Vanilla Cake Lab126 recipes
← All vanilla cake recipes

BEST Vanilla Cake

Jenna Barnard · butternutbakeryblog.com · 2025 · 10-12 slices

Against 126 vanilla cake recipes

Less salt than 83% of recipes and more liquid than 82%.

See how all 126 vanilla cake recipes compare →

Get the method at butternutbakeryblog.com →This page has the ingredients and the numbers. The instructions and photos are on the original recipe, which Recipe Lab does not republish.

How it compares

Against the typical cake: the median of 126 vanilla cake recipes, per 100 g of flour.

  • Less salt than 83% of recipes: 0.6% of the flour weight against the typical recipe's 1%.
  • More liquid than 82% of recipes: 110% of the flour weight against the typical recipe's 82%.
  • More fat than 75% of recipes: 74% of the flour weight against the typical recipe's 66%.
  • Sugar in the middle half of recipes: 119% of the flour weight against the typical recipe's 108%.
Sugar: 119%, 74th percentileFat: 74%, 76th percentileEgg: 60%, 62nd percentileLiquid: 110%, 83rd percentileLeavening: 4.5%, 75th percentileSalt: 0.6%, 13th percentileSugarFatEggLiquidLeaveningSalt
Percentile on each ingredient. Shaded ring: the middle half of recipes.

Ingredients (18)

  • 3 cups (336g) cake flour*, spooned and leveled336 g
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar400 g
  • 2 tbsp dry nonfat milk powder≈ 9 g
  • 2 tsp baking powder≈ 9 g
  • 1 tsp baking soda≈ 6 g
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt≈ 2 g
  • 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temp and sliced168 g
  • 6 tbsp (80g) vegetable oil80 g
  • 1/2 cup (120g) water, warm120 g
  • 1 cup (240g) sour cream, room temp240 g
  • 1 tsp white distilled vinegar≈ 4.9 g
  • 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste≈ 25 g
  • 4 large eggs + 2 egg yolk, room temp≈ 200 g

Toppings and extras

Listed, but not counted in the percentages below.

  • 1 1/2 cups (336g) unsalted butter, room temp (really soft)336 g
  • 3 cups (330g) powdered sugar, spooned and leveled330 g
  • Pinch of kosher salt≈ 0.4 g
  • 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste≈ 13 g
  • 2 tbsp water, slightly warm≈ 30 g

flour 336 gbatter 1600 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.

  • Sugar119% · 74th percentile
  • Fat74% · 76th percentile
  • Egg60% · 62nd percentile
  • Liquid110% · 83rd percentile
  • Leavening4.5% · 75th percentile
  • Salt0.6% · 13th percentile

Oven

Temperature
350°F / 175°C
median 350°F
Time
35 to 40 minutes
median 28 minutes

Keep exploring

Recipes most like this one

Nearest by baker's percentages: sugar, fat, egg, liquid, leavening, salt.

Do something with it

Or browse all 126 vanilla cake recipes.