My Favorite White Cake Recipe

This white cake recipe was developed after every other one I’ve tried failed me. There is nothing quite like biting into a piece of soft, white cake that is buttery and rich in vanilla flavor. The buttermilk gives it a fullness, adding to the sweetness of the cake and creating a fluffy texture that pairs perfectly with any buttercream or frosting.

This recipe uses self-rising flour with an additional tablespoon of baking powder. This gives the cake additional “lift” for a fuller-bodied cake that won’t fall flat. I typically prefer to use self-rising flour in many of my cake recipes for this reason and highly recommend it. You will get a perfect rise every time!

INGREDIENTS

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar

1 ½ tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

6 egg whites

3 ¼ cups self-rising flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 ⅓ cups whole buttermilk, at room temperature

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 °. Using a cooking spray or a light coating of butter, grease two 9” cake pans and line with parchment paper. In a small to medium sized bowl, whisk together self-rising flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and oil together until smooth and creamy. Add in each egg, one at a time followed by egg whites, beating on medium speed until incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract.

Add in flour mixture, stirring gently until combined. Pour in a third of the buttermilk and stir, alternating between the flour mixture and buttermilk until fully mixed in. Make sure the batter is smooth but also do not overmix. Divide batter between the two pans and bake for 28 to 35 minutes. The cake should appear slightly golden and fluffy. Insert a toothpick in the center of each cake to test that it is completely done.

Allow cakes to cool in their pans for 15 minutes before removing them onto a cooling rack or flat surface to cool completely.