This white cake has the most soft, tender crumb and is so easy to put together! Bursting with vanilla flavour and a slight touch of almond flavour to provide a more complex flavour, this will be your new go to white cake! Perfect for birthday and wedding cakes.
What is a White Cake?
A white cake is basically a vanilla cake that has no egg yolks in it. This gives the cake a white colour, making it great for weddings, or for cakes that need to be coloured.
Some white cakes also have a bit of almond essence or extract in them to provide a more complex, mature flavour. I love the flavour the almond brings – it’s not overpowering but just subtle enough to notice a difference, so I add it in mine 🙂
If you don’t necessarily need a ‘white’ cake and would prefer to use whole eggs instead, check out my vanilla cake recipe.
How to Make White Cake
Begin by preheating oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 4 on recipe below if you don’t have a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
Combine milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Mix and set aside.
Separate the yolks and whites from 6 large egg whites. You should end up with 225g of egg whites. Set aside for now.
In another bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine – see note 2 on recipe card below), cream together for 3 minutes until light and creamy.
Add in egg whites in 3 batches on a low-medium speed, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between each batch.
Add in your vanilla flavouring, almond flavouring, and half of the milk/vinegar mixture and mix until well combined. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
Finish off by adding in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining milk/vinegar mixture, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 3 on recipe card below).
Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and cream.
Using the paddle attachment, mix on the lowest speed until the ingredients are combined (about a minute), and then turn up the speed to a medium high and mix for a full 10 minutes. Scrape the bowl down half way through.
The frosting is now ready to use!
How to Decorate a White Cake
OPTIONAL: Begin by trimming off all the caramelised edges on the top, bottom and sides of the cake layers. This will give you that clean white slice at the end. Also level the tops if the cake layers have a slight dome on the top.
Place your first cake layer onto your cake stand, and spread out a generous amount of the frosting on top.
Place the next cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with more frosting. If you have a cake scraper, you can use it to smooth out the sides. I like to do a little bit of piping on the top (I used a 1M piping tip for this cake), and piped little swirls on the top.
Moist White Cake
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
White Cake
- 2⅓ cups (300 g) flour - regular all purpose (see note 1 if you want to use cake flour)
- ¼ cup (25 g) cornflour - also known as cornstarch
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- 1 cup (240 g) milk - room temperature
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 6 large (225 g) egg whites - room temperature, size 7 eggs
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- ½ cup (105 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola
- 1¾ cups (350 g) white granulated sugar
- 2½ tsp vanilla essence/extract - use a clear version for a whiter cake
- 1 tsp almond essence/extract - use a clear version for a whiter cake
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) icing sugar - also known as powdered sugar/confectioners sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- ½ cup (120 g) cream - room temperature heavy or whipping cream, minimum fat percentage of 34%
Instructions
White Cake
- Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 4 if you don't have a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
- In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Combine the milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Mix and set aside.
- Separate the yolks and whites from 6 large egg whites. You should end up with 225g of egg whites. Set aside for now.
- In another bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine - see note 2), cream together for 3 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add in egg whites in 3 batches on a low-medium speed, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between each batch.
- Add in your vanilla flavouring, almond flavouring, and half of the milk/vinegar mixture and mix until well combined. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
- Finish off by adding in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining milk/vinegar mixture, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 3).
- Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Once baked, allow the cake layers to cool in the cake tins for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting with the vanilla buttercream recipe below, or another frosting of your choice.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and cream.
- Using the paddle attachment, mix on the lowest speed until the ingredients are combined (about a minute), and then turn up the speed to a medium high and mix for a full 10 minutes. Scrape the bowl down half way through.
- The frosting is now ready to use.
Assembly
- OPTIONAL: Begin by trimming off all the caramelised edges on the top, bottom and sides of the cake layers. This will give you that clean white slice at the end. Also level the tops if the cake layers have a slight dome on the top.
- Place your first cake layer onto your cake stand, and spread out a generous amount of the frosting on top.
- Place the next cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with more frosting. If you have a cake scraper, you can use it to smooth out the sides. I like to do a little bit of piping on the top (I used a 1M piping tip for this cake), and piped little swirls on the top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
109 Comments
Hi there!
Can this cake be made ahead of time? I’m making a layer cake for my daughter’s birthday. Can I wrap it and refrigerate a few days before? Also, will the batter be affected if I add some colour?
Thanks!
Hi Genna! 🙂 Yes you could make the cake layers ahead of time, but if you make it more than 2 days prior then I would recommend wrapping the cake layers well in cling wrap, place them into an airtight container and freeze them. Pull them out the night before you’re going to use them and allow them to come to room temp before using 🙂
If you mean making the whole cake and frosting it a few days prior, yes you could do that too, just make sure the cake layers are completely covered in frosting to ensure the cake doesn’t dry out :). You could also add a bit of simple syrup to the cake layers if you like. Gel color added to the batter should be fine, just be sure not to overmix the batter. If you’re only adding in one color, then I’d add it in when you add in the vanilla.
