Made from scratch basic Vanilla Cake – buttery, tender, and full of vanilla flavor. Its moist and fluffy texture makes it a great base cake for all occasions!
This recipe yields tall and sturdy vanilla cake layers that are great stacking.
Do you need the chocolate version? Head on to Sturdy Yet Moist and Fluffy Chocolate recipe.
- Great for wedding cakes and tiered cakes
- Thick layers for tall cakes
- Ingredients for vanilla cake
- Tools and equipment you'll need
- How to make this vanilla cake
- FAQs
- Can I make this into cupcakes?
- Adapting this vanilla cake to different pan sizes
- Recipe for round cakes from 4-inch up to 12-inch pans
- What frosting goes well with this cake?
- Printable Recipe Card
- Fluffy and Buttery Vanilla Cake
- Do you have the measurements in cups?
Great for wedding cakes and tiered cakes
I’ve been looking for a great basic vanilla cake that can be my go-to vanilla cake recipe whenever I make tiered cakes. I tried many and never found one that is for keeps, until now.
I’ve used this recipe to make a 3-tiered wedding cake so I can say that while it is soft and fluffy, it is firm enough to use in multi-tiered cakes. As we know, for tiered cakes, it is suggested to stay clear of softer, less stable cakes and filling like chiffon cake, pastry cream, and whipped cream.
Are you thinking of doing a DIY wedding cake? I’ve shared all the recipes, timeline, resources, and tips in this DIY Wedding Cake post.
Thick layers for tall cakes
This recipe yields a tall vanilla cake, that’s why you would need a cake pan that is at least 3 inches in height.
If you don’t have a tall cake pan, you can line some parchment paper around the pan for extra height.
The photos you see here were taken while I was doing my final cake for my cousin’s wedding. Unfortunately, I have forgotten to take a photo of the cake right out of the cake pan.
I then further cut each round into half to give me a total of 4 layers, which is what you see in the photos.
Ingredients for vanilla cake
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- fine salt
- unsalted butter at room temperature – What is room temperature butter?
- granulated white sugar
- vanilla extract
- eggs (large size) at room temperature
- fresh milk (whole / full-fat)
Tools and equipment you’ll need
Ditch your cups and weigh your ingredients – it will give you consistent results every time. Try it and you will never look back on using cups again!
There are a lot of reasons why you should measure by weight and entirely a topic of its own. This recipe uses a lot of flour – measuring it incorrectly would greatly affect the outcome of your cake.
I use and recommend Fat Daddios brand. They heat faster and cools quicker, preventing overbaking. It has straight sides for perfect layers!
If your existing pan’s height is below 3 inches, see recipe note no. 1.
- mixing bowls and spatula
- toothpick or cake tester
How to make this vanilla cake
Preparation:
- Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C).
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Grease the bottom of two 8x 3 round pans, then line with parchment paper (Note 1 in recipe card).
Make the vanilla cake batter:
Making this cake involved 3 parts: Creaming the butter and sugar, adding the eggs, and adding the remaining dry and wet mixtures alternately.
In a bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes.
RELATED: Stand Mixer Speed Guide
Add eggs to the mixture, two at a time. Blend until incorporated and scrape the sides as needed.
Add the flour mixture in four parts alternating with the milk in three parts, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Remember to add the next flour or milk until just incorporated; be careful not to overmix!
Bake the vanilla cake
Pour the cake batter into prepared pans and spread it so that is it smooth and flat in the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes.
Cool the cakes on a wire rack before removing them from the pan.
Torte each cake into 2 to get 4 layers like in the photo below.
FAQs
Do I really need to sift the dry ingredients?
The process of sifting breaks any lumps in flour that would weigh down the batter so your Vanilla Cake will yield a tender (not delicate) crumb. When flour is sifted with other dry ingredients, such as baking powder, sifting helps to combine them evenly before they are mixed with other ingredients. It is important not to skip this step!
Why do I need to cream the butter and sugar?
When creaming the butter and sugar together, the sugar is like punching little holes in the butter and those holes, in turn, will capture air. These little bubbles capture the gases released by your leaveners when baked, giving your cake a lighter texture. A properly creamed butter and sugar should have the color of pale yellow, not white.
Using a stand mixer, I typically whip the butter and sugar on medium speed for 5 minutes.
My cake came out dry. what did I do wrong?
There are several possible reasons why your cake came out dry. One common mistake is NOT measuring your flour correctly. If you’re still using cups to measure your flour and other baking ingredients, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of using a food scale !
Baking is an exact science, so one ingredient that’s not measured correctly can totally break the outcome.
Another common reason is overcooking them. As not all ovens are the same, remember to treat the cooking time stated in any recipe as a guide.
Your cake is perfectly done and needs to be removed from the oven when the toothpick/ cake tester comes out either clean or with a few dry crumbs.
Always begin checking your cake at the earlier doneness time specified in the recipe. I like to set my timer a few minutes earlier than the shortest baking time called for.
You can always bake something longer, but over baked or burnt products are ruined! Always check for doneness about 5 minutes before the suggested bake time.
Can I make this into cupcakes?
Yes, simply half the recipe of the 6-inch vanilla cake to get about 12 cupcakes.
I did the math for you!
To make 12 cupcakes (50g of batter for each cupcake), you’ll need:
- 175 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 tsp regular table salt
- 130 grams unsalted butter
- 150 grams granulated white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (about 100g without shell)
- 140 grams whole milk
For cupcakes, bake at 350F for about 15-17 minutes.
Adapting this vanilla cake to different pan sizes
The photos you see at the beginning of this post are the 6-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch vanilla cake, with all the layers sliced and leveled.
Here is a chart of the amount of ingredients you’ll need depending on pan size.
NOTE: This is on the assumption that the height of the cake remains the same – only the circumference of the pan changes.
Batter Weight (before baking): 6-inch is around 1,310 grams, so 655 grams of batter per pan.
Follow the same procedure as written in the recipe but you may need to adjust the baking time. Remember that the time indicated below is only a guide as not all ovens are the same.
It is a good habit to check for doneness 5 minutes earlier than the shortest baking time called for. If the cake isn’t done yet, check again after 3-4 minutes.
Recipe for round cakes from 4-inch up to 12-inch pans
This Fluffy and Buttery Vanilla Cake is one of the most popular recipes at Bakeologie . Over the years, a lot of people made and loved this cake and have been asking how to make it in different sizes.
I’ve put together a resource with all the ingredient quantities for round cakes from 4-inch up to 12-inch. Now, no more guesswork!
If you have tried this recipe and wanted to make it in other different sizes , this is the answer for you!
Check out my shop page or grab the Master Recipe for Fluffy and Buttery Vanilla Cake directly through this link.
Do you have the measurements in cups?
All baking recipes in this site have been developed using weight measurements. I am not posting cup equivalents as I have not tested making this recipe in that method. Cups are not only inconsistent, their volume equivalents vary worldwide! Having precise measurements allows for consistently amazing desserts. Baking is all about science isn’t it? A kitchen scale is an amazing investment if you are serious about baking and I cannot recommend it enough.
What frosting goes well with this cake?
I recommend pairing this vanilla cake with swiss meringue buttercream. I love swiss meringue because it’s smooth, silky, and not tooth-achingly sweet! It can be used on a variety of cakes and cupcakes as it can easily be flavored.
