Cakes are central to so many occasions. It’s your birthday? You get a birthday cake! Wedding time? The cake is the show-stopping centerpiece. High school graduation party? A cake to congratulate. Retirement? Yep, another cake! Cakes bring people together. We sing around the cake together, we cheer in unison, we gather to watch the bride and groom cut the cake — if there’s a celebration, its time for cake!
Our easy classic vanilla layer cake is the answer when you need a great cake but you’re short on time. This is the best vanilla cake recipe, and it's an easy cake recipe.
Short cuts
We take a few short cuts with our easy classic vanilla layer cake to make life easier. We start with a vanilla or white cake mix box. Next we transform it with a few extra ingredients like pudding mix and sour cream. Add our homemade vanilla buttercream frosting and you’ll have a winner!
Alternative Homemade vanilla white cake
If you have a bit more time and prefer to make a vanilla cake from scratch, we've included our vanilla white cake recipe below as well.
