This moist vanilla buttermilk cake is a favorite. It’s easy and bakes in a 13×9 inch pan, then it’s topped with a yummy glaze that soaks in making the cake super moist and tasty. This cake is one of the best cakes I’ve ever had and it’s sure to be a family favorite.
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Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!
Confession…I ate A LOT of this cake. I mean I gave some away as well, but I personally ate way too much. This isn’t an exaggeration either. I LOVE this cake and it’s one of my absolute favorites.
Let’s Talk About Some of the Ingredients in this Cake:
All purpose flour: You’ll just use regular all purpose flour here, so no having to go out and find cake flour.
Buttermilk: Of course a buttermilk cake is going to have buttermilk in it. First, if you don’t like buttermilk, don’t panic. I don’t like buttermilk either and you will never catch me drinking it, but when it’s an ingredient in a cake, it will NOT come out tasting like buttermilk.
What buttermilk does in a cake is it gives it moisture and a really amazing taste, but nothing like if you were to drink it straight from the glass. So if you’re hesitant about trying it in a cake, don’t be. It’s seriously good.
The glaze also uses buttermilk, but don’t be scared away by that either. I promise, it does not taste like buttermilk. Also make sure to read the Tips and FAQ section in this post to answer questions about substituting it if you have to.
Vanilla Extract: Ideally I’d like to use vanilla bean paste (which you can still do if you want), but lately vanilla is super expensive, so vanilla extract does the job and it’ll still taste amazing.
Unsalted butter: This will be used for both the cake and the glaze. Read the Tips and FAQ section in this post to answer questions about substituting it.
Sugar: This recipe calls for regular granulated sugar for the cake and brown sugar for the glaze…(because brown sugar makes everything better, right?).
Mixing Method for this Cake:
For this cake, you’ll use the reverse creaming method. Don’t worry, it’s easy and I go through all the steps in the recipe card below.
The reverse creaming method just means you’ll mix up all the dry ingredients in one bowl, the liquid in another bowl, then you cut in the room temperature butter into the dry mixture and mix until it’s crumbly.
Then you’ll add in the liquid in two parts and mix. I actually find that the reverse creaming method is easier to do than the regular creaming method where you alternate adding in the ingredients…that’s kind of a pain sometimes.
Just remember that there is a video in the recipe card below that will show the mixing method as well.
Now, the easy thing about this cake is that it’s baked in a 13×9 inch glass pan, so there’s not worrying about having to remove the cakes from layer pans or anything like that. And you don’t have to get fancy with icing either.
The glaze is cooked on the stove (it’s really easy though) and then it’s poured over the warm cake (that you’ve poked holes in) and allowed to soak in. Don’t skip that part as that’s what really sets this cake apart.
Tips and FAQs for the Vanilla Buttermilk Cake:
This recipe calls for unsalted butter, which I find best for baking. You don’t really want to substitute it with margarine as that isn’t the same as butter and you may get an unintended result.
If you only have access to salted butter, you can use that, but omit the salt that the recipe calls for.
Yes, the butter for the cake batter, needs to be almost room temperature. Don’t microwave it as that over-heats it and can heat it unevenly.
Just cut the butter up and let it sit out on a plate to warm up a bit (for reference…that’s usually about an hour or a bit longer in about a 73 degree room).
As for the eggs, you can set them out when you start the mixing process and they should be just fine if they’re a little cold.
Don’t substitute them out as they are different. (For more info. on that, see this post: Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder)
Either is fine to use as they are generally interchangeable. I used light brown sugar though.
Mixing this way, will give you a tender cake.
It’s scientific, but essentially, if the cake batter is a little acidic, then it will help to make the cake more moist and tender because it will break down the longer strands of gluten that can be tough.
Well you’re in luck because you don’t really taste the buttermilk in cakes. I actually don’t like the taste or the texture of buttermilk, but it’s great to use for baking cakes. It makes them moist and just brings out all the other flavors.
If you have access to buttermilk, use that as that’s what will taste best in this recipe.
If you absolutely cannot get buttermilk, then you can substitute it by adding one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then pour in regular milk until it measures one cup. Let it sit for five minutes before adding to the batter. For this recipe, you’ll need one and a half cups, so make the substitution above once and then make half that amount.
Now, just understand that you won’t end up with the same exact cake if you use this substitute, so if you’re really just wanting a good vanilla cake that doesn’t use buttermilk, then you can find my recipe for that here: Favorite Vanilla Bean Cake
Yes, it’s great if you can get full fat buttermilk, but lately it’s been hard to find. I used the reduced fat buttermilk and it turned out great.
Yes and no. The cake batter will bake up the same whether baked in a 13×9 inch pan or two, 8″ round cake pans. However you may not want to use the glaze if you’re making this into a layer cake because it will make the cake layers very very soft and may not lift out of your cake pans properly.