You might want to try:
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Quick and Easy Cheater’s Swiss Meringue
Sturdy Yet Moist and Fluffy Chocolate Cake
Printable Recipe Card
Fluffy and Buttery Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- 625 grams all-purpose flour (22 oz )
- 18 grams baking powder (1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons )
- 6 grams salt (1 teaspoon)
- 454 grams butter, unsalted, at room temperature (16 oz )
- 533 grams white granulated sugar (19 oz )
- 9 grams vanilla extract (2 teaspoons )
- 400 grams eggs (weight is without shell) (approx 8 large eggs) at room temperature
- 488 grams whole milk (17.2 oz )
Instructions
- PREPARATION. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease the bottom of two 8x 3 round pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper (Note 1).
- PREPARE THE DRY INGREDIENTS. In a bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.625 grams all-purpose flour18 grams baking powder6 grams salt
- CREAM THE BUTTER, SUGAR AND VANILLA. In a stand mixer bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes.454 grams butter, unsalted, at room temperature533 grams white granulated sugar9 grams vanilla extract
- ADD EGGS TO THE MIXTURE. Add eggs to the mixture, two at a time. Blend until incorporated and scrape the sides as needed.400 grams eggs (weight is without shell)
- ADD THE DRY AND WET INGREDIENTS. Add the flour mixture in four parts alternating with the milk in three parts, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Remember to add the next flour or milk until just incorporated; be careful not to overmix!488 grams whole milk
- BAKE THE VANILLA CAKE. Pour the cake batter into prepared pans and spread it so that is it smooth and flat in the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Cool the cakes on a wire rack before removing them from the pan. Divide each cake into 2 to get 4 layers.
Hi there, I’m making a 3-tiered cake and could like to have 2 tiers of chocolate cake (using your sturdy moist cake recipe) and one tier of vanilla – but the chocolate cake recipe is based on 3 using 3 8×2″ pans -which would be my bottom tier, and I’m concerned to have 3 layers for the bottom tier and then 4 layers for the middle tier. Is it possible to convert this vanilla recipe to bake in 3 6×2” pans? I bought the ebook, but as you noted, it only allows for different diameters, not different heights. I’m wondering if I spread the amount of batter in the 6” recipe evenly across the three 6×2” pans, and adjust baking time down a bit (since each pan will have less batter) Should that work? Thanks for any advice!
Hi, Marian! I just replied to your email, but after reading your comment here I understood you wanted to match the 3 layers of chocolate version 🙂
Use the 8 inch recipe for the vanilla cake then divide the batter between 3 6×2” pans. Since your cake tin is only 2 inches high, you will have extra batter. Don’t overfill your pan, fill up to 3/4 full only. You can use the extra batter to make cupcakes. For the baking time, you are correct – it will be less.
Hi, I haven’t made it yet but plan on alternating the vanilla & chocolate layers to may a combo celebration cake for a 50th & 70th birthday. Can I use ganache to cover it as was thinking of dripping the sides with a light pink on top of a white ganache…or can you drip over buttercream?
Yes, the cake can be covered with ganache. You can also drip over buttercream.
Hi there,
I’ve practiced the 8inch version as my middle tier for a wedding cake. The cake was quite dense, do you have any tips on how to make it a bit more light and fluffy? Thanks
Hey, Lucy. This vanilla cake is a butter cake, so it won’t be as light and fluffy as a sponge cake but it should also not be dense. 🙂 The texture should be between a sponge cake and a pound cake. Check the freshness of your baking powder, and check your oven temp to make sure it’s hot enough. A cake that bakes too slowly takes longer to set and may fall, causing a dense texture.
I did this recipe in September last year for the first time as I didn’t have a recipe large enough for my baking pan and often had to upscale other recipes or make the batters multiple times. THIS IS NOW MY GO TOO!! It didn’t have a strong enough vanilla flavor for me but that could just be the vanilla extract brand I buy… I’ll be doing the chocolate version Easter weekend sooo…will comment once done ✔️
So good to know that this vanilla cake worked well for you! Yes, the choco version is great too – both recipes are truly reliable.
Thank you, Shan, for taking the time to share your feedback. I appreciate it so much. 🙂
I made this a couple of times and it was absolutley delicious as long as you ate it straight away on its own. So it was my go to for a 50th wedding anniversary commission and when it was layered up with Swiss meringue buttercream looked fantastic but on cutting the cake it was really dense and pretty solid not at all nice. Do you have any ideas what could have gone wrong?
Hi, Amy! Were you using an oven thermometer? If the oven temperature is too low, it will take longer for your cake to set which may cause the centre to collapse as it cools, leading to a dense cake once it has cooled. Every time my oven alerts me that it has reached the temperature I set, in my oven thermometer it’s not there yet so I wait for a few minutes until it REALLY reaches my desired temp. My previous oven was also 10 degrees off so I set it to 360 F instead of 350 whenever I use it.
I only have 2” high cake pans. Can I use the 8” recipe in my 10” pans?
thank you for sharing!
Nothing has been mentioned about preparing the pans for the batter. Spray, shortening and flour, bottom only or sides roo?
It’s in step #1 in the recipe card. I usually use butter or non-stick baking spray.
Hi Trish, I am practicing for my daughter’s wedding cake and going to do a practice test with your cake today!! My daughter wants 3 layer cake per tier. I assume I could just divide the batter equally between 3 pans. How much to do you estimate I should reduce bake times for 6″, 8″ and 10″pans?
Thanks, Wendy
Hi, Wendy! I don’t have the exact time but what I would suggest is to check your cake 5-10 mins before the suggested baking time to see if they’re done. When a toothpick is inserted in the middle of the cake, it should come out clean with little or no crumbs. The top should be light golden brown as you see in the photos. Add another 3 to 5 mins if they’re not reasy yet. The key is to watch for visual cues. 🙂
Your baking time will be longer since you have more batter in each pan. Remember not to overfill your pan. Goodluck and I hope you will love this vanilla cake!:)
Hello! I wanted to try this recipe for a 3 tiered cake but the person I’m making it for really wants a whipped cream filling. I know it’s not recommended but is it possible to use whipped cream filling with this cake recipe? Given that I will be using dowels and cake boards to help support the weight.
Hi, Ariana. I can’t guarantee your cake won’t collapse if you use whipped cream filling, not just for this cake, but for any tiered cakes. Depending on how warm is your venue, the cream may melt. I don’t have much experience on using whipped cream for tiered cakes, but maybe try to Google “stabilized whipped cream” and see if that is a good alternative?
Absolutely thrilled with this recipe! Thank you! It’s always a risk when trying a new one but I’m so pleased I did. It looks, tastes, feels and smells beautiful. I baked the 8 inch and 10 inch rounds and am so happy with them. The 10 inch made so much mixture I needed to split it into two big bowls before adding the flour and milk! I used wraps around my tins and have lovely even layers. 160⁰c fan forced for the times shown worked really well. So happy to have a reliable vanilla recipe that can be stacked! Thank you!!!
