Vanilla Buttermilk Cake Recipe
This Vanilla Buttermilk Cake Recipe is so moist, fluffy, and has wonderful flavor.
We've made many buttermilk cake recipes over the years that we just love. This vanilla cake recipe is one of our favorites!
Our popular Almond Cake and Lemon Buttermilk Cake recipes were inspired by this flavorful recipe. It works perfectly for vanilla cupcakes also. You will love this wonderful go-to vanilla cake!
Keep this versatile vanilla cake recipe in mind the next time you need a great baby shower cake, birthday cake, bridal shower cake, baby shower cake, or a delicious dessert for no occasion at all!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Vanilla Buttermilk Cake
Here's a quick look at the ingredients for our Vanilla Buttermilk Cake Layers. Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete recipe!
There are so many frostings that would be perfect with this vanilla cake, including the Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting used in our featured photo, as well as Chocolate Buttercream, Cream Cheese Frosting, and more!
A Few Ingredient Tips
Cake Flour: We often use cake flour as its lower protein content makes for a softer, more tender cake.
Buttermilk: We recommend whole buttermilk rather than reduced fat, for added richness. Buttermilk's boost of acidity softens the strands of gluten in the cake batter, which enhances the texture of the cake.
Unsalted Butter: We use unsalted butter so that we have more control over the amount of salt in the recipe. However, if you are using salted butter, you can eliminate the additional salt that the recipe calls for.
How to Make a Vanilla Buttermilk Cake
Make sure to find the full recipe for Vanilla Buttermilk Cake at the bottom of this post. Here is a quick rundown of our steps!
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour three 8 inch round cake pans. We also like to line the bottoms with parchment paper circles to ensure that nothing sticks.
- Start off by whisking together these dry ingredients: cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt for 30 seconds so that everything is well combined.
- In another bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- Next, mix the softened butter until nice and smooth, then mix the sugar for 3-5 minutes until it lightens and becomes fluffy.
- Next, add the room temperature eggs one at a time.
- Almost done! With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. After the last addition, mix just until the batter is combined.
- Once ready, divide the vanilla buttermilk cake batter between three prepared 8 inch cake pans. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.
- Then, cool the cake layers, still in the cake pans, on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out.
- Make sure that the layers have cooled completely before filling and frosting with your preferred frosting recipe! We used our Classic Vanilla Buttercream.
Recipe FAQs
More Vanilla Cake Recipes
In addition to our gluten free version of this recipe (Gluten Free Vanilla Cake), and popular Vanilla Velvet Cake, we have more delicious vanilla & white cake recipes to share with you! Don't miss our section of Vanilla Cake Recipes. Here are just a few favorites:
Enjoy the Recipe
Thanks so much for stopping by! We hope that you enjoy this delicious vanilla cake recipe. Keep it in mind for your next special occasion. It would make a perfect birthday cake recipe, baby shower cake, and more!
In addition to our cake recipes, don't miss our huge collection of videos on cake decorating! If you prefer a more rustic (and super easy) design, check out our post on naked cakes!
Have you made this? We would LOVE for you to leave a ⭐️ rating as well as a comment and photo below! We really appreciate your feedback!
Vanilla Buttermilk Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Vanilla Buttermilk Cake Recipe
- 1 ½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter, softened. (Holds it shape but dents when pressed)
- 2 cups (400g) sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature (If in a hurry, place eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.)
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour (If not using a digital scale, lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off.) See notes for substitution.
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 ¼ cups (296g) buttermilk (If you do not have buttermilk, see substitution below)
- ¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil (We use canola oil.)
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour three 8×2 inch round pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside
- In another bowl, add the buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Set aside..
- In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and mix at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of liquid). After the last addition, mix just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just few crumbs attached. Let cool 10 minutes and turn out.
Hi I have Arrowroot instead of cornstarch. Can I use that instead?
Hi Sandra, You are using cornstarch to create cake flour, correct? If you do not have cornstarch, measure out 3 cups of the all purpose flour that you have and remove 6 Tablespoons and proceed with the recipe. I am not familiar with Arrowroot but the link below says it is not good to mix it with dairy products.
Hi Melissa! Thank you for this recipe. I baked it yesterday. It's delicious even without frosting.
There's one doubt I have though. When I measured out my cake flour using cup measurements it weighed over 400gm. I spooned and levelled off just as you explained. Since the difference was so much, I decided to stick to your gram measure as I feared using my cup measure may dry the cake.
What measure is your cup in liquid? Mine is nearly 250ml to the brim.
Regards
Asha
My family enjoy this cake so much. I have tried various vanilla cake recipes and this is by far thee best. Thank you ♡.
Hi! I have a question, I have one cake pan if I wanted to bake this in batches could I make all the batter at once or should I make the batter in batches? Thank you!
Hi Hollie, It is always best to bake right after the batter is mixed, but I have had bakers tell me that they covered and refrigerated the batter and it was fine. You could give it a try, I think it may rise a bit less. I suggest baking in only 2 pans instead of three, leaving the batter in the refrigerator while 2 separate pans bake seems too long. Could you borrow another pan from someone?
Hi Missy, Thank you so much for leaving a comment, I am happy you enjoyed the cake
Hi, I'm just wondering what is the difference in taste and texture between this and the Vanilla Bean Cake.
Hi Latoya, I think both are delicious cakes. The Vanilla Bean Cake has sour cream that adds moisture and extra fat for a creamy texture. The buttermilk in the Vanilla Cake gives a bit thinner batter, the buttermilk also helps to produce a tender cake. You can't go wrong with either recipe.
Can you use regular all unbleached purpose flour?
Hi Linda, If you only have all purpose flour, this is the substitution:
Using all purpose flour (plain in UK) to make Cake Flour: For each cup of flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK). This recipe has 3 cups of flour so you will measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch, whisk to blend
I love this recipe . I tried it and it was wow
Please can I double this recipe Incase I need it in a bigger pan
Hi Elohor, I happy that you enjoyed the cake!! The recipe could be doubled, that would be a lot of batter (15 to 16 cups), so keep in mind if your mixer could accommodate that quantity. Another option is to increase the recipe by 1/2.