Hope that helps and hope you all enjoy the recipe!
Hi, thank you so much.
Is it possible to get a full oil based recipe for vanilla, chocolate and/red velvet. 💞💞💞
Hi Ann! You’re so welcome 🙂
I’ll keep an oil based recipe for those flavors in mind for future recipes 🙂
can you bake this as one cake in one pan?
and could you also bake this recipe as given in these amounts as cupcakes in a muffin pan?
Hi Tara! 🙂 If baking all the batter in one cake tin, it would need to be a larger cake tin (roughly a 10 inch cake tin), otherwise there will be too much batter in one 8 inch cake tin. Alternatively, you can half the recipe for one 8 inch cake 🙂
Yes you can totally make cupcakes out of this recipe! You will just need to reduce the cook time to about the 18 min mark 🙂
Enjoy!
The most perfect white cake! Was an absolute winner- perfect crumb and not dry at all!
Yay! So happy to hear you loved the recipe Hiba 😀
Hi,
I want to make this cake in a 11 x 15 cake pan that is 3 inches deep so I assume I will need to double this recipe for the size of the pan I noticed you had an option for 2x on the recipe will this yield enough for this cake pan size and if so any suggestions on this recipe for doubling the ingredients because I know sometimes it can change the whole outcome of the cake or is it better to make two separate batches and if so is it ok for the first batch to sit. While second batch is being made
Hi Midge! 🙂 Yes for that size pan you may need to double the recipe. I am not sure if doubling the recipe will give you the exact amount you need, but if anything I think you may have a bit more cake batter than you need, in which case you can use any excess batter to make some cupcakes or a smaller cake on the side 🙂
Doubling the recipe should be fine in terms of the cake coming out as intended 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
Great recipe,😍
Any adjustments iif using einkorn flour?
Thanks
Thanks Sharon! 😀 Hmmm good question – I’ve never used einkorn flour before so I’m not really familiar with how it works in cake batter or it’s taste. So sorry about that!
Hello, can I substitute buttermilk for the milk/vinegar mixture? Also exactly how many grams for straight cake flour instead of three apf/corn flour mixture?
Hi Wendy! 🙂 I haven’t tried buttermilk for this recipe myself but the portion of milk to vinegar is very close to a regular buttermilk substitute so I imagine it would work fine! If using cake flour you want to use 325g and omit the cornstarch 🙂 enjoy!
Hello, MK
I’ve subscribed to your channel and WOW!
My name is Denise, all the way from the state of NJ. What a Blessing and inspiring you have been. I soon will be without a job and would love to get into a home-based cupcake shop and maybe small personal cakes. However, I know I will have to brush up on my baking nevertheless, as I’ve looked over at some of your recipes I was breaking my head figuring out the ratios with dry and wet ingredients.
How does one determine the ratio I am
assuming through trial and error.
Can you perhaps share some
Helpful tips to determine ratios?
Thanks a Bunch
~Denise NJ
.
Hi Denise! 🙂 Great question! That one is a bit hard to explain, but it really depends on what kind of crumb you want, how sturdy you want your cake to be, sweetness and moisture. I would recommend researching the different ratios used for cake testing (e.g. the 1-1-1-1 ratio or 1-2-3-4 ratio) and this will give you an idea on where cake recipes start. You may then want to adjust certain ratios (e.g. more or less fat, more or less sugar) and see how that affects the structure/crumb of the cake. I also like to use a combination of oil and butter as the fat in my cakes as oil makes for a moister cake as it’s liquid at room temp. It’s also important to understand the science behind why certain ingredients are used (e.g. baking soda vs baking powder – check out this blog post for more info). There’s a lot that goes into it but I am sure you will get there! All the best on your baking journey Denise 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your recipies! Are you sure that the egg whites quantity you gave in grams is real? I am in Spain, but I know that one large egg white in US weighs only 30 grams (just like the medium in Spain). I just made this cake which is fantastic, but it smells too much of egg whites. I will only put 150 grams next time.
Hi Liliana! Yes the egg white quantity in the recipe is correct 🙂 I am based in New Zealand and the whites of a large egg (Size 7 we call it here) is about 40g 🙂
If you find that your cake has an eggy smell, this could be due to the eggs not being mixed enough during the initial mixing stage, or you may need to use more vanilla or almond flavor to reduce the smell 🙂
Hi Liliana.
There is a little white membrane in the egg that we in Jamaica refer to as the “eye”, if you remove the eyes from your eggs you will not get that smell in you cakes or anything you bake.
I remove them no matter what I’m baking or cooking.
Hi!! Will this cake pair up nicely with your pineapple filling? Or what cake flavor would you recommend for the pineapple filling? Thanks 🙏🏻
Hi Eli! 🙂 Yes this or my vanilla cake recipe would pair wonderfully with the pineapple filling! You could also try my sponge cake recipe for a more light and airy cake 🙂