So great to know that, Kelly!!! Thank you for giving this recipe a try and I am so happy you loved it! You should make the chocolate version too. 🙂
Just about to start making this cake in a 6″..I note the total weight of the battery should be 1330 approx which leaves about 137g for eggs but my 4 eggs without shells weigh 235g…do I continue with 4 eggs or take some out so the weight is correct?
1 large egg in Canada is about 50grams each (without shell) so 4 eggs is, more or less, 200 grams. For your scenario, I would take out 35 grams and use 200 grams. Divide your final batter weight evenly between your pans.
Hello there. I want to make a 10″ cake. I was looking at your chart for pan sizes. Does the conversion for a 10″ cake make 2 cakes or just 1? Thank you!
Hi Karen! They are all for 2 cake pans as well.
Do you weigh your eggs with or without the shell?
Without the shell
Would this do well in an ice cream cake?
Sorry, I have not tried. I would love to know in case you decide to give it a go!
This is absolutely the best recipe ever 🙂 However, one issue arises when making this in cupcake form. I find that there is too much liquid, and cupcakes all tend to shrink 😕
Hi Trish! Thank you so much for your recipe and I cannot wait to make it for my son’s first birthday! I was wondering where I can find the video to this recipe? I can’t seem to find the link.
Thanks!
Hello, Tina. You are welcome! Just before the recipe card there is a heading “Watch to make this video”. Also a quicker access is in the table of contents of this post, you would also see the link to watch the video. Let me know if you’re still having troubling finding it. 🙂
Are cakes like sponge cakes?
This is denser than a sponge cake as this recipe uses butter and raising agents.
Hi, can we add some flavors to this batter so we can use it like a base for different flavors? Like orange juice, or coconut, almond etc etc?
Thank you
Yes, you can add flavors. Just one thing to note though – putting additional liquids to the batter (ex. orange juice) might throw off the balance between wet and dry ingredients (affecting the texture and consistency).
Followed every instruction…was very surprised by the addition of so much milk which made the batter more wet than I would expect. 1 hour in 2the oven and its soup in the middle. Are we sure this recipe works?
Hi, Xander. I’m sorry that has happened to you. The amount of milk in the recipe is correct. The batter should be on the thicker side, just like in the video. There could be several reasons. Were you measuring your ingredients by weight?
Can I substitute the unsalted butter for cake butter in the tubs? 🙂
Hi, Sophie! Sorry, I am not familiar with butter in the tubs?
Cake is great, I am using it for a four tiered wedding cake. It is very helpful that you have provided quantities for all the tiers.
2 questions
1. In the oven I am using, I have used the cake oven setting at 180 and it seems to take way longer and so I have now tried it at 180 for half the time and then 185 for the rest and that seems to work a bt better. Any thoughts on this was the 180 a fan setting?
2. If I am going to freeze layers, how long in advance could I make it ie how long can they stay in the freezer?
Thank you for this it is a wonderful website.
Hi, Heather! The temps listed in this website are for ovens without fans. Do you use an oven thermometer? Mine is 5 degrees off so for a 350F temp I set my oven at 355F.
If wrapped and stored properly, you can store this in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Once thawed, you can brush each layer with simple syrup mixture to add more moisture.
Hey! I made this recipe the other day for my sisters wedding cake.
I didn’t do any test runs as I was short of time and ingredients.
I have made a few different cakes throughout my experience as a baker and this recipe by far is one of the best!
This cake was so easy to make! I managed to fill 3, 8inch cake tins generously. This gave me 6 decent layers. I filled the layers with white chocolate ganache and raspberry jam. Then did the final coating in whipped cream.
This cake stayed moist and delicious despite being uncovered in the fridge for 2 days prior to everyone actually eating it.
Every other cake I’ve made tends to dry out in the fridge a little.
I will definitely be making this vanilla cake again. Now to try the chocolate one!
Thankyou so much for this recipe!
That is wonderful, Radiya! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback – this helps me a lot! =)
Can this be done as a sheet cake? I need additional cake for a wedding…
It should be ok though I have not tried making this in a sheet pan yet so I don’t have the exact proportions.
This first attempt was an epic fail for me. I did the 6” and weighed the ingredients. Baked 40 minutes.. cake deflated and ie underdone. I’m totally ready to give up baking
I tried this in a 6” cake today. Ohhh my heart!! This is the cake… I put a raspberry filling with Swiss meringue. Perfection!! My first attempt was a mess,.. I must have over mixed. I made mine with a hand mixer this time and I am over the moon happy with the results!!
DeAnna, I’m seriously glad you didn’t give up – that’s the spirit! Though I know how frustrating it is when your baked goods don’t come out right. I always feel I wasted time and ingredients, but that’s how we learn! =)
Hi lovely, thanks for sharing your recipe. It sounds like it’s a goody.
Iv got a wedding next week to bake a cake for and hopefully this will sing my praises.
Quick question, my oven is tan assisted. Could you please recommend a setting to put it on.
I usually cook all my vanilla cakes on 140 for 40mins (based on 3 6”cakes)
Thanks Becca
Hi, Becca! If your oven has a fan, reduce the temp by 20 degrees Fahrenheit so that would be 330 F/ 165 C. As each oven is different, check a few minutes ahead of suggested baking time and watch for visual cues. Hope this helps!
I can see the potential of this recipe but I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. Followed the instructions, the batter was thick as seen in the video. However, after baking my cakes shrunk, and had weird shapes and I thought maybe that’s not too bad, then I placed them in the freezer after cooling and now after thawing, they are dense.
Also, I baked two batches separately, the first batch with cake strips and those were the densest. Second batch is without and they are the least dense.
I’m sorry that happened to you! I understand it is frustrating when the results didn’t come out right. It is hard to pinpoint the exact reason why as I have not seen the final cake and how you did it, but these are the common reasons I thought might help: Overcreaming the butter and overmixing the batter may lead to dense and/or gummy layers. Another reason is they make be under-baked. Undercooked cakes don’t have enough structure developed so they fall once you take them out of the oven or after cooling resulting to dense layers – did you do a skewer/ toothpick test before taking them out of the oven?
First, thank you for replying so quickly! Yes, I did the toothpick test, I baked the cakes in a 6×3” tall pan, and filled pans with about approximately 600g of batter. I baked for 40 minutes according to the time estimate for 6 inches, the cakes were undone, baked for about 20 minutes more. I’ll try baking again another time. Thanks again!
Wow, that’s a lot of butter…I’m afraid mine would be swimming in a lake of butter. It must work though from everyone raving about how good it is. Also, if you freeze the cake after baking does it change the texture when thawed, does it make it more dense or is it still fluffy?
Hi Lori! It uses a lot of butter but it uses a lot of flour too so the dry and wet ingredients are kinda balanced. I find that if the layers were covered and stored properly in the freezer, the texture remains the same once they’re brought back to room temperature. You can brush each layer with a simple sugar syrup too, if you like, to give additional moisture after freezing.
How long do you bake the 6 and 10 inch cakes for, I can’t seem to find that info.
Thanks,
Sierra
In the last row of the ingredient chart for 6 and 10inch cakes, you should see “Baking time estimate” highlighted in yellow.
Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe! In the chart in this post where you list the amount of ingredients for 6, 8 and 10 inch pans, are the amounts given for one pan of each size or for the two pans of each size required by the recipe? Thanks.
