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.
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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!
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)
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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
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OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:
Terry M
Kara, I would like to use the wonderfully mouthwatering recipe to make cupcakes to take along on a “Thelma & Louise” type of girl’s only trip from Alabama to Waco, Texas, with my best friend. For ease of eating on-the-go, I was thinking of making your White Heat Stable Buttercream and putting it in a plastic container. My question: Would the cake recipe be suitable for making cupcakes? If so, what would be the oven temp/bake time? How many cupcakes would you expect from this recipe? Thank you for your time. Will let you know how things turn out!
Kara
Hi Terry, a Thelma & Louise girls’ trip sounds fun! Growing up, I lived not too far from Waco. So, this cake recipe should be just fine for cupcakes. Weirdly enough, I don’t make a ton of cupcakes, but there are many who have used this recipe to make them. If you’re going to use this recipe for cupcakes though, I’d bake them at 350 degrees F and start checking them at about 15-20 minutes or so. Just use the toothpick method to see if they’re done and take them out when there are still a few moist crumbs left on the toothpick. You don’t have to wait until the toothpick cooms out clean, it just needs to not have any raw batter on it. Be careful not to overbake though as they could turn out dry. To tote them, try to keep them in an airtight container, since cupcakes can tend to dry out quickly if not sealed up. This recipe should make around 24 cupcakes. Have a super fun trip!
Amber
hi! I love this cake recipe and have been using it for a LONG time, but it always fails for cupcakes. They rise nicely, then fall after they start cooling. Not sure why but absolute fail each and every time. i changed baking times/temps, adjusted the powder, milk…. i’m at a loss.
Kara
Hey Amber, I might have a solution for you to try out. What I’ve found is that cakes using the reverse creaming method, like this one, tend to flatten out when cooling and never really rise up quite as high. I personally love using the reverse creaming method for cake layers as I feel like it makes a softer, smoother texture, but for cupcakes, sometimes you just want them a bit fluffier. Anyway, I do know a few people that like cupcakes on the flat side because they can add more buttercream to them, but personally, I like them with the dome tops on them.
So, my solution is to change the mixing method and see how that goes. Use the regular creaming method. I’ll write it out here:
Take the liquid ingredients (except for the eggs) and add them all to a bowl and mix. Set aside.
Add the dry ingredients (except for the sugar) and add them to a bowl and set aside.
Now take the butter and the shortening and add it to a large mixing bowl and mix until creamy.
Add the sugar to that bowl and mix well on medium-high for several minutes (maybe around 3-4) until light and fluffy. You want to incorporate a lot of air into it.
Once that’s done, add about 1/2 of the egg whites into the butter mixture and mix on medium for about 20 seconds until it’s mixed in, then add the second half of the eggs and just mix about 20 seconds until well combined.
Next alternately add in the dry and liquid ingredients. Start and end with the dry. Add 1/3 of the dry, mix only on medium to medium-high, then add 1/2 the liquid, mix only until incorporated, add another 1/3 of the dry and mix, the last half of the liquid and mix, then the last 1/3 of the dry and mix. Be VERY careful only to mix until the ingredients are incorporated. Using this method, it’s very easy to overmix the batter and you’ll get a rubbery texture. That’s another reason I really like the reverse creaming method, but this can be done, don’t worry. Anyway just don’t mix at too high a speed and stop mixing once everything is well combined.
Then add the batter to the cupcake pans. Bake them at 350 degrees F.
This method is the regular creaming method and it sometimes makes for a fluffier texture that’s better for cupcakes.
Try this and let me know how it goes. If it doesn’t help, it may be more beneficial to try out another recipe on the site to make the cupcake…one of the butter cakes with whole eggs as this one is more of a shortening and egg white cake.
I hope this helps!
Chandon
Can this recipe be used for standard size cupcakes?
Kara
Hi Chandon, So, this cake recipe should be just fine for cupcakes. I don’t make a ton of cupcakes, but there are many who have used this recipe to make them. If you’re going to use this recipe for cupcakes though, I’d bake them at 350 degrees F and start checking them at about 15-20 minutes or so although they may take a few more minutes than that. Just use the toothpick method to see if they’re done and take them out when there are still a few moist crumbs left on the toothpick. You don’t have to wait until the toothpick cooms out clean, it just needs to not have any raw batter on it. Be careful not to overbake though as they could turn out dry. Hope this helps.
Jodi Hilbelink
The best white cake I have ever had! Truly taste like a wedding cake from high-end bakery. Amazing!
Kara
Jodi, yay!!! So glad you liked it and thanks so much for the wonderful review. 🙂
Melanie
Can I do this as a 9×13?
