The Perfect {Bakery Style} White cake is a beautiful, moist, and light cake with the perfect crumb. The cake has a soft, velvety texture, a subtle sweetness, and a delightful combination of vanilla and almond flavors. It is perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a birthday celebration or a simple treat for yourself! Not only is the cake delicious on its own, but it is also a wonderful base for decorating. If you prefer a sheet cake, I have a Vanilla Delight Cake you will love!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Flour: I used cake flour in this recipe. Cake flour has a lower protein content when compared to all-purpose flour. This results in a softer, more tender cake. If you don’t have any on hand, make your own cake flour to use.
Butter: As in many of my baking recipes, I use and recommend unsalted butter. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen or omit the salt in the recipe.
Extracts: Both vanilla and almond extract are added to the cake batter. If you have a nut allergy, you could replace the almond extract with the same amount of vanilla. Or, use Imitation Almond Extract which is typically not made with almonds. Be sure to check the ingredients. If you are worried about flavor, the almond extract does not make the cake taste almondy. It simply adds a freshness, a refined elegance, to the overall flavor.
Egg Whites: For a lighter and fluffier texture in the cake, only use egg whites. But, once you have separated the eggs, don’t let the yolks go to waste! Beat them and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Use the yolks in other recipes like my Browned Butter Toffee Cookies.
Milk: If possible, use whole milk in this cake. 2% or 1% could be used, but it may not yield the best results. I do not recommend skim milk.
Frosting: This cake is the ideal canvas for many decorating ideas. I added my American Buttercream Frosting to the cake, but you can certainly add your favorite frosting or topping!
Can I Use A Different Pan?
Sure! This recipe calls for 2, 8-inch round cake pans. You could use 9-inch round cake pans, but the layers will be a bit thinner. Or, make the cake in a 9×13-inch baking dish. This would give you one thicker cake. If using a different pan, you may need to adjust the baking time, so watch the cake closely.
How To Store White Cake
If the cake does not have a perishable frosting, store it at room temperature. It should be covered or stored in an airtight container. It will last up to 2-3 days. Refrigerating a cake can dry it out faster so I do not recommend that.
Can I Freeze This Cake?
Yes! Baking, then freezing a cake is a great way to get a head start on your dessert, saving some stress! I prefer to freeze the cake without any frosting. Before freezing the cake, be sure to let it cool completely. Next, wrap the cake in plastic wrap. Wrap it again in another layer of plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or in a freezer-safe bag. Label and date the packaging; the cake can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. When ready to decorate or enjoy, let the cake thaw at room temperature while still wrapped. After about 30 minutes, the cake will be ready to decorate.
Can I Make This Cake Into Cupcakes?
Yes! This recipe makes delicious white cupcakes! Follow the instructions for mixing the cake batter. Fill each lined muffin cup with about 1/4 cup of the batter. Bake at 350°F for 21-23 minutes. You should be able to get about 23 cupcakes.
Recipe updated July 2023.
White Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ¾ cups (357 g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup (245 g) whole milk, room temperature
Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (250 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3-6 teaspoons whole milk, or as needed
- extracts and flavorings, as desired
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2, 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and both extracts until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed, carefully add in egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer still on low, add ⅓ of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, then half the milk, another third of the flour mixture, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the two prepared pans. Bake for 26-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack.
Buttercream Frosting
- To the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar, salt, and any added flavorings.
- Start mixing on low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter. Increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Adjust the consistency with milk as needed.
- Store unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to use. Bring it back to room temperature before using to pipe or frost the cooled cake.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Hi Amanda! Hopefully you see this comment soon and are able to answer me.
I’m trying to make this cake today for my son’s birthday, but my beloved husband brought me medium sized eggs instead of large… (I know!!!) and I won’t really have time to go to the grocery store to change them.
My question is, do you know hoe many medium sized egg whites should I use???
Or which is the amount approximately in cups???
Thank you in advance! Hugs!!!
Hi Gloria! I would add an additional egg white if you have medium eggs. 🙂
Will do so!!! THANK YOU!!!
hi, what kind of frosting did you use for your cake??
(the one onthe first photo and the second). it looks amazing!
my frostings always melt
hi, i live in the UK and since weeks i have wrecked my brain how to make the white cake look like yours! i have bought the whitest butter, added evtl shortening . with neither self raising nor plain flour substituted with cornflour my results were particularly satisfying. certainly i thought it can only be the bleached cake flour which they arent selling here. So i got my hands on a packet of swans down bleached cake flour from an supermarket here that sells US products. i was soo excited, the white cake would finally be white. but to my huuuge surprise the cake has the exact same colour than my uk flour ones. light yellow! and i am using wilton clear vanilla extract! please tell me what can be the issue? yours is soo white? is the picture overexposed? because mine looks more like the yellow cake you posted underneath! thanks
Oh goodness Karin, I am so sorry! Typically if I use clear extract then my cakes come out white. Are there any white cake recipes in the UK that come out white white? I would be happy to go over recipes with you and compare to see what we can come up with!
Thank you for this! Last year I tasted the most amazing white cake at a church dinner and totally thought it came from a bakery. Then I heard that it was homemade and thought I just had to have the recipe! I wanted to make a homemade cake for my daughters second birthday. I found the girl who made the cake and asked for the recipe and she refused to give it to me. Ugh. So since then I’ve been on a mission to find a perfect, bakery quality cake. This is it! Thank you so much for sharing! I’ll have to make this again and take it to the next church dinner… 😉
This is a huge fan from Nigeria. Will definately try this for my son’s birthday next month. Thanks
Thank you so much! So lovely to “meet” you!
Hi, I made your white cake recipe for a birthday and everyone absolutely loved it! Thanks so much for the recipe. Now, I’ve been asked to make it again (the best compliment!). Do you have the how-to technique for frosting it like in the photo? Thanks so much, I love your recipes — I’ve made your Rose Cake too and it was a huge hit. 🙂
Super fool-proof recipe! I only wanted to make a small cake hence I halved the recipe exactly. Brilliant outcome with no tweaking required! Well I didnt have cake flour so I used all purpose with corn starch. That worked well. In fact, this recipe is so versatile, im already thinking of using it to make muffins!
Just a question tho, what do u usually do with the remaining yolks?
I just fry up the leftover egg yolks with salt for the kiddos! (Or Mommy & Daddy if they are in bed when I’m on a baking fit haha) 🙂
I’m thinking this would make a good base for a cake with lemon curd. That would use up the yolks!
Have you ever made these into cupcakes? If so, what time/temp would you recommend?
Thanks for sharing !!! This is a perfect white cake !!! The possibilities are truly endless 🙂 mine looked like the picture 🙂 I made my buttercream vanilla bean frosting and my better half loved it . I paired it with homemade vanilla bean custard ice cream 🙂 very tasty as well ! Thanks again !
That white on white cake is beautiful! So crisp and clean – like a blank canvas. Also your frosting skills are amazing! I don’t see a single frosting line on the slice of white on white cake, stunning!