You’re welcome, Rachel! The quantities are already for the 2 pans of each size.
Thank you so much!
I have a quick question! I’m baking a graduation cake, but it’s not needed for a few days. Would it be safe to freeze this cake until it needs to be iced?
Hi Zoe! Yes, you can freeze them. Once the cake has cooled, tightly wrap each layer in plastic film, keep in a freezer safe bag, the put it in the freezer. To thaw, place in the fridge the night before you are going to assemble the cake. If you want to know more details you may refer to my DIY wedding cake post. 🙂
Fantastic recipe! Came out moist and delicious. Will definitely be using this as my go to recipe. Thank you so much!!!
Hi can I use a 8×3 and a 8×4 to stack a cake ? Or will that be a disaster. Should I do 2 8×3 pans to stack instead or will the 8×3 and 8×4 will be just as fine?
Ma’am, is it okay if I half the 6 inch pans recipe. Flour I take 175 grams, sugar 149 grams, butter 127 grams, eggs 2, milk 137 grams, and so on . Will it still work ??
Yes you can do that. 🙂
Thankyou. I tried it. It’s a hit
Awesome! I appreciate you letting me know. 🙂
Conversely can I add 175 grams flour, etc to the 350 grams flour, etc and have the correct amount of batter for one six inch / 3-layer cake? Thank you!
Hi, Kjt. Not sure if I understood your question. The recipe yields two tall 6-inch cakes (in the photos above I further divided each layer into 2 giving me 4 layers). Did you want to increase the batter so you can make a 3rd one? If so, I suggest making the batter for the 3rd layer in a separate batch. If you want the 3rd layer to be the same thickness as the first two then you would need to use 350g of flour, etc.
Hi Trish,
Will the batter keep (e. in the fridge)? I only have one set of 6/8/10 inch pans so would need to bake in batches. Would the cakes still rise as expected if baking is delayed?
Thanks!
I have not tried this, Angelique, but I would love to know in case you give it a try! My worry is that the cake might become dense.
A…mazing… I followed the recipe to the T and the cakes came out just like the pics in the recipe. I am over the moon. Thank you so much Trish. I am going to follow many more of your recipes. Love this one. It feels so so good when the cake comes out of the oven and looks this good.
I am happy you liked it!! Thank you so much for letting me know. 🙂
I’m very pleased with the outcome of this Vanilla cake. So fluffy and delicious. Your recipes are very good. Thanks for sharing!!.
Do you also happen to have a sturdy but yet fluffy Redvelvet cake recipe…smiles.
Thank you so much, Juliet!!! I don’t have a red velvet cake recipe, sorry!
Hi! Can I use a 10 inch square pan instead of round? Will it need more batter or would it be the same?
Yes, you can use a 10-inch square pan instead of a 10-inch round. One thing to note is that a square pan is bigger in terms of how much batter would fit in it, so your cake layer would be less taller (height-wise) as compared to a cake baked in a round pan. The baking time will change as well so watch for visual cues.
I need a 10” square cake for a ‘wrestling ring’ cake so I’m increasing the ingredients by the same ratio used for the 6-10” cakes in the recipe. I need the height but It means 14 eggs as one part of ingredients! but I’m about to try it. Fingers crossed!!
You can do it, Elizabeth! Remember to fill the pans no more than 3/4 full. If there’s extra batter then just bake them in a a smaller pan. I would love to see your wrestling cake! 🙂
Hi Trish! 😊
Is there a way to turn this cake into an orange vanilla cake? 🙈
Hello, Jash. I haven’t tried this but you can try adding about 1-2 teaspoons of orange zest and orange extract.
Hi.. Would this work with Almond milk instead of whole milk?
I have not tried this recipe other than whole milk, sorry. I would love to know the results in case you give it a try! Thank you.
I need this recipe for a 12 inch cake. Can you please help?
Sorry, I haven’t tried making this in 12-inch size yet!
We used this and your chocolate cake recipe for our wedding cake (one layer of each). It was absolutely delicious! It’s so light and fluffy. I don’t usually love vanilla cake, but this was outstanding! It was also easy to work with! We made a couple test runs, and they turned out well each time.Thank you so much!!
Cassidy, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a rating and review – this helps me a lot! For a non-vanilla cake lover, I am ecstatic that you have enjoyed both cake recipes. They are truly a keeper! 🙂
I’m sure I looked over it, but do you know how many people a 2 tiered cake would feed? I plan to do the 8 inch and 6 inch for my daughter’s birthday.
Hi, Alena! I think it depends on how you would slice (serving amount) the cake too. Here’s a link that may be helpful for you. https://blog.wilton.com/cake-baking-serving-guide/
Just finished baking the cake. Turned out perfect and smells divine. This is a great recipe! Looks sturdy enough for such a big cake. Thank you for sharing!
That’s awesome, Angelina! Thank you so much for leaving a rating and review!
Hello I was just wondering how many batches you used to fill each individual cake layers? Like the 10”,8”,6”
Hello! I am not sure if I understood your question correctly. I used 1 batch (which is the recipe above) for each of the tier (6, 8, 10 inch). Each batch yields 2 tall cakes, which I further sliced to get 4 layers per tier.
Dear Trish I tested three recipes and yours was by far the best. The wedding cake I am attempting to make for a friend has slightly different dimensions. I will use the 6 inch size, but want to do a 9inch (instead of 8inch) and a 12inch (instead of 10inch). I thought calculating the quantity of ingredients for the extra sizes would be easy/straight forward but it’s not:) Do you have a formula or suggestion for me? Thank you so much and for giving me the confidence to tackle this project. Clea
Hello, Clea! Thank you for trying my recipe – I am glad you liked it! =) Recipes from 4-inch up to 12-inch are available as an ebook resource here.
Hi, I was wondering if you could flavour those cake slightly differently? Or if it would ruin the texture and consistency. I am trying to find a lemon Rosemary cake to make for a friends wedding coming up. So I am wondering if I can take a vanilla cake and add lemon and rosemary to it? 🤷♀️ Thanks!
Hi, Melissa. You can try adding about 20g of lemon zest and about a teaspoon of lemon extract to the milk. You can also try to experiment adding lemon juice – but it might throw off the balance between wet and dry ingredients (affecting the texture and consistency) so you might need to do some tweaking. Lemon and rosemary sounds delicious!
Hi there! This cake is turning out beautifully – thank you for sharing the recipe! I’m trying to covert it for 9in round pans – do you have any advise on the calculation for that? I used the 8in by 2.25 to covert to 12 and that turned out great so far!
Hello! I’ve baked the top tier so far and the cake tasted great, lovely consistency for fondant. Thank you for sharing. I don’t think I’ve got the oven temp right though – it domed, cracked, and I’ll have to cut quite a bit off. I used cake protectors. Is the 175C a standard or fan-assisted temp? I’ll check my oven first for the next layer too. Thanks.
Thank you for your review, Kate! 350 F/ 175C is for a conventional oven (no fan). If using a convection oven, reduce temp by 25F. It may also due to an off oven temperature, are you using an oven thermometer? Place the thermometer near where you would be placing your cake pans to see if you have the correct temp. I discovered mine is 10 F hotter!
