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Super Moist Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is the perfect pairing! Our luscious cake is super moist, rich and oozing vanilla flavor right along with the fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting that is to die for!!

It’s probably the most requested, best white cake recipe! We can’t get enough of this dreamy duo! More classic cakes? Super Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Ultimate Carrot Cake and “American Beauty” Retro Red Velvet Cake are always welcome!

Super Moist Vanilla white Cake & Buttercream Frosting recipe

My mom is a huge fan of vanilla cake! She will always pick the vanilla cake no matter what other cake is being served at weddings and showers for family and friends.

Not saying she didn’t sample the other kinds offered, but she always preferred vanilla over them all. Lemon was a very close second.

I can’t say I can blame her! Totally delish and always a favorite!

Who Else Loves The Aroma of Vanilla Cake?

When you’re baking this cake, the whole house smells incredibly delicious with vanilla intoxication!

I love the smell of vanilla candles, so if you ever buy those, that’s what the house smells like when you bake this cake and make the frosting! Good God Gertie! Heavenly!!

I’ve been on a bit of a vanilla kick lately, have you noticed? Hmm…this recipe and this Very Vanilla Magic Custard Cake are pretty wonderful since I’m name-dropping on VANILLA!

Anyways, I can’t seem to get shake it off the vanilla vibe here lately, so here I am bamming out the double vanilla hit with moist vanilla cake and vanilla buttercream frosting.

It’s so traditional, so vintage-cool, so NOT boring! Whoever said Vanilla was boring anyways?

Ingredients You Need for Super Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe

Super Moist Vanilla White Cake Recipe

all-purpose flour
baking powder
salt
unsalted butter, softened
vegetable shortening, softened
granulated sugar
eggs, room temp
buttermilk or milk of choice or use ½ buttermilk – ½ whole milk combo , room temperature (can also use non-dairy milk, or add some heavy cream to your milk choice
vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

unsalted butter , softened
powdered sugar
vanilla extract, can also use vanilla bean paste
Pinch of salt
heavy whipping cream

How to Make Super Moist Vanilla Cake

Preheat oven to 350º F.
Prepare two or three 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray or coat well with shortening or butter and flour the pans, taking care to remove all excess flour. Adjust time for other pan conversions (see conversion chart below recipe if you want to bake other sizes and have leftover batter in some cases, make cupcakes!)
In a medium-sized bowl. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
Using a mixer, in another bowl, cream together butter and shortening until light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes.
Gradually add sugar one cup at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each cup before adding another. Then start adding each egg one at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding another, but gently incorporate in, don’t over beat.
Pour milk (s) and vanilla into measuring cup and whisk together until mixed.
Add creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture and the dry mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
Gently stir all ingredients until combined, getting all ingredients from side of mixing bowl mixed in as well, but do not over-mix!
Evenly distribute cake batter between cake pans and place pans into oven.
Bake until the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes for two 9-inch pans, 25-30 minutes for three 9-inch pans, and 35-40 minutes for a 9×13 baking pan.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 8-10 minutes in the pan placed on a wire cooling rack. Then, turn the cakes out on the cooling rack to cool completely, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Frost cake as desired.

How to Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Using mixer on a medium setting, cream the butter until it is smooth and has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
Add confectioner’s sugar, ½ a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.
Add vanilla and a pinch of salt and combine until well-incorporated.
Add heavy cream until the frosting has reached the preferred consistency.
For a firmer frosting, add more confectioner’s sugar, a ¼ cup at a time.
For a softer frosting, add more milk or cream, a tablespoon at a time.

You may enjoy our The Ultimate Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe too!

Storing Cake

Store cake covered or in a cake dome for up to 3 days. For longer storage, store in fridge for up to 5 days.
You can make the cake in advance, freeze it, and frost either the day you want to serve it or the day before.
You can freeze the layers. Allow the cakes to cool completely, wrap them well in plastic wrap and place each layer into a zip top freezer bag.
You can freeze the cake layers for up to one month. To frost the cake, simply remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator with wrapping intact. Then, frost the cake once it has completely thawed.

Making Vanilla Cupcakes

This white cake recipe also makes approximately 24 cupcakes when cupcake tins are filled more than ¾ full. Bake cupcakes approximately 18 minutes.

