Fluffy vanilla cake

BakingDessertsCakes
Written By Bea Fawkes

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The OG. Here is my go-to vanilla cake recipe. This has been my most popular cake flavour over the years and it's no wonder with such a simple, yet delicious classic. Moist and fluffy vanilla cake layers are filled with generous amounts of creamy vanilla buttercream - a winner!

I’ve been making a version of this vanilla cake since way back in 2016, when I first started baking at school. Over the years I’ve tweaked it here and there—nothing drastic, just little adjustments that slowly turned it into the cake I always come back to. The result? A vanilla cake that’s moist, fluffy, and downright delicious every time.

One of the things I love most about this recipe is how versatile it is. It stacks up beautifully into a tall, three-layer celebration cake, but it’s just as happy being baked into a single large cake or a batch of cupcakes. Whatever the occasion, it never lets me down.

And here’s the real secret: I use a lot of vanilla extract. To me, that’s what makes this cake special. After all, what’s the point of a vanilla cake if you can’t actually taste the vanilla? That bold, fragrant flavour is what truly sets this recipe apart.

Click here for my Vanilla buttercream recipe and my How to: Ice a layer cake page

What's in this recipe?

Vanilla cake

  • Flour & cornflour

    Flour gives your cake its structure, while a little cornflour keeps it soft and tender instead of heavy. Think of them as the bones and the cushion.

  • Caster sugar

    Sugar doesn’t just sweeten; it helps your cake stay moist and gives it that lovely soft crumb. Caster sugar’s fine texture means it dissolves easily, so you don’t end up with grainy batter.

  • Butter

    Butter brings richness, moisture, and that unbeatable flavour. Salted butter gives just the right savoury edge to balance the sweetness.

  • Eggs

    Eggs are the glue that hold everything together. They add structure, richness, and help the cake rise into that fluffy, golden sponge.

  • Baking powder

    This little powder is the lift-off button. It makes sure your cake rises evenly and doesn’t turn out dense or flat.

  • Vanilla extract

    Vanilla is the heart of a vanilla cake. Real extract gives that warm, sweet, fragrant flavour that makes the whole cake sing. We use a LOT in this recipe which really sets it apart from other vanilla cake recipes.

  • Milk & lemon juice

    This combo creates homemade buttermilk, which makes your cake extra soft and tender, while adding a subtle tang to balance out the sweetness.

  • Salt

    Just a pinch, but it’s important! Salt sharpens all the flavours so the cake doesn’t taste one-note sweet.

Step-by-step photos

Fluffy vanilla cake

Yield 12 - large slices (3 layers - 15cm cakes)
Author
Prep time
20 Min
Cook time
20 Min
Total time
40 Min

The OG. Here is my go-to vanilla cake recipe. This has been my most popular cake flavour over the years and it's no wonder with such a simple, yet delicious classic. Moist and fluffy vanilla cake layers are sandwiched with generous amounts of creamy vanilla buttercream - a winner!

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Ingredients

Fluffy vanilla cake
  • 450g caster sugar
  • 450g flour
  • 2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp cornflour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 250g butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 400ml milk (full cream, cows)
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice (approx 1 lemon)
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Vanilla buttercream
  • 350g icing sugar
  • 300g butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Fluffy vanilla cake
  1. Add all ingredients to a small kitchen blender (e.g Nutribullet) and pulse until smooth. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
Vanilla buttercream
  1. Place

Notes

Serving suggestion

I like to


Storing

Th

Nutrition Facts

Calories

629

Fat

40 g

Sat. Fat

25 g

Carbs

99 g

Fiber

1 g

Net carbs

98 g

Sugar

31 g

Protein

7 g

Sodium

639 mg

Cholesterol

157 mg
Bea Fawkes
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Vanilla buttercream
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