My question is do you apply room temperature frosting on room temperature cakes ? Or do u recommend to put cakes in fridge for a while ? If so how long before icing them ? I feel like my frosting always soft even though I’ve done a thicker frosting. Please help !!! 🙂
Hi, Suzana! I frost my cakes either at room temperature or from the fridge when I bake the cake layers a day before. You can choose to put the cake in the fridge for a few hours (about 2 hours I would say) so it is easier to handle and frost them. What kind of frosting are you trying to make? Buttercream should really be soft and smooth but should hold up its shape when piping. If it’s too runny then one reason can be the butter you used might be too soft/warm, or you need more powdered sugar.
Hi Trish
I’ve made the chocolate version of your recipe and it’s incredible. Question on the 10inch pan, do you know how I’d calculate it using one pan to get 4 layers? Or is it just best to get a 2nd tin? My cupboard space is limited so was hoping to keep to just 1 pan haha silly I know.
Or is it simple double the mix but increase the baking time?
Thanks
Louise
Hello, Louise! I recommend getting a 2nd tin. Putting a lot of batter in 1 deep cake pan (e.g. 10×3 or 10×4) would mean longer baking time – which also means the outer cake will come out drier because they are the ones that get to finish baking first. Some use a heating core to help bake the cake evenly but note that your heating core should be as tall as the height of your batter when it is in the pan. Sorry, I don’t much experience on this one!
I am new to measuring ingredients. When you say sift dry ingredients together, do you mean weigh them first and then sift them together?
Hi, Amanda – you are correct. Weigh your ingredients first before sifting them.
Thank you! Also, I was wondering, can this be made in advance and frozen, and would it work well with raspberry filling?
Thank you. Can this cake be made ahead of time and frozen. Also, does it work well with raspberry filling?
Yes, this can definitely be made ahead. After cake has cooled and removed from pan, tightly wrap each layer in plastic film/ cling wrap and store in the fridge. I have a photo on how I did it in my DIY wedding cake post. If keeping for longer than about 3 days I suggest freezing it. I would put an extra layer of protection from freezer burn, like wrapping the cakes again in aluminum foil then placing it in a freezer-friendly container. To thaw, place in the fridge for about 8 hours or simply take out from the freezer and leave at room temp for about 2 hours before using it.
This vanilla cake would go well with raspberry filling! 🙂
Love this recipe. I’ve made it in 6, 8, and 10. Now I’m converting with your pan chart. My question is on the eggs, do you use 18 eggs for a 12 inch. Or, would you use 16 because each pan size goes up by 4? Also when your converting and it 1406.25 you just do an even 1406? And 40.5 go up to 41? Thanks!
Thank you for rating the recipe! I would follow the conversion, so it’s gonna be 18 eggs. When converting, usually I round-up when it’s .5 and above, and round-down when it’s below .5 . I think this tiny difference (less than a gram) though would not make a difference so, for this case, you can choose either way. =)
Hi! I’ve made this cake several times and it’s the best cake ever! I wanted to see if anyone has tried this batter out for cupcakes- how many does it yield, what temp did you use and how long did you bake for??
Thank you, Lauren! It’s been quite a while since I used this recipe for cupcakes. My estimate is half the recipe ingredients of the 6-inch vanilla cake and it should yield about 12 cupcakes (45g of batter for each cupcake). Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick test comes out clean.
Have you made this in cupcakes? My Whole family loves this recipe, especially my 7yo and 9yo grandkids! I will try to make cupcakes from this recipe too.
I have tried it a long time ago – planning to test it again so I can include the recipe here.
So great that your family loves this recipe – thank you for sharing!
I always thought I had the best vanilla sponge cake recipe but WOW WOW WOW. This has upped my game so much. Thank you for sharing!
You are speaking my love language – thank you so much for taking the time to rate and share your feedback! =)
I just came across this recipe and I’ve been looking for a vanilla cake recipe for sometime as most of them are so dry and I don’t like putting syrup onto my cakes…I’ve been looking for a good recipe with oil butter and buttermilk ….I will try it based on your rating etc …and definitely will give feedback
This recipe does not use oil
and buttermilk, but I hope you will like it!
This is the worst recipe I’ve ever tried, the batter is too thin the cake was so dense and it didn’t rise.
I was planing to make a birthday cake, but it ruined the whole surprise and the day.
Sorry, that happened to you! The final batter should be thick but smooth, as you see in the video.
I made it and it turned out divine! Maybe you didn’t cream the butter and sugar the full 5-7 minutes or overmixed it?
This was a really good cake and tasted amazing, however, the vanilla flavor was not strong enough for me. I’ll add more vanilla next time. Can make this into a lemon cake?
Hi, Sharon. Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! Unfortunately, I haven’t tried turning this into a lemon cake yet.
sorry trish that chart was confusing alittle i was trying to see how much more ingredients i have to add to make a 12 x 3 size cake pan . not sure of the chart you sent me
Hello! If we are going to use the recipe for 8-inch round and you want to convert it to a 12-inch round, the conversion factor is 2.25. For example, this recipe calls for 18 grams of baking powder, so for the 12-inch recipe you would need 41 grams (18 x 2.25 = 40.5) of baking powder.
Hi Trish is the recipe on your chart fir the 10 inch is that a 10 x 2 size you need do you have ingredients for a 12 x 3 i wasn’t understanding the charts when you said to covert it by the factor
The recipes on the chart are for 6×3 and 10×3. The one on the recipe card is for 8×3. You can derive the amounts for a 12 x 3 cake by multiplying all the ingredient amounts of the 8-inch recipe by 2.25 (as shown on my previous reply to your comment).
Hi! I’m a little confused about your recipe. Does this recipe make a 6inch 2 layer cake, a 8inch 2 layer cake, and a 10inch layer cake? I would like to use it to make a 10inch two or 3 layer cake. Do I use the recipe as is?
The recipe makes two 8-inch cakes and each 8-inch cake is about 3.5 inches high. For the pictures you see in this post, I torte each cake into 2 giving me a total of 4 layers.
I see now. Thank you! Can I ask would doubling this recipe be enough for a 10inch cake 3 layers? Or should I triple the recipe?
There is an ingredient chart for a 10-inch cake within the post. Same procedure but you have to adjust the baking time. =)
Hi Trish, what is the right temperature of the butter to be at room temperature? So it won’t create lumps in batter.
Room temp butter is at around 20-21 C (68-70F).
Hi Trish! I’m making my first wedding cake and love your whole process and explaining everything in detail. I just got done making the 8 in cakes and it caved in the middle. Do you know what would cause this? My 6in ones came out great.
Hi Britney – sorry that happened to you! There may be several reasons why that happened. The common ones are they are underbaked, your oven is not at the right temp, and incorrectly measured leaveners (baking soda, baking powder). Did you do a toothpick test in the centre? That would help verify if your cake is done.
Thank you for such a great recipe.
I always get a big rise up the middle halfway through baking my cakes. Then I have to trim a large chunk of to level my cake. I make sure my ingredients are room temp. Do you have any suggestions for how to stop this.
You’re welcome, Rachel! Your oven might be too hot. I would check first if my oven is really at the right temperature by using an oven thermometer. I discovered mine was 5 degrees hotter. When it is at the right temp and is still happening, try using a cake strip. You may refer to the the chocolate version of this recipe where I used a cake strip – https://thebakeologie.com/sturdy-moist-chocolate-cake/
Note though that your baking time might be a little longer if you are using cake strips.