Best Super Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe Tips

Best to cream the butter shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t over beat when adding eggs and other ingredients, just mix gently until incorporated well into batter.
This white cake recipe makes approximately 24 cupcakes when cupcake tin is filled more than ¾ full. -Bake approximately 18 minutes.
For other pan conversions, don’t overfill your pans, whether you use, 6 in, 8 in or 9 inch pans and accommodate your baking time accordingly. Below is a conversion chart with baking times to help out.
Don’t be tempted to keep opening the oven door a lot while the cake is baking as the oven temperature drops each time the door is opened.
Remove and allow to cool slightly in cake pans for about 5 minutes, then cool cake layers completely on a wire rack.
Leaving cake in cake pans too long could make the cakes stick to the pan and hard to remove because of the moisture that builds up in the pan while it cools.

Super Moist Vanilla white Cake & Buttercream Frosting recipe

This Super Moist Vanilla White Cake recipe is probably the most classic cake ever in my book and the most requested for birthdays, weddings, baby showers or just because it’s so popular!!

Give it a try for all your cupcakes, layer cakes and sheet cakes! You may love this Super Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe with Chocolate Frosting!

Of course, you can enjoy this delicious vanilla cake a bajillion ways with different frostings, fruits, candies, sprinkles, and fillings. Bring it on!

More Delicious Cakes & Desserts!

Baking Tips

Super Moist Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Kim Lange

When you're baking this super moist, delicious cake, the whole house smells incredibly delicious with vanilla cake intoxication! Perfect for all your celebrations and holidays!

4.37 from 68 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, baking

Servings Servings

Calories

Ingredients

Super Moist Vanilla Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter softened
½ cup vegetable shortening softened, I used Crisco
2 ¾ cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs room temperature
1 cup milk of choice buttermilk, non-dairy milk, milk at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1½ cups unsalted butter softened
6 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
3-5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F.
Prepare two or three 9" round baking pans (or three 8" pans can also be used) or a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick baking spray or by coating with butter and lightly flouring, shaking away any excess flour and discarding. I like to add parchment paper to the bottoms of the pans and then spray with Baker's Joy. It's the best!
In a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together or sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
Using a mixer, in another bowl, cream together butter and shortening until light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes.
Gradually add sugar one cup at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each cup before adding another. Then start adding each egg one at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding another, but gently incorporate in, don't over beat.
Pour milk of choice and vanilla into measuring cup and whisk together until mixed.
Add creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture and the dry mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
Gently stir all ingredients until combined, getting all ingredients from side of mixing bowl mixed in as well, but do not over-mix!
Evenly distribute cake batter between cake pans and place pans into oven.
Bake until the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes for two 9-inch pans, 25-30 minutes for three 9-inch pans, 35-40 for three 8-inch pans and 35-40 minutes for a 9×13 baking pan. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 8-10 minutes in the pan placed on a wire cooling rack. Then, turn the cakes out on the cooling rack to cool completely.
Frost cake as desired.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Using mixer on a medium setting, cream the butter until it is smooth and has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
Add confectioner's sugar, ½ a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.
Add vanilla and a pinch of salt and combine until well-incorporated.
Add heavy cream until the frosting has reached the preferred consistency.
For a firmer frosting, add more confectioner's sugar, a ¼ cup at a time.
For a softer frosting, add more milk or cream, a tablespoon at a time.

Notes

Adapted from Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch

Notes:

Best to cream the butter shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Don't over beat when adding eggs and other ingredients, just mix gently until incorporated well into batter.
This recipe makes approximately 24 cupcakes when cupcake tin is filled more than ¾ full. -Bake approximately 18 minutes.
For other pan conversions, don't overfill your pans, whether you use, 6 in, 8 in or 9 inch pans and accommodate your baking time accordingly. Below is a conversion chart with baking times to help out.
Don't be tempted to keep opening the oven door a lot while the cake is baking as the oven temperature drops each time the door is opened.
Remove and allow to cool slightly in cake pans for about 5 minutes, then cool cake layers completely on a wire rack.
Leaving cake in cake pans too long could make the cakes stick to the pan and hard to remove because of the moisture that builds up in the pan while it cools.