Classic Vanilla Cake

Classic Vanilla Cake

Super moist and fluffy cake

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 10m
Cook Time: 30m
Total Time: 40m
Servings: 10
Difficulty: Easy
5.0 (21 Reviews)
Cooking Mode
Prevents your screen from turning off while cooking

Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

225
Calories
9g
Fat
2g
Saturated fat
34g
Carbs
24g
Sugar
3g
Protein
Classic Vanilla Cake

Recipe Description

The secret to this Classic Vanilla Cake is the vegetable oil and sour cream, which I use instead of butter to get a wonderfully light and fluffy texture. If you are looking for a great basic cake recipe that you can use time and time again, this is the one for you!

While it’s delicious on its own – the perfect crumb and a wonderful vanilla flavor – you can use this cake as a base for all your favorite frostings and add-ins. It’s also so easy to make, just 10 minutes preparation time and then you pop it in the oven to bake.

To make Classic Vanilla Cake, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Classic Vanilla Cake

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Prepare the oven and cake tin

    5 min
    Step 1 - Classic Vanilla Cake

    Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch by 13-inch cake tin, line it with baking parchment and then grease the parchment.

  2. 2

    Combine the wet ingredients

    5 min
    Step 2 - Classic Vanilla Cake

    Beat together the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well combined. The batter should lighten while you are mixing it. Scrape the mixture from the sides of the bowl. Add the sour cream and mix well.

  3. 3

    Add the dry ingredients

    2 min
    Step 3 - Classic Vanilla Cake

    Sift in half the flour, along with the baking powder and salt into the bowl and gradually fold into the mixture.

  4. 4

    Add the milk

    3 min
    Step 4 - Classic Vanilla Cake

    Add half the milk and mix gently until it starts to combine with the flour mixture. Add the rest of the flour, stir gently and then pour in the rest of the milk, mixing until you have a smooth batter. Ensure there is no four clumped to the bottom of the bowl and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

  5. 5

    Bake the cake

    30 min
    Step 5 - Classic Vanilla CakeStep 5 - Classic Vanilla CakeStep 5 - Classic Vanilla Cake

    Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. Test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre; if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked through.

  6. 6

    Serving Classic Vanilla Cake

    Step 6 - Classic Vanilla Cake

It’s that easy to make this Classic Vanilla Cake, beautifully light and wonderfully tasty. Try this version for yourself and share your creations with me - just tag #cookmerecipes in your posts!

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
5.0 out of 5 (21 reviews)
William Carter
April 16, 2025
Verified

Superb! Made this cake for my wife's birthday and it was a huge hit! The texture was light and fluffy, and the vanilla flavor was spot on. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. Will definetly make again!

Michael Johnson
December 4, 2024
Verified

Baked this for my wife’s birthday; it was perfect and fluffy!

Larry
January 13, 2024
Verified

I made this Classic Vanilla Cake for my wife's birthday. The use of oil and sour cream made it so light and fluffy. Everyone enjoyed it! It's now my go-to cake recipe.

Arthur
November 20, 2023
Verified

Deliciously simple cake.

Xena
October 15, 2023
Verified

OMG! Just baked this amazing vanillla cake for my besties bday! It’s super fluffy n delish! Everyone went crazy, I’m a bake goddess now! Can’t wait to try more flavors!

Bella84
October 5, 2023
Verified

Wow! This cake was such a hit at my daughter's birthday party! I loved how light and fluffy it turned out. Everyone devoured it! I made it with some colorful frosting, and it was an instant masterpiece! Will definitely make again for the next family gathering!

Zara
October 1, 2023
Verified

Delicious

Lucas Martin
April 28, 2023
Verified

This cake turned out fantastic! I made it for my son's birthday, and it was a hit with everyone. The texture was light and fluffy, just as promised. Truly a great recipe for any occasion!

Zoe
October 11, 2022
Verified

Superb! This vanilla cake brought smiles to my kids at their birthday party. Everyone loved it! Can't wait to bake it again!

Sam
October 8, 2022
Verified

Superb! I baked this cake for our anniversary and it turned out fluffy and delicious. Everyone loved it, especially the kids. It was so easy to make, I can't wait to try different frosting!

Wendy Thompson
September 6, 2022
Verified

This cake was a hit at my kids’ party! Yum!

Irene Smith
January 5, 2022
Verified

Super easy cake!

Rocío
August 15, 2021
Verified

¡Increíble! Hice este pastel para el cumple de mi esposo y todos se quedaron impresionados. La mezcla fue tan facil y el sabor, ¡wow! Nunca había preparado algo tan esponjoso. Sin duda volveré a hacerlo. 🎂

Tina
July 18, 2021
Verified

Yum!

William Johnson
June 23, 2020
Verified

Superb! I made this Classic Vanilla Cake for our anniversary, and it was a huge hit. Everyone loved the fluffy texture and delightful flavor. It's so simple to prepare, making it perfect for any occasion. Highly recommend this recipe to everyone.

Taste of the dish
Accuracy of stated difficulty
Instruction accuracy
Would you recommend this recipe to others?
0/1000
Add photos
Upload photos of your result. This will help others see how the dish should look.

Author Information

Email will not be displayed publicly