Easy Moist Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

a slice of moist vanilla cake on a white plate with a bite being taken out of it.

Easy Moist Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

This Easy Moist Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is the perfect combination of light, fluffy vanilla cake and rich, creamy vanilla frosting. It is a classic, simple cake recipe that is made with everyday ingredients.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings slices

Calories 497kcal

Author Ellie Haley

Ingredients

For Vanilla Cake:

3 sticks (339 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
4 large (120 grams) egg whites room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups (328 grams) cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (113 grams) buttermilk
½ cup (113 grams) sour cream

For Vanilla Buttercream:

2 sticks ( 226 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ¾ cups (423 grams) powdered sugar
heavy cream or milk as needed

Instructions

For Vanilla Cake:

In a medium bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer beat the softened butter and sugar until light and airy, about 3-5 minutes.
Add in the eggs whites and vanilla and mix until fully combined.
In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Gently mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
In a small bowl combine the buttermilk and sour cream.
Gently fold the buttermilk mixture into the batter until just mixed.
Spray two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick spray and evenly divide the vanilla cake batter between each pan. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before baking.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing.

For Vanilla Buttercream:

In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter until very soft and creamy.
Add the salt, vanilla, and half of the powdered sugar. Beat until fully combined. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and beat for 5-6 minutes.

For Assembly:

To assemble the cake plate one fully cooled cake layer on a plate. Add your desired amount of vanilla buttercream frosting on top and spread to the edges. Place the second vanilla cake layer on top. Add the remaining buttercream to the top and sides of the cake.

Notes

Don’t use cold ingredients. Ensure that all of your cold ingredients are at room temperature before making your cake batter. The ingredients will combine much easier and you won’t have chunks of cold butter in your batter.
Don't over mix. You need to mix your batter until all of the ingredients are JUST combined, otherwise, you will make too much gluten and your cake will be tough instead of fluffy.
The provided nutrition information is an estimate for the entire cake, the calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.

Nutrition