Kara
Yes, it should work in a 9×13 pan. I don’t usually bake it in that size pan, so I don’t have an exact time for you, but I would start checking it at around 30-35 minutes although you may need to bake it a bit longer for the middle to be done. Just use a toothpick inserted into the center to make sure there’s no raw batter on it. The toothpick doesn’t have to come out clean, it can have a few moist crumbs on it, just no raw batter.
Brittney
Hi there! This looks so amazing and moist. I was wondering if i could half the recipe. Would it turn out the same?
Kara
Hi Brittney, I haven’t tried just making half of it, but I think it would work just fine though. 🙂
Brittney Chung
Thanks so much, Kara! 🙂 It did come out really yummy. Although, it was moist.. it came out really dense. Did I over bake it? Also, was wondering do all the dairy products need to be room temp or just the butter?
Kara
So if it came out dense, it’s usually because it was mixed too long or at too high a speed. Once the liquid ingredients are added, be very careful only to mix until well combined. All the little lumps (if there are any) don’t need to be perfectly smoothed out, you just don’t want large lumps. You can let the liquid ingredients come to room temperature. That always helps everything mix together better, but if you can’t, it’s not vital. The biggest thing for scratch cakes is not to mix very long, (it’s the opposite of cake mixes) you just want to mix until it’s well incorporated. I hope this helps.
Emily R.
Hi! This recipe looks delicious. Could I try as a sheet cake? Thanks!
Kara
Yes, I don’t usually bake it in a 13×9 inch pan, so I don’t have an exact time for you, but I would start checking it at around 30-35 minutes although you may need to bake it a bit longer for the middle to be done. Just use a toothpick inserted into the center to make sure there’s no raw batter on it. The toothpick doesn’t have to come out clean, it can have a few moist crumbs on it, just no raw batter.
Suzy
This cake was delicious. I made it in 9×13 at 325 degrees for 42 minutes. The flavor was great and it was very moist. The only thing I would change is how heavy/dense it was. I didn’t put any of the optional ingredients in (butter extract/emulsion, etc) and I reduced the sugar by a half cup. I don’t know if these changes alone would cause this denseness? I was very careful not to overmix. If I replaced shortening with oil, would it make it lighter/fluffier? Any suggestions on how to modify would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for the recipe!
Kara
Hi Suzy, glad you liked the cake! So, adjusting the sugar by only a half cup may have had an effect…how much though, I’m not sure. Sugar does give cake it’s sweetness, but it also helps with the texture (by helping it remain tender) and it helps make the cake moist. The emulsions wouldn’t have any affect on the texture, just the taste. The only other thing I can think of is mixing too long, but you said you were careful not to do that. Using oil instead of shortening would not help, that would probably make it worse. Shortening actually helps to make cakes fluffly and moist. I’m just not sure at this point what could have happened honestly. I will say that sometimes scratch cakes are slightly more dense than cake box cakes, so if you’re new to scratch cakes, then it might be a subtle change than what is expected, but it still shouldn’t be that dense though. It’s hard to guess since I can’t see it being made and really the only suggestion I have for dense cakes is just not mixing too long. If you do try to make it again, once the liquid is added, only mix until it’s well combined. It might be a shorter time than you think. Scratch cakes are kind of finicky that way. Mixing too long can overdevelop the gluten and they just don’t have the additives etc. like the box cakes do to prevent that. Oh, also another thing is to make sure that the speed of the mixer isn’t super high. That could cause it as well. I have also noticed that I personally prefer using the all-purpose flour over the cake flour because I think its more moist, but I have heard from others who like the cake flour better. You might try the other type of flour from the one you used and see if that makes a difference. I have measurements for both on the recipe card. I hope this helps!
Kelly
I made this cake yesterday and I have to say this is the best, easiest, moistest, most delicious white cake I have ever made. It is light but dense. The crumb is perfect and the flavor is divine. I absolutely love it and so does my husband! White cake is his favorite and I have made him several over the years and this is the best! Perfect for 8” cake pans, baked for 47 minutes and it was perfect! I paired it with a chocolate buttercream and this will be the only whitw cake I ever make again! Thank you!
Kara
Oh yay! I’m so glad you and your husband loved it. And I like that you described it as both light and dense. I agree…it’s a combination of both…not to overly fluffy and not too dense. Thank you so much for that wonderful review! 🙂
Kenderlynn Christophe
Hi there! How can I multiply this recipe to feed like 40 people. I need to do a 12 inch round cake for a baby shower. Do I just double the ingredients?
Kara
So I think a recipe plus a half would get you about two 12″ round cake layers. If you wanted to double the recipe (since that’s a lot easier to compute), then that might give you a little extra batter to play with just in case and maybe a small amount leftover to make a few cupcakes. If it were me, I’d just double the recipe, so I could have nice full cake layers and maybe a few extra cupcakes to snack on. 😉
Also, do you have any heating cores or flower nails for the 12 inch pans? If you do, make sure to use those so the middle of the cake layers bake at the same rate as the outside. I use them for any cake layer larger than 10 inches. If you don’t have them, you can find them on Amazon. They’re pretty inexpensive.
Tammy
I figured i would try this recipe because all my other cakes have come out dry. Since I didn’t care if it was white or yellow, I used 3 whole eggs instead of 6 egg whites. I also made a blueberry filling for in-between layers. My daughter’s co-workers were my test subjects, lol. They said it was the best cake they ever had. making this again tonight for myself
Kara
That’s awesome Tammy! I’m so glad everyone loved it. 🙂 It sounds like you have previous baking experience to know you can substitute three whole eggs for the six egg whites…yay! Using whole eggs will make it a bit richer and a bit more moist than using egg-whites, so to anyone else reading this, if you don’t need the cake to be white…try what Tammy suggested. Thanks again for the great review!
Annette
Can I use buttered flavored shortening instead of the butter extract?
Kara
I think that would work ok. I haven’t tried it myself. It might make the cake a little less white, depending on how yellow it is, but it’s worth a try though.
Rose
The recipe says 8” pans. Can I use 9” pans? Sorry if someone has already asked this. I looked through some comments and didn’t see the question. Thank you.
Kara
Hi Rose, you can use 9 inch pans however the layers will be a bit thinner and you’ll bake for a shorter amount of time. I don’t use 9 inch pans, so I don’t exactly how long, but start checking at about 10-15 minutes earlier, just to be safe.
Vickie
Can this recipe be made for a sheet cake? Needing to make one for a birthday party.
Kara
Hi Vickie, So this recipe makes enough batter to fill a 13×9 inch pan, which is a quarter of a sheet cake. Basically, it’ll depend on how big of a sheet cake you want to make, but if it needs to be bigger than a quarter sheet cake, just double the recipe for a half sheet cake pan and so on. It should bake fine baked in a 13×9 inch pan (that’s 2 inches deep) at the same temperature and at about the same time. If you bake in larger pans, it will depend on how large the pan is and how deep it is. For a pan that is less than 2 inches deep, it won’t need to bake as long because the batter won’t be as thick, so you’ll have to keep a close eye on it. Thinner cakes tend to turn out dryer though, so in my opinion, I wouldn’t go thinner than a pan that’s 2 inches deep. Now for larger pans that are at least 2 inches deep, you may have to bake longer since there’s more batter and the entire pan is bigger. For cakes that are half sheet pan size or larger, I usually use a heating core in the middle so everything bakes more evenly. Hope this helps!
Dawn
Super excited to make this for a friend and her husband who LOVE wedding cake. She is having surgery this week and I told her I would make it. I have 6 inch round baking pans. How many would this batter fill? BTW this looks amazing and I read all the reviews. I cannot wait to make it!
Kara
Hi Dawn, I hope your friend loves the cake! My biggest tip is to not mix it long or too high of speed. Also, this cake recipe will make enough batter to fill two, 8 inch round cake pans, so if you’re filling two, 6 inch pans, then just fill the pans about 2/3 of the way full and there should be a little bit of batter left over. I always like to make a few cupcakes with leftover batter like that. So, when baking in the two, six inch pans, start checking it about ten minutes earlier just in case it bakes quicker, because it just might since the pans are smaller. Baking too long will dry it out, so keep an eye on it.
Now, if you want to make three, six inch cakes, then just split the batter between the three, six inch pans, however the layers will be a little thinner than normal layers, since it’s split between the three pans, so you’ll need to shorten the baking time a bit. Keep a close eye on it. Hope this helps!
Dawn
Could I use buttermilk in place of the whole milk?
Kara
I think that would be okay. It’s only calling for 1/2 cup and there’s already some baking soda called for in the recipe, so it should be fine.
Jolynn
Can I use this recipe for a funfetti cake? I really love this recipe.
Kara
Hi Jolynn, first I’m so glad that you love this recipe. Also, thanks for the great review! To answer your question, yes, you can most certainly use this for a funfetti cake. Add about 3/4 cup rainbow jimmies after the batter is mixed up…just mix those in by hand. The jimmies (which are those longer sprinkles) work better than the tiny round sprinkles. Those tiny round ones will bleed color real bad in the cake batter. In my experience, the rainbow jimmies don’t do that as bad. Hope this helps!