This super moist white cake recipe from scratch is the best white cake I’ve ever had. It’s made with sour cream and has a deliciously soft texture. No more looking around for a homemade white cake that’s actually moist. It’s the perfect recipe for a wedding cake or a birthday cake.
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!
It’s an age old problem. How to get a moist white cake. You try recipe after recipe and either they taste like cornbread, the texture isn’t good, or it just isn’t moist enough. So, you end up just going for a box when you really wanted to make something with that ‘scratch wedding cake taste’.
You may have seen my Favorite Vanilla Bean Cake recipe on the blog. If not, go and check it out…it’s so moist and really tasty. It’s my favorite vanilla cake, hence the name, but I wanted to see if I could get a truly ‘white’ cake that I loved just as much and I wanted to get that wedding cake flavor.
Well I think I’ve done it. This cake is actually a white cake (I’d also consider it a vanilla cake) that is actually moist, AND it’s got that wedding cake taste.
LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CAKE INGREDIENTS:
Egg whites: So, when trying to get a cake as white as possible, I wanted to use only egg whites. Generally, using only egg whites can tend to dry out a cake a bit, so you have to add a bit more moisture, which I’ve done as well.
Butter & Shortening: Now, I like a buttery taste to my cake, but in the effort to try and get a ‘whiter’ cake, I lessened the amount of butter and substituted the rest with shortening. If you want an all butter cake recipe (using no shortening), you’ll want to check out my vanilla cake recipe.
All purpose flour or cake flour: Another thing to note is that you can use either all purpose flour or cake flour for this recipe. The amounts will differ and that’s noted on the printable recipe below.
Here’s the deal though: Using cake flour will give you a whiter cake. I’m not a scientist or anything, but I think it’s because the cake flour seems to be more bleached than the all purpose. I could be wrong, but regardless, you’ll get a whiter cake using cake flour.
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Vanilla Extract: First it’s the vanilla. You can always use clear extract to make sure it’s not adding any additional color to the batter, but I tend to use regular vanilla because honestly, it’s just better. If you can get it, try to use vanilla paste/emulsion (or grab it here if my shop is sold out).
Almond emulsion: Second, I added in my favorite flavor booster…almond emulsion (or get it here if my shop is sold out). You’re using just a touch of it, so you won’t really get an ‘almond taste’. It just adds to the flavor. Seriously most people won’t even know you’ve added it in there…they’ll just know it tastes amazing.
Ok, if you just can’t stand the thought of adding it, or you don’t have any handy, then don’t worry, it’ll still taste good. Oh and the emulsion is much better than the extract. The extract just does not taste good to me.
Butter Extract: Lastly I added in a bit of butter flavoring. Since I’d replaced some of the butter with shortening, I wanted to add back in some flavor. Now, that part is optional, but it really seems to give it that wedding cake flavor.
The butter flavoring you can get at the grocery store is gross to me…now that’s just my opinion. I feel like Lorann’s Butter Emulsion tastes much better.
You’ll also want to check out my vanilla bean buttercream recipe…it goes perfectly with this cake, but if you’re looking for a bright white buttercream, you’ll want to check out that recipe here: Bright White Heat Stable Buttercream.
MIXING METHOD FOR THE WHITE CAKE:
You’ll be using the reverse creaming method when mixing this cake. I like using that because it helps preven over-mixing the cake batter (which can cause problems with the texture).
The reverse creaming method is just mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid in another. Then you’ll slowly mix in the butter and shortening to the dry mixture and let it coat the flour.
You’ll then add the liquid in two parts, mixing in between. It’s really an easier way to mix a cake in my opinion.
TIPS AND FAQS FOR THE WHITE CAKE RECIPE:
No, you don’t want to do that. These do two different things.
It’s basically just fat. I use vegetable shortening like Crisco, not lard which is animal fat. This helps get the cake moist and I use this in place of most of the butter to keep the color as white as possible.
Because I like the taste of butter. You just can’t beat butter in a cake.
I don’t recommend doing that. It could get too warm and will heat up unevenly. That could mess with the texture of your cake. Just set the butter out on your counter and let it warm up to almost room temp. It’s ok if it’s a little cooler than room temp…you just don’t want it warm.
You can, but the cake won’t be as moist and the texture and taste may be a little different than the original recipe. If you can’t find sour cream, try using full fat yogurt (not the low fat kind).
No not really. Actually regular vanilla extract or vanilla bean emulsion (or paste) tastes better, but clear will help keep the cake white if that’s really an important factor for you.
No. Some people just don’t like almond taste, but I will tell you that if you haven’t tried it, you might actually like the small hint of it. A lot of people assume they won’t like it, but honestly I think it tastes different than what most people think it would taste like. And you’ll just be adding a touch of it, just enough to add a little flavor.