I have 2 cake pans that are 9 1/2 x 3 inches. Would it be better that I use the 10 inch recipe or 9 inch? Thank you!
Hi, Kelly! It depends on your preference. If you use the 10-inch recipe your cake will be slightly taller as there is more batter. If you use, the 9-inch your cake will be slightly thinner as your pan is bigger. Either way, you have to adjust the baking time so look for visual cues.
I always put a kitchen towel over my cakes, just out of the oven, and gently push down to just above the edge of the pan. Has always worked. Never have to cut off the tops that way.
Interesting…I have never tried that. Thanks for the tip! =)
We’re making our own wedding cake and are trying different recipes. This one is sooo good! It was very moist and delicious! We didn’t try stacking quite yet, but it seems sturdy enough. Thank you so much! We’re looking forward to trying the chocolate cake recipe soon!
Awesome! When I finally nailed this recipe, I was so happy too. Thank you so much for the rating and for sharing your feedback!
Hello, where can I download the baking pan conversion chart for the 4 and 10 inch cakes. Thanks!
Hi, Lori. It will be automatically sent once you input your email on any of the sign-up forms at the homepage, sidebar, and after each post.
Hi there! Can I use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract?
Yes, you can!
Hi! I tried making this cake recipe and I feel like it tastes a little like cornbread. ???♀️ What did I do wrong and how can I fix it?! Thank you!
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out well for you….I am also not sure why it tasted like cornbread if there’s no cornmeal in it? The vanilla, butter, and sugar should stand out in this recipe.
Hi Trish
The dry and wet ingredients and do I still mix it on the mixer stand on slow for 2 minutes. should I removed the bowl and incorporate with a manual mixer.
Hello! Continuously mix the dry and wet ingredients using the stand mixer, no need to remove the bowl.
Hi Trish,
The stand mixer do I use the flat beater to mix butter and sugar.
the flat beater
Hi , thank you for sharing this recipe. I was wondering if it’s okay to use normal baking powder since I can’t get double acting baking powder where I live.
I haven’t tried it yet but I think there should be no issue using baking powder that is not double acting. I would love to know in case you would try!
I’m excited to try this recipe…so all cake sizes yields 2 pans usage regardless of size and has a depth of 4 inches each. Im i understanding correctly. If so would i need the full recipe to make a 10 in 4 layer cake or half, because this would be enough to make 2 whole cakes?
Yes, you are correct.
Hello, it seems awfully alot of sugar, can i cut down the sugar? will it change the outcome? thanks
Hi, Anita! The recipe yields a thick cake (per pan) so it uses a lot of flour and sugar. I haven’t tried reducing the sugar for this cake, but from what I know the general guide is you can reduce the sugar of a recipe by no more than 1/3. Sugar adds moisture so it may slightly affect the texture. I would love to know the outcome in case you give it a try!
Hello,
Can this recipe be used for a 10 inch heart shaped cake pan
Yes, but you have to take note that the recipe yields a tall cake so the height of your heart-shaped pan should be able to accommodate that.
This is the perfect yellow cake recipe. Its moist and fluffy yet has weight to it and feels great for carving and stacking just as stated. Most importantly it’s DELICIOUS. I carved out a shape and everyone ate up the scraps and shavings before I even finished the crumb coat!
One question: Is a strawberry version possible? (Like that classic pink strawberry flavored cake) Or perhaps a way to alter this one without throwing off the amazing texture?
Thank you, Benny! My daughter loved the scraps too, especially the ones from the top. Aside from chocolate, I haven’t actually explored making a strawberry version of this, but I would love to know in case you’ll give it a try. =)
You have mentioned using the flour then milk, flour then milk, when would I incorporate the other wet ingredients?
After step 5 (refer to recipe card) there are no other wet ingredients left to be added.
How can I convert this recipe to a 12 inch pan?
You can download my baking pan conversion chart to convert this recipe to different pan size.
Great recipe! Can’t wait to try it!! I was wondering if I could use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?
Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt. =)
Hi, I tried your chocolate version of the sturdy cake and it came out perfectly moist , sturdy and very tasty. Thank you so much. I’m wondering do you have conversion formula to convert the recipe to half sheet pan (12″x8″x3″)for the vanilla sturdy cake ( I don’t have conversion chart)
Thank you for leaving a rating and review – your ratings help me so I truly appreciate it!
I haven’t personally tried making this cake in 12 x 8 size. But to convert from 8 inch (8×3) to 12×8 (12x8x3) inch pan, the conversion factor is 1.91. So multiply all the ingredient amounts of the 8-inch recipe by 1.91. Note that this is with the assumption that both pans have the same pan height, which is 3 inches. As a general rule, do not overfill your pan; if there’s extra batter yoU may bake them as cupcakes.
I spent ages weighing out correctly as I usually use cups and the butter grease thing has happened to me too 🙁
oh no! so sorry to hear that…I wish I was there to see your batter. Did you use the recipe for 8-inch? Were all your ingredients at room temperature?
Hi trish
Im looking to use this recipe to make my 1st wedding cake this week….
A. How do you weigh up your milk please?
B. Do i have to use baking strips….as i dont own any haha
C. What do you recommend to ice this? (Bride wants a semi naked cake).
Thankyou so much x
Hi Jess. I weigh my milk (in grams) the same way I weigh the dry ingredients. Put the cup over your scale, tare, and weigh 488 grams of whole milk. Baking strips are optional – there’s gonna be less doming if you use them. I love Swiss Meringue buttercream as they are smooth, silky and not too sweet. This Faux Swiss Meringue Buttercream is great too – way easier to make. I made a semi naked cake using this Vanilla cake and Swiss Meringue. I shared them all here in this post, in case you have not seen it — https://thebakeologie.com/diy-wedding-cake/
Can you make a chocolate cake using this recipe? And if so what would the flour to cocoa ratio be?
Can this recipe be altered to make a chocolate cake? I absolutely love this recipe. Finally found my ultimate vanilla cake recipe. Thank you.
Glad you love the outcome! Thank you for trying this recipe and sending me feedback. =) The chocolate version is in the works. The difference is not just in flour to cocoa ratio. Please watch out for it soon.
Hi, if i half the recipe do I half the baking time too?
Nope. If you half the recipe, you would need just 1 baking pan instead of 2 but same baking time.
just a bit confused! does the recipe make just one 8×4 inch tall cake??? just doesn’t seem enough for 2 8x4inch tall cakes
This makes 2 8-inch cakes and each cake is around 4-inch high. I then torte/cut each cake into 2, giving me 4 layers (as you see in the photos).
Hi there, I have also tried the 10 inch cake, as a single layer, using 487 gr flour, but it is butter soaked. I have been unable to download your pan converter, can I get that info anywhere else?
Would a longer, hotter bake help, do you think?
Oh my, sorry that happened to you! It’s hard to say what specifically went wrong since I don’t see your actual batter. I am thinking maybe butter was not measured correctly? or there are lumps of butter not mixed well or needs more mixing for the butter to fully incorporate? There are many things that could go wrong, sorry I’m not much of help. How about you try a single layer of the 6-inch first and see from there?
