Easy Vanilla Cake Recipe

Name: The Best Vanilla Cake Is Also the Easiest
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: Softened unsalted butter for greasing pan, plus 1 stick (4 ounces), melted and cooled to room temperature; 2 3/4 cups (330g) all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups (297g) granulated sugar; 1/4 cup (28g) cornstarch; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 3 large eggs, at room temperature , lightly beaten; 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature; 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature; 1/2 cup neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado); 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract; Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, optional; Sprinkles, for decorating, optional

Whoever started associating vanilla with “boring” clearly never had a great slice of vanilla cake. Done right, a simple vanilla sheet cake is full of floral, complex vanilla flavor enveloped in a plush, soft texture. It entices you to take bite after glorious bite, and is the perfect complement to whatever frosting or garnishes your heart desires.

Making a homemade cake can sometimes be fussy, requiring you to haul out your mixer and dirty a sinkful of bowls and tools along the way. Not so with this super easy vanilla cake! All you need are two bowls and a whisk to mix together the batter—it will probably be ready to go before your oven is even preheated!

Using a combination of melted butter and oil means there’s no fussy creaming required, and adding a bit of cornstarch and some sour cream keeps the cake ultra-moist, tender, and soft. A healthy glug of vanilla extract contributes the fragrant vanilla flavor to bring it all together.

A rectangular vanilla cake with frosting and sprinkles, partially sliced into square pieces — Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Tips for Making This Easy Vanilla Cake

Avoid overmixing: Overmixing your batter can result in a tougher, less tender texture, and can create a tunneled crumb. Stop mixing when the liquid ingredients are just incorporated into the dry ingredients—a few small lumps in the batter are okay.
Use room temperature ingredients: Take the time to bring your milk, sour cream, and eggs to room temperature before mixing them into the batter to ensure a light and fluffy crumb in your cake. Ingredients with different temperatures don't always mix well and can lead to dense, heavy baked goods.
No sour cream, no problem: Sour cream can be substituted with full-fat yogurt if needed.
Frost as you please: This recipe calls to pair the cake with vanilla buttercream frosting for double the vanilla flavor, but you can swap in chocolate, cream cheese, or any flavor of frosting your heart desires.
Save it for later: You can freeze the baked cake, unfrosted and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 3 months.

Make It a Layer Cake or Cupcakes

To make a layer cake: Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Prepare the batter as directed and divide it evenly between the prepared pans). Bake for about 25 minutes. Increase the vanilla buttercream recipe to 1 1/2 batches to fill and frost.
To make cupcakes: Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Prepare the batter as directed and divide it evenly between the cups (about 1/4 cup batter per cup). Bake for 16 to 18 minutes. Use one batch of frosting to frost lightly, or increase the frosting to 1 1/2 to 2 batches to frost generously.

Slice of vanilla cake with frosting and sprinkles on a plate with a fork — Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

More Easy Cake Recipes—No Mixer Required!

Easy Vanilla Cake

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Servings 12 servings

Yield 1 (9x13-inch) cake

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Softened unsalted butter for greasing pan, plus 1 stick (4 ounces), melted and cooled to room temperature
2 3/4 cups (330g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (28g) cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado)
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, optional
Sprinkles, for decorating, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with softened butter and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
Make the batter:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, melted butter, oil, and vanilla until smooth.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Whisk until just incorporated into the flour mixture. The batter should be mostly smooth; some small lumps are okay.

Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Bake:

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread it into an even layer, and gently tap the pan on the counter to release any large air bubbles. Bake until the cake springs back gently to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 27 to 30 minutes.
Cool:

Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour.
Frost and serve:

Invert the cake out of the pan, if desired, and transfer to a platter. Top evenly with the frosting and decorate with sprinkles, if using. Slice and serve.

Store leftover cake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
410	Calories
21g	Fat
50g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories	410
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g	27%
Saturated Fat 7g	36%
Cholesterol 75mg	25%
Sodium 244mg	11%
Total Carbohydrate 50g	18%
Dietary Fiber 1g	3%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 92mg	7%
Iron 2mg	9%
Potassium 91mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.