No, but I think it adds a little more butter flavor and that in combination with the vanilla and almond emulsion are what gives it that classic wedding cake taste.
I’ve got links just below the recipe card for the ones that I like to use.
Anymore questions? Just let me know. I’m happy to help.
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Items & Tools Used for this cake:
- Vanilla Bean Paste – in my shop OR here if I’m sold out
- Almond Emulsion – in my shop OR here if I’m sold out
- Butter Emulsion
- KitchenAid Hand Mixer
- 8″ Round Baking Pans
Video:
Ok, I won’t talk your head off anymore…let’s get straight 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 White Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or 2 ¾ cups cake flour – for an even whiter cake)
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup shortening
- ¼ cup butter (unsalted, room temp.)
- 1 cup sour cream (full fat)
- ½ cup milk (whole milk if you can get it)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract (can use clear extract)
- ½ teaspoon almond emulsion (optional)
- 1 teaspoon butter extract (or emulsion) (optional)
- 6 egg whites (large eggs)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease and flour two 8 inch round (2 inch deep) cake pans. You could also use three 6 inch round pans.
- In a bowl, mix together the sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, almond emulsion, butter extract and egg whites.Whisk until smooth and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.Whisk together.
- Add the shortening and butter in chunks to the flour mixture.
- Mix until the flour is coated with the shortening and butter. The mixture will be crumbly.
- Add in half the liquid mixture and mix just until combined.
- Add in the last half of the liquid mixture and mix just until combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix again, only for 10-15 seconds.You want to be careful not to over-beat the batter.
- Pour into the greased and floured cake pans and bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack then cover with buttercream.
Notes
This cake can be frozen for up to a month if wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil. Nutritional values are an estimate. Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which may answer questions about substitutions. *This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Buttercream Recipe Links: Vanilla Bean Buttercream Recipe Bright White Heat Stable Buttercream Recipe
Nutrition
How to Share
I’d love for you to share this recipe link or tag it, but please do not share screenshots or copy/paste the recipe to social media as the content and photographs are copyright protected and we (bloggers) work really hard on our content. Sharing the link, tagging us on socials and pinning it is super appreciated though!
OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:
Emily
This is an AMAZING recipe! The perfect white cake 😁 I subbed Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free & used clear vanilla extract in place of all extract/emulsions. It is fluffy, not overly sweet, a slight sugar crust….perfection 💝 Can’t wait to serve this for my son’s birthday!
Kara
Emily, this is wonderful to hear! I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for letting me know that the 1 to 1 gluten flour worked – that is great to know and it will help others who need a gluten free cake. Thank you for the great review and also happy birthday to your son!
Melody
I made this cake for a graduation for family. I made it into a fun fetti cake with whipped icing. it was a hit I brought home 4 pieces out of a 16×16 pan. Everyone loved it was so good
Kara
Hi Melody, this is great! I’m so glad everyone loved it and I LOVE the idea of making it into a funfetti cake! Thank you for the awesome review! 🙂
Ami
This is the BEST White Cake Recipe I have ever made! The flavor and texture are absolutely perfect. The cake stays moist for several days and the combination of extracts creates the most amazing flavor profile. I’ve made this recipe 4 times and it comes out perfect everytime!
Kara
Hi Ami, that is awesome! I’m so glad you love this cake and I really appreciate the great review!
Beverly calvin
Been trying several recipes for white cake. This one beats them all. Would like to try it as a marble cake, any suggestion on how and if you think it would work?
Kara
That’s awesome, Beverly! So glad to hear this! I do have a marble cake recipe that is similar to this one if you’d like to try it. Here’s the link: https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/scratch-marble-layer-cake/
If you want to use this exact recipe though to make a marble cake, here’s what you can try:
Remove about 1 cup of the finished white cake batter and set it aside. In a small bowl, dissolve ½ cup cocoa powder in about 2 tablespoons of water, then mix it into the reserved batter. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter into the main white cake batter that’s still in the mixing bowl and swirl gently, then add to the pans. Another way to do this would be to layer both batters into the pans and swirl. Avoid adding all the chocolate on top and swirling because I’ve found that doesn’t get the swirl throughout the cake batter enough in my experience. I have not tried this exact method with this white cake, but the technique should work in theory for creating a marbled version. If you try it out, let me know how it goes! And thank you so much for the wonderful review!
Pamela
I was looking for a white cake that was a little different. Adding buttermilk is amazing. My granddaughter loved the cake. Thank you for posting this I will definitely add it to my list of favorite cakes.