Were you able to check the spam folder? =) Sometimes it goes straight there. If not there, just let me know and I’ll gladly resend it to you.
Thankyou so much for this. I was looking for this type of recipe and conversations for almost a year now, i tried it and it turned out amazingly though I’d also like to know what formula should i use to convert a recipe for round pan to heart shaped pan?
I’m glad it worked for you, Dee! I haven’t tried making this in a heart-shaped pan so I’m not really sure. But if I were to do it, I would use a round pan that is closest to the size of my heart-shaped pan. Then I would half the recipe for that pan size since this recipe yields a tall cake – definitely more than 2 inches. Most heart-shape pans I see are only around 2 inches in height.
Hello,
My pans are 8inch but only 3 inch tall. Can I use this recipe?
Yes, but put extra height on the parchment paper to be sure. See photo and explanation in the post.
I’ve made this cake several times, it is delicious, stacks well and can handle covering with fondant! My grandkids love it without icing, pure vanilla buttery taste! You mention to line sides of pan as the cake rises, I tried that and it didn’t rise higher than my 2” pans. BUT! In reading all these comments I just noticed to use double acting baking powder! Never noticed, just grabbed my regular baking powder. Now I’ll have to try it the correct way, I also have to try the chocolate version, if the grandkids will let me!
Margie, I am curious which one will they like better – chocolate or vanilla?! =)
Hi I have not actually made this cake yet but am excited to give it a go.. the picture is amazing!!!!!
I just want to check what size of eggs you use in this recipe?
Thanks! I hope you’ll give it a try! I use large eggs, weighs more or less 50g each without the shell.
Lovely recipe. Came out perfect. Thank you very much
Yey! Thank you so much for letting me know, Patricia!!!!
Can I make that vanilla cake recipe under my Fondant cake?
Yes, you can!
Sofia, I use this this recipe for all my 3 to 4 tier fondant covered cakes, it wont let you down.
Thank you, Margie!
Hi Trish.
I want to make a 9×13″ cake but when trying to do the calculation for the ingredients I got a bit confused. It seems I would need to do almost 1 1/2 times the 10″ cake size. That seems like an awfully big cake using like 10 cups of flour. Could you help me figure out the measurements?
Thank you so much for your help.
Sincerely,
Angelina
Hi, Angelina! My short and simple answer is to use the ingredient amounts listed for the 6-inch cake.
And this is my long answer if you’re interested. =) Converting this recipe from 8×4 round to 9x13x2 rectangular cake is quite tricky because the conversion formula assumes that the yield and height of the cake stay the same. Note that this recipe yields 2 8-inch round cakes that are about 4 inches high each; this is quite a tall cake! So the reason why the amount of ingredients are extremely big is because the conversion assumes you will also be baking in 2 9×13 rectangular pans that would yield a cake around 4 inches in height (for each cake) as well.
Here are my thoughts…If I were to convert this recipe to make only 1 layer of cake in a 9x13x2 pan, I would first divide each ingredient the recipe calls for into 4 before multiplying it with the conversion factor which is 2.33. So for the sugar, you would need 310 grams (533 / 4 x 2.33).
Fill your 9×13 baking pan up to two-thirds full so the batter doesn’t pour over the sides; you might have a bit of batter left. Hope this helps!
Hello,
I would like to make this cake for my friends wedding 6”, 8”, 10”, 14”… how many days in advance should I make the cake? And can I freeze the cake?
Thanks!
Angel
You can make this up to 1 week again and then freeze the cake layers, though the closer to the event date the better. When I made this for a wedding cake, I made these vanilla cake layers 2 days ahead and stored them in the fridge, tightly wrapped in plastic cling wrap. I then assembled and frosted the cake 1 day before the wedding day. Hope this helps!
Hi, this is the best recipe I’ve ever come across. Here in Ghana is hard to come by all purpose flour and so I use soft/pastry flour and it still comes out great. Thanks a lot Trish
Thank you, Barbara. That is so great to know! 🙂
Hi, your recipe sounds good but does it rise with plain flour?? What happens if I use self raising flour instead of plain flour??
Yes, it rises with using plain flour or all-purpose flour because we also add baking powder.
Self-raising flour has baking powder and salt already mixed together so you could omit those ingredients. It also has lower protein content so the outcome of the recipe might slightly change. I haven’t actually tried using self-raising flour for this recipe though.
Hi,
I love the flavor of this cake i made it for a wedding and it came out perfect, had to play around with the pans since i had too much batter. My question now is I want to try it for a tres leches cake, will the consistency work with the milk soaking? Thanks
Glad you liked the cake! They’re great for tiered cakes, right?
About the milk soaking, I’m sorry I haven’t tried it yet with this cake so I won’t be of much help. I would love to know your results though!
Hi!!! I want to make de 8″ recipe but instead of vainilla I want it to be chocolate flavour. How much of cacao powder do I have to add and how much of flour do I have to take ?? thanks for the recipes!!
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
I haven’t actually tried, but I would think it’s ok to use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. However, if you’re going to make tiered cakes I suggest to stick with all-purpose flour because we need its higher protein content for structure. Cake flour would make the cake more tender and crumbly, which might not be enough to support tiered cakes.
Hi! I am working with only one set of 10-8-6 inch pans. Can I make the recipe work for those pans? Do you have a suggestion for the amount of batter in each pan?
Hi, Kaily. Yes, it would definitely work if you have only 1 set of 10-8-6 pans. You just have an extra waiting time because you need to let the cake cool down a bit before releasing them and washing them again for the 2nd batch. Are your pans about 4-inches high? If not, make sure to add parchment paper to the outsides of the pan so it will not overflow.
For the amount of batter in each pan, I would weigh the batter and equally divide them into 2.
Hi i jist want to know if i can add preservative like alcohol to this recipe
Hi, Tana. I’m pretty sure you can add alcohol as flavoring to this recipe, but I am not sure with the amount since I haven’t tried. Sorry, I won’t be of help with your question. I would love to know though in case you’d try!
Hi, I have been using bf this recipe for my first attempt at a wedding cake. The 6” and the 8” have been amazing but the 10” literally looks itbhas been soaked in butter. I’m not sure what to do?
Hmmm…I double-checked the measurements posted here and they should be correct. I am thinking maybe an ingredient hasn’t been measured correctly? Like too much butter or less flour? Using my free baking conversion chart and the 8-inch recipe as the base, I just multiplied all the ingredients by 1.56 to get the measurements for the 10-inch and .56 to get the measurements for the 6-inch.
Hi there,
I’m making this cake for the first time today. 8” has came out lovely, now I’m onto my 10” cake.
I only have room for 1 cake pan. While the first cake is cooking where can I store the batter for the 2nd cake?
Thank Becca
I have always baked my cakes at the same time the reason being this recipe uses a chemical leavener (e.g. baking powder, baking soda). Once baking soda is added to a liquid, a chemical reaction takes place that produces carbon dioxide bubbles that gives “rise” to baked good. But as it sits, these bubbles “deflate”. When this happen, you’ll get a dense cake.
If you only have 1 10-inch pan, you can do half the recipe for the 1st cake and make the other half when the cake pan is ready.
