I substitute the coconut milk for buttermilk?
    Thank you☺️

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      February 22, 2018 at 10:24 am

      That would be another recipe 🙂

      Reply
  10. donabella says

    July 12, 2019 at 3:43 am

    Ms. Rosie, your recipe is so easy to follow and looks soft & fluffy. Just wanna ask if it’s possible to double mix the recipe? Will it be still be fine for the outcome? Because I have a 10 inches round tin baking pan…thank you.

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      July 12, 2019 at 8:07 am

      Hi there! I wouldn’t double it for a 10 inch cake pan.

      Reply
  11. Kinshasha Adamson says

    November 19, 2021 at 3:22 am

    I made this Sunday and it was so moist and a crowd pleaser in my house. Thank you

    Reply
  12. Pam Devita says

    April 2, 2024 at 5:55 am

    5 stars
    That cake looks banging all your recpes are delicious. TY. Do you have an apppamle cake recipe?

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      April 3, 2024 at 12:59 pm

      Hi Pam! You can see my Apple Cake Recipe Here.

      Reply

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Hey cousins, it’s Rosie!

I’m a Soul Food blogger living in the Pacific Northwest, bringing Southern cooking to gorgeous Seattle, Washington. I was born and raised in the PNW, but my family roots go all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where my grandparents were born and raised. I live every day to bring the traditional values, recipes, and love of food to life for my family—whether they’re online or in real life. So, welcome to the party, family!

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