If you’re a
vanilla cake fan and have never tried a white cake, you’re in for a treat. This white cake is tender, light, fluffy, and moist and layered with satiny-smooth vanilla frosting. With three layers of cake and swoops and swirls of frosting, this dessert makes a statement, making it perfect for birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations. Read on for everything you need to know to make the best-ever white cake:
What’s the difference between vanilla cake, yellow cake, and white cake?
Vanilla cake is a more general term, referring to a cake that contains vanilla. The main difference between yellow and white cake is eggs. Yellow cake uses whole eggs and bakes up a bit softer than white cake because the yolks add fat to the batter. White cake uses egg whites to keep the batter from being tinted yellow by the yolks. (Psst: We have lots of ideas about what to do with those extra yolks.) White cake recipes also often call for clear extracts to avoid tinting the batter. Here we used clear vanilla and almond extracts, but if you want a truly vanilla cake, skip the almond.
How to make the best white cake:
—Fluff and spoon your flour. We highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your flour, but if you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your measuring cup before leveling it off with a butter knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup. Too much flour can lead to a dense cake.
—Use room-temperature ingredients. A smooth batter depends on room-temperature ingredients. Set your eggs, sour cream, milk, and butter on the counter before you preheat your oven.
—Mix the batter well, but not too much. Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and turns a lighter color, which can take around three minutes. Mix in eggs and other ingredients just until incorporated and go easy on the mixing once the flour goes in. Overmixing the batter after you add the flour can make your cake tough.
—Keep an eye on it. For moist, tender cake, bake the layers just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The timing can vary widely depending on your oven, so if the cake starts looking and smelling done, give it a test and see.
—Cool cake layers completely. Make sure your cake is completely cool before you bust out the frosting. If the cake is still warm, the frosting will melt, causing the layers to slip and slide. Running short on time? Stick the cake layers in the fridge or freezer for a quick chill.
Can I make white cake in advance?
Definitely! You have a few options. You can bake the cake layers the day before, let them cool to room temperature, then wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap and pop it in the refrigerator. If you want to freeze the cakes, wrap the plastic-wrapped cakes in foil and stash them in large resealable bags. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake layers in the fridge overnight before frosting.
Storage:
Once the cake is frosted and decorated, it will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container. Store it in the fridge to help it last a few days longer.
Have you made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!