If you do decide to make this as a layer cake not use the glaze, you may want to check out my recipe for vanilla buttercream here: Vanilla Bean Buttercream
You also want to make sure that you’ve poked holes in the warm cake with a skewer to help the glaze soak into the cake.
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Supplies Used for this Cake:
- KitchenAid Artisan mixer or handheld mixer
- Flat Beater Attachment if using a stand mixer
- Stainless steel measuring set
- Glass batter bowl
- Whisk set
- Glass 13×9 inch pan
- Rubber spatulas here or here
- Cooling racks
- Liquid measuring cups
- Wooden skewers (You can sometimes find these in smaller quantities at the dollar store or at your local Walmart or grocery store.)
Video:
Ok, let’s get to the recipe!
Note About Recipe Measurements: I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are more familiar with and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated when baking. For metric/weight measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card below. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s just a best guess. I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results, since I test recipes using volume measurements.
Recipe:
Moist Vanilla Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk (full fat is best, but low fat will work as well)
- 3 large whole eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) (room temperature – do not microwave)
For the glaze:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar (dark or light brown sugar, I used light)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
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Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray or grease a 13×9 inch glass pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk well and set aside. In another bowl, add the buttermilk, whole eggs, egg yolk, vanilla extract and vegetable oil. Whisk well and set aside.
- Cut the room temperature butter up into pieces (if not already done). Add in the butter pieces slowly to the flour mixture while you mix on medium speed. (You can use a hand mixer as well.) Once all the butter is added, mix until the flour mixture becomes crumbly and resembles sand.
- Add in half the liquid mixture and mix on medium speed, just until incorporated. Add in the last half of the liquid mixture and mix only until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again just until all the ingredients are mixed well. Only mix for about 10 seconds or so. Mixing for a minute or more is too long and can cause a dense or tough cake.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.
- Cake is done when it is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake, comes out with a few moist crumbs. (You do not have to wait until the toothpick comes out clean as that can over-bake your cake. Just make sure there is no raw batter on the toothpick and a few moist crumbs are fine.)
- Once the cake is baked, set on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes, then poke holes into the cake with a skewer and cover with the warm glaze. Let the cake sit for about 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
For the glaze:
- Once the cake is out of the oven, make the glaze. (You want the cake to still be warm when you pour the glaze on it, so don’t let the cake cool completely.)
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over low/medium heat. When the butter is completely melted, turn off the heat and immediately add in the brown sugar, vanilla and buttermilk. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add in the confectioner's sugar and stir well. If it's clumpy, just keep stirring until most of the clumps are dissolved. The rest will dissolve as it sits for a bit.
- Set the glaze aside (not in the fridge) until the cake has cooled for about 15 minutes, then poke holes in your still warm cake with skewers, then pour the warm glaze over the warm cake and let it soak in. If the glaze has cooled off a bit, you can turn the burner back on just enough to warm it back up before pouring over your cake.
- When you pour the glaze over the warm cake, the glaze should still be warm, but not hot.
- Let set up for about 30 minutes before cutting and serving. This will give the glaze enough time to soak into the cake well.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Share
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Other posts you might like:
- Favorite Vanilla Bean Cake
- One Bowl Vanilla Cake
- Spiced Eggnog Cake
- French Vanilla Cake
- Moist White Cake
Don’t forget to pin it below!
Esther
Sorry forgot to click 5 stars
Nancy
Hi Kara,
I’ve made this delicious cake several times and everyone loves it. Considering this cake has a delicate crumb, do you think it would withstand a chocolate buttercream frosting?
Thank you!
Kara
Yay! So glad everyone loved it! It’s one of my absolute favorites. So, I think it would be fine with chocolate buttercream on it. Just omit the glaze that soaks in and let the cake cool down completely. I think I’d probably make sure that the chocolate buttercream isn’t super thick in consistency. I mean you don’t want it runny obviously, but not super firm and I think it would be fine. That actually sounds really good. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Megan
Soooo moist! Liked by everyone…and I have a picky 6yr old so that’s saying alot.
I love vanilla and I have made many strawberry poke cakes so I gave it a try. I had to substitute margarine for the butter which I was a little uneasy about doing but it didn’t cause a problem. I’m guessing it would have been more of a buttery flavor if I hadn’t. Oh well. Still delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Kara
Wonderful! So glad everyone loved it and its good to know that it still worked using margarine. Thanks so much for the great review. 🙂
Christy
Can you freeze this?
Kara
You can freeze the cake, but I would wait to add the glaze until after it’s defrosted.
Tammy
why should you refrigerate the cake? it can’t sit out covered?
Kara
The glaze is made from buttermilk, so I thought it safer to keep leftovers in the refrigerator. It’s probably fine to sit out for a couple of hours, but just to be safe, I’d store leftovers in the fridge. Feel free to use your best judgment.
MegM
Made this for the first time tonight to use up leftover buttermilk. Followed the recipe as written except I only used half the glaze as I thought it would be too sweet for me otherwise. It was delicious. Extremely moist.
Kara
Yay! I’m so glad you liked this one and thanks for the great review. 🙂
Richie
I followed this recipe to a T and my boyfriend and I agree this is the best cake we have ever tasted in our lives!!!
Kara
Woo hoo! Yay, I’m so glad you both loved it! And thanks for the 5 stars. 🙂
Reagan Gray
Hi
This recipe is perfect! A big hit with everyone. I have a question. I would like to make these as mini cupcakes, do you think that will work? If so, will the baking time be different? Thank you!
Reagan
Kara
Hi Reagan, I’m so glad everyone loved this cake. It’s really one of my favorites. So, I haven’t tried this cake as mini cupcakes. I think they would probably work though and it’s worth a try. I’d probably bake them at 350 degrees F and start checking them at about 10 minutes. You may need to bake them a minute or two longer than 10 minutes but keep a close eye on them as these will bake much faster than an entire cake. Hope this helps.
Reagan Gry
Hi
Thank you for your advice! My friend loved the cake so much, she has asked me to make them as mini cupcakes for her Christmas party!
I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Warmly,
Reagan
Kara
Reagan, yay! I’m so glad it worked out! 🙂
peggy lafavers
Love love love this extra moist cake!! One of the best cakes of its type I’ve had and it got rave reviews!! I’m always a little scared to make an unfamiliar cake for guests, but I thought it sounded so good, I decided to be brave and try it. It did not disappoint! 💕❤️
Kara
Peggy, that’s wonderful! I’m so glad everyone loved it. It’s one of my favorites too and thanks so much for that great review. 🙂
Sandy
This is the best cake ever! It’s so moist and delicious. I’ve made it twice so far. I’m going to make one for Christmas and bring it to my family. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!
Kara
Wonderful! So glad you loved it! 🙂
Ola
Mine came out rlyyy sweet with the glaze and i’m not sure I liked that with the buttermilk sponge. Which is also pretty sweet tbh. Nice textures but the flavors were a pass for me.
Kara
Hi Ola, thanks for that feedback. 🙂
Shanna
Warning: Don’t make this unless you are ready to eat the whole cake.
Found this recipe just to use up my buttermilk but will now be used over and over- so good!!
Kara
Awe this is the best review…thank you! This is one of my favorites as well and I’m so glad you loved it just as much! 🙂
Cynthia
can you do this cake in a sheet pan?
Kara
I haven’t tried baking this in a sheet pan, so I’m not sure. If you do, just know the batter will be more spread out, since a sheet pan is much bigger than a 13×9 inch pan, and you’ll need to bake it for a lot less time, so watch it carefully.
JSimon
Delicious! So moist and buttery rich!!
Kara
Yay! Thanks for the great review. 🙂
Michelle Nicole
This cake is absolutely delicious! I whipped it up yesterday and was very pleased with the results. The instructions were clear/perfectly written, which I greatly appreciated. The cake is even tastier the next day in my opinion. Thank you for the fantastic recipe! 😊💕👍
Kara
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it…it’s one of my favorites too. 😉 Thanks for the great review, Michelle.
Amy L
This was a truly outstanding cake recipe. Moist, quite sweet (not overly so), and completely delicious. 10/10 recommend!
Kara
Yay! Amy I’m so glad! This is one of my favorites and I’m so glad you love it too. Thanks for the great review. 🙂
Jeannie
I had pretty low expectations… I just wanted to use up my buttermilk, but then I had no veg oil so I had to use olive oil, I barely had enough flour, and my butter was melty because of the heat in my un-air conditioned kitchen . Also, I didn’t have a glass pan, so I had to use metal. Lol !! But guess what??? It’s delicious!!! Really delicious!! Thank you!!!
Kara
Oh I love this comment! 😉 With all those circumstances, it still turned out great…I’m so glad! Thank you so much for sharing that. It’s good to know its a forgiving recipe. 😊 Thanks for the great review!
Samantha
Very tasty and moist. I sliced peaches and added it on top while baking and topped with whipped topping and was delicious.
Kara
Yay! So glad you liked it and I LOVE the idea of topping it with peaches and whipped topping. I definitely need to try that. Thanks for the great review!
cat
very good – moist, light. i wanted to make this in a bundt pan but didn’t seem sturdy enough. i find it easier to use my hands/fingers to make the butter/flour mixture “sand” (or pea-sized crumbles, depending on the recipe) – this way you don’t get chunks just flying thru the spaces in the beaters. also, when a baking recipe calls for sugar most of the time i use half white and half brown; very nice with in this cake. as we don’t like glazes or frosting just served it with whipped cream – it was just right. i appreciate your comment about the toothpick not having to come out clean – i probably would have over baked it. thank you for this recipe.
Kara
Thanks so much for the great review! Glad to know it also worked using half granulated and half brown sugar. That sounds really good!