Kara
So glad your daughter loved it! Thank you for the wonderful comment. 🙂
Duane Trammell
This cake recipe is what I have been looking for…for 25 years! A cake that tastes like a professional baker’s wedding cake. The crumb/texture of this cake is perfect. The flavor is perfect. I bought each of the special flavorings and followed the recipe exactly. It came out perfect. This will be my go-to recipe for special occasions. Thank you for experimenting to arrive at a recipe that we can make. I was reluctant to use the shortening recipe icing instead of butter cream, but it is actually perfect for this cake, holds up better, and makes a professional-looking cake. Taste difference was negligible. It is possible to cut the the heat stable icing recipe in half and still have enough for the 8″ cake if you just want a medium coverage with little piping. Delicious. We have devoured the cake in just a few days!
Kara
Duane, what a wonderful review! Thank you so much! I am so happy that you love this cake and that it’s what you’ve been searching for. This comment has really brightened my day!
SANDRA JOY WHITBREAD
I’ve made this cake a few times and now I’m getting asked to make it for every gathering. I’ve been filling it with raspberry filling, and using butter cream frosting because that’s what my family likes. it really is the best white cake I’ve ever had. thank you for sharing your talents.
Kara
Hi Sandra, thank you so much for this wonderful review! I am so glad you love this one and I LOVE the idea of filling with raspberry filling!
Terry
I hate to waste those egg yolks; can I skip the whiteness and use them anyway? Also is it possible to make this in a 10” Bundt Pan?
Kara
Hi Terry, you can, but you won’t need as much. You can just use three whole eggs. I’m not sure exactly how the cake will turn out as I didn’t test it using whole eggs. It should be fine, however it may be a little more dense with the whole eggs. If you’re just looking for a vanilla cake using whole eggs and not necessarily a white cake, I do have a few on my site. Here’s one you could try: https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/moist-vanilla-cake-strawberry-filling/
Just skip the strawberry filling if that’s not what you’re going for. 🙂
Ann
do you have this recipe with the ingredients in weights?
Kara
Hi Ann, if you click the word ‘metric’ under the ingredient list in the recipe card, it will automatically convert the ingredients to metric for you and most will be in weight measurements. Hope this helps.
Victoria Johnson
Can I use buttermilk instead of whole milk?
Kara
Hi Victoria, I think that would work fine. This recipe already has baking soda in it (which is needed when adding an acid, since we’re already using sour cream), so I think it should be enough. I’m not entirely sure how it would affect the texture, since it’s thicker than the milk, but it may work out fine.
Victoria Burruano
it was amazing, i did a jam layer and
now i want to make another one! it was perfect, thank you for the recipe!
Kara
Adding a jam layer sounds delicious! So glad you liked it and thank you for the great review!
Debbie
I am planning on making this for my grandson’s but I don’t want to use Crisco.
Can you recommend a healthier alternative, maybe unrefined coconut oil or non-hydrogenated palm oil shortenings like Spectrum Organic, which avoid trans fats entirely and have a better fat profile?
Kara
Hi Debbie, Happy to help. I use shortening in this particular cake because it adds the fat, but keeps the cake white in color. It also gives the cake a fluffier texture. Having said that, theoretically coconut oil would work as well. I have not tested that out in this recipe specifically, so I don’t know for sure how it will affect the texture, but it’s definitely worth a shot. It might leave a slight coconut taste unless you use the refined coconut oil. You could just use butter in place of the shortening as well, however I feel like the cake would not be quite as moist and soft and it would be more of a yellow color.
Here are some links to a couple butter vanilla cakes: (these are more of a yellow or golden color as they’re made with whole eggs and all butter)
https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/moist-vanilla-cake-strawberry-filling/
https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/favorite-vanilla-bean-cake/
You could probably use palm oil, although I generally steer clear of recommending anything ‘palm’ as it can be upsetting to some over environmental concerns and I try not to get involved in those types of discussions.
I hope this helps! Also, if you do try the coconut oil, I’d love to know how it turns out and what you thought about it!
Megan
Can I use this recipe and make a chocolate cake?
Kara
Hi Megan, I have a few chocolate cake recipes on the site. Here is one of my favorites: https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/chocolate-butter-cake/
Hope this helps!
Blimey
hi when my husband asks me 4 a vanilla pound cake, I searched and searched.. recipe after recipe… & then found yours… and the Search ended! (thanku)
my question is this vanilla/ white cake can it be left on the counter… or does it need to be refrigerated,cause of the sour cream?
thanking u in advance,
Kara
Hi Blimey, thank you for your lovely comment and review! This cake can just be stored at room temp on the counter, but make sure you cover it well with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. The sour cream, eggs, butter, milk etc are all baked in, so it’s fine to stay at room temp. Keeping cakes in the fridge causes them to dry out quicker and makes the texture a bit firm anyway. Now, if you added fruit to the batter or to the filling or frosting, then it should be stored in the fridge as that would make it a perishable item. Also if you added a cream cheese or whipped cream topping, then it would need to be stored in the fridge. Basically, the cake on it’s own can stay at room temp for several days covered well, but if you add anything perishable to it, then you’ll need to store it in the fridge. Hope this helps!
Blimey
Hi, me again….
I’ve made this sooo many times… since I ladt wrote u… & appreciate ur quick response.
New question I guess….
I’ve made this cake soo many times since, (I had to change some ingredients…& it WAS totally fine & DELICIOUS!
I couldn’t use butter cuz I wanted it Dairy free… soo I used a Plant-based butter/ Margarine… & we don’t like Almond extract… soo I use vanilla, & a Dairy free Butter Extract instead.)
sooo here’s my dilemma… I’ve been doing this to a T… DELICIOUS EVERY TIME ….. EXCEPT THE last 2x… I have no clue… Y it’s coming out raw… little rise… (ingredients are all new… & sour cream Dairy free RT… eggs RT… (room temperature) (basically everything that has to be Room Temperature/ RT… is… I don’t over mix… I even fold in the Last bit of flour…
(I keep telling my husband it’s the oven…. but APPARENTLY, HE KNOWS BETTER , & KEEPS TELLING ME. IT’S in my head…)
3 thermometers & all different temperatures.
I figured I pick ur brain lol.
thanks again!
Kara
I’m so happy you’ve made the cake so many times and are still loving it with your dairy-free swaps! I love that you’ve made it work for your needs. 🙂
So… the mystery of the last two times. First off, I do not think it’s just in your head (tell your husband I said so 😄). If your method hasn’t changed and you’re still being super careful about room temp ingredients, mixing, and all that, then you’re doing everything right.
Now, I haven’t personally tested this recipe with dairy-free ingredients, so I can’t say for sure how each brand works in cake recipes. But it’s definitely possible something in the plant-based butter or sour cream has changed. Maybe they made a slight tweak in formulas?
Also, have you checked the baking soda and baking powder? That’s the first thing I thought of since you said it’s not rising. Even if the baking powder is brand new, maybe something is still off with it. I’ve had that happen to me before.
Since you mentioned the oven, I totally agree it could still be the issue if the cake isn’t baking and still actually raw. And I know you’re doing this, but you know I have to say it: Make sure the oven’s fully preheated before baking, maybe even preheat it for 20 minutes before you put the cake in and that the cake is going on the middle rack.
You’re clearly doing everything you’re supposed to be doing. This is a real mystery. Can you try baking something else in your oven and see if it has trouble rising? Even just a plain cake mix just to see if the oven is working properly? That might answer the question of it being the oven. If it bakes up properly, then I’d definitely look into the baking powder and other ingredients.
Keep me posted if you try it again!
Janel
Hello I was wondering if you have doubled the recipe and if it changed the texture of the cake thank you so much.
Kara
Hi Janel! I haven’t personally doubled this one, so I can’t say for sure how it would affect the texture. I have done a batch and a half before though, since I was using two 10-inch pans, and that worked out just fine. If you do try doubling it, just make sure not to mix too long as that could make the cake very dense. And I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a go!
Noelle Cain
I’ve made this a few times. I had one question though. Is it okay if the batter is a little lumpy? I didn’t want to over mix it but I was using a stand mixer which is different from the video. Will the lumps left just melt into the cake as it’s baking? I’m just worried about having chunks of shortening or butter in it.
Kara
Hi Noelle, that’s actually a very good question. So, when you mix the shortening and butter with the flour mixture, that mixture should end up being a sand-like consistency. Then, when you mix in the liquid, it can sometimes clump up a little and that’s not unusual. It’s okay to have very small clumps – you just don’t want bigger ones. I have a video on my channel on how long to mix cake batter. There’s a vanilla cake recipe I used for that one that uses the same mixing method as this white cake recipe. I’ll add the link below. It’ll show you exactly how long I mix and what the batter should look like. (Even though the recipe is a little different, it’s still relevant.) It’s an older video and honestly my flour/butter mixture should have been more sand-like, but it will still give you an idea on how long to mix and hopefully that will help. This is an excellent question because there’s such a fine line between mixing long enough and also not having clumps and mixing too much and getting a dense/rubbery cake. Here’s the link: (skip to about 13 minutes in) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM6EmApf6Hs
Reach out again if you have more questions. I’m happy to help!
Noelle Cain
So that video is butter only. Is this recipe here doable without shortening? That was part that I’m not sure if it incorporated properly.
Kara
Noelle, so I picked that video because it’s the same mixing method as the white cake, but it does use butter instead of shortening. Either way, that mixing method works for both butter cakes and shortening cakes. That part is interchangeable. The reason I use shortening in the moist white cake is to keep it white and it helps make the cake more tender and moist. You can use butter instead if you would like however, in my opinion, the shortening adds a bit more tenderness and moisture and just know that the cake might come out with a slightly more yellow tint when using all butter.