My Favorite Vanilla Cake Recipe

Ingredients (19)

• 3 and 3/4 cups (450 g) cake flour450 g
• 1 Tablespoon (14 g) baking powder14 g
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda≈ 4.5 g
• 1 teaspoon salt≈ 6 g
• 1 and 1/2 cups (340 g) unsalted butter (room temperature )340 g
• 2 and 1/4 cups (447 g) granulated sugar447 g
• 2 Tablespoons (28 ml) vanilla extract≈ 25 g
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract≈ 1.1 g
• 4 large eggs (room temperature )≈ 200 g
• 3 large egg whites (room temperature, beaten until frothy )≈ 99 g
• 1 and 1/4 cups (284 ml) buttermilk (room temperature )≈ 305 g
• 1 cup (227 g) sour cream (room temperature )227 g
• 1/3 cup (67 ml) canola oil≈ 73 g

Toppings and extras

Listed, but not counted in the percentages below.

• 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter (room temperature )454 g
• 6 and 1/2 cups (741 g) confectioners' sugar (sifted )741 g
• 1/4 cup (57 ml) whole milk (room temperature, more as needed )≈ 61 g
• 2 Tablespoons (28 ml) heavy cream (room temperature )≈ 30 g
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract≈ 8 g
• 1/4 teaspoon salt≈ 1.5 g

flour 450 gbatter 2192 g

≈ marks grams converted from cups and spoons with standard densities; the rest are weights the source printed.

Baker's percentages

Grams per 100 g of flour, and where that falls among all 126 recipes. Shaded: the middle half. Tick: the median.

• Sugar99% · 36th percentile · median 108%
• Fat92% · 97th percentile · median 66%
• Egg66% · 80th percentile · median 56%
• Liquid118% · 89th percentile · median 82%
• Leavening4.1% · 60th percentile · median 3.9%
• Salt1.3% · 67th percentile · median 1%

Oven

Temperature

350°F / 175°C

median 350°F

Time

24 to 25 minutes

median 28 minutes