You could also try leaving it at room temperature for no more than 1 hour but the cake might not be as tall and might not be a as fluffy. Once I have the chance to make this cake again I would do an experiment and would update this post, though I would love to know your results in case you decide to give it a try. =)
Hi… Can i use evaporated milk instead for the whole milk?
I haven’t actually tried, sorry. But I would love to know how it turns out!
Could I use this receipt for cupcakes?
Yes. Half the recipe for the 8-inch cake and that should give you around 24 regular size cupcakes. You may need to adjust the time though. Bake at 350 F and start to check at about 17-minute mark.
CAN I REPLACE BUTTER WITH OIL
Hi, Rose. For this specific recipe, I don’t recommend replacing the butter with oil. This cake is made by the creaming method – beating butter and sugar to give the cake a lighter texture. Oil is not a suitable substitute as it cannot be beaten to incorporate air.
Hi I would like to know if you tried to use buttermilk? Does it work in this recipe? Does it become moisture?
I tried it with milk, I loved it but some clients asked to have it moisture.
Thank you
Hi, Paula. Sorry, I haven’t used buttermilk for this recipe. I would love to know in case you would give it a try!
I tried this recipie and the recipie gave me two 8×3 round cakes. The flavor is amazing, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I measured all my ingredients with a scale.
Oh thank you for letting me know, Nancy! You just made my day! 🙂
you mentioned that chocolate or lemon etc. can be added to the icing , how much of each do I add and what type? for instance for the chocolate would I add chocolate chips to the mixture over the heat to melt? How much lemon juice would I add?
Are you referring to the Swiss Meringue buttercream that is linked from this page? If yes, for that recipe, add 85 grams (3 ounces) of milk chocolate (melted and cooled) as the last step, and you’ll have a milk chocolate buttercream. To make it a lemon swiss meringue buttercream, add lemon zest, lemon juice, or lemon curd. I usually start with a small amount and then add as I taste the buttercream. If I want just a hint of lemon then I’ll just go for about a 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice.
It’s in the oven for 35 min so far and it looks wonderful, I can’t wait to taste the final product!
I used one 12×3 pan and it’s almost to the top!
Yay! That’s a big cake! How did it go? =)
Cupcakes?
8 pieces of eggs? Dose this mean 8 whole eggs? Thank you for sharing ur recipe I can’t wait to try it!!
Hi, Karen. Yes, it’s 8 whole eggs. Hope you’ll like the vanilla cake! =)
Hi!! Your recipe sounds and looks amazing, could you please help me how to adjust it for high altitude or is it safe to bake over 2800 over sea level. I asume at sea level won’t be a problem. Thx in advance. Eve
Hi, Eve! I’m terribly sorry but I have never tried baking at high altitude so I won’t be of any help. I found an article though that discusses the adjustments when baking at high altitude. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Hi, Thanks for sharing this recipe. I was wondering if I can use buttermilk instead of whole milk?
Thanks!
Hmmm, I haven’t actually tried replacing milk with buttermilk for this recipe. I would think when you replace the milk with buttermilk, the acidity of the cake batter will increase slightly so to balance it you have to replace some or all of the baking powder with baking soda. Sorry, I’m not much of help with this one but I would love to know the results if you’re going to try it out!
Hi, I am in the uk. Not sure where you are based. Should I use granulated sugar or caster sugar for this recipe? Many thanks x
Hi, Angela. I use granulated sugar. But if you’re measuring the ingredients by weight, you can use either granulated or caster sugar. That’s the beauty of weighing ingredients – 500 grams is 500 grams regardless of how fine or coarse your sugar crystals are. =) Hope you’ll like the vanilla cake!
Can this cake be used to cover fondant?
Hi, Pat! I have never tried but I don’t see any reason why fondant will not work. =) But I think you need to cover the cake with a thin layer of buttercream to help the fondant stick to the cake.
Helloo….if i have baking powder double action, should it changed recipes? Thanks
Hi, Lina! The regular baking powder I buy in the grocery is always double acting powder so it should not change the recipe. =)
Maybe I misunderstood the recipe but this does not make 4 layers, each 4 inches thick? After re-reading the instruction it seems you get 4 inches per pan, two pans. So 2 inches per layer if you then cut each pan into two.
I made it but I halved the recipe since I only wanted two thick layers. That was before re-reading so now I have two not-particularly-thick layers. Still a great cake though! Just won’t be as tall as I expected.
Marubi, thank you so much for the feedback and I’m glad you liked the cake! This recipe yields around 3.5 to 4 inches thick per pan. So it should yield around 1.75-2 inches per layer if you cut each pan into two.
I tried this recipe for the 6inch cake, it’s came out beautifully. However my cakes were only 2inches thick.
I am glad it came out beautifully! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, Patricia!
Can this recipe be used for a half sheet cake?
Hi, Donna! Yes, you can. Download the free baking pan conversion chart so you can adjust the amount of ingredient for 13×9 pan or whichever pan you have.
Hi Trish,
This recipe looks great. I’m eager to try this as an alternative to my current recipe as the sides always come out too crumby.
Could you please let me know if instead of using 2 8x4inch pans, I can use 4 8x2inch pans?
Also would these layers be strong enough to hold sugarpaste/fondant?
Thanks,
Ayesha
Hi Ayesha! You could try 3 8×2 pans. You can use 4 but the layers might be too thin, if that’s what you’re going for. This vanilla cake should work with fondant.
Could i bake this on a sheet pan ?
yes! You can use download the free conversion chart so you can adjust the amount of ingredients for the pan size that you have.
Do the instrucrions also go for the 6 and 10 inch cakes just using their ingredient measurements? And does the ingredient recipe make 2 each of their cake pans also ?
Hi, Destiny. Yes, the instructions are the same for the 6 and 10-inch cakes. You would also need 2 6-inch and 2 8-inch pans which will yield to 2 layers each pan.
I find there is a lot of variance with egg sizes and usually weigh my eggs and then use an equal weight of butter … how does this recipe compare. Does the weight of butter equal the weight of the 8 eggs. Could you give me an idea of the total weight of the eggs you use if the weighing is so important to the success of this cake. Many thanks.
Hi, Linda! From where I am, large eggs (without shell) weigh from 50 to 53 grams. For the 8-inch recipe above, my 8 large eggs had a total weight of 412 grams. Hope this helps!
Are you sure that it takes 5 cups of all-purpose flour? That sounds like a lot of flour to me.
Yes, the measurement is really 625 grams or 5 cups at 125 grams per cup. This is quite a tall cake, as I’ve mentioned above. The height of each baked round (before torting and leveling) is around 3.5-4 inches. You can definitely half the recipe if you wish to have thinner cake layers. Hope this helps!
Did you have to use dowels for this?
Hello! Yes, I used these dowels.
Hi I have to do a10x2 inch cake and a8x2 for stacking so I should I follow the recipe guide?
Yes. Just don’t forget to extend your parchment paper as your pans are only 2 inches high.
Hi.
How much butter cream required for frosting that 4layer cake.
Thanks
I would say I used about 4 cups of buttercream for the 8-inch, but mine was a semi-naked cake so it varies – depending on your how you would finish your cake.
Pieces of egg. Do I assume 1 piece is one egg? Thanks.
Yes, you are right! 🙂