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A slice of moist vanilla cake topped with rich vanilla buttercream and sprinkles.

Easy Vanilla Cake

This Easy Vanilla Cake Recipe is a moist and forgiving birthday cake option that is simple to make and tastes amazing, perfect for any celebration.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Birthday, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2.5 cups all purpose flour Spoon flour into measuring cup and level off
  • 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt Do not skip the salt
Wet Ingredients
  • 1.75 cups sugar
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 0.5 cup neutral oil (like canola or vegetable)
  • 4 large eggs, room temp is best Room temperature helps batter mix smoothly
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Use high quality vanilla if possible
  • 1 cup buttermilk (or milk with a splash of vinegar) Can substitute with milk + vinegar
  • 0.5 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease your pans and line the bottoms with parchment if available.
Mixing Dry Ingredients
  1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Mixing Wet Ingredients
  1. In a larger bowl, whisk the sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and sour cream until smooth.
Combining Ingredients
  1. Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three additions. Stir just until no flour streaks remain.
Baking
  1. Divide the batter into prepared pans and bake until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 25 to 32 minutes for two 8 inch round pans.
Cooling
  1. Let cakes cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Notes

For best results, measure flour carefully, room temperature eggs help in mixing, and use real vanilla extract for better flavor. Do not frost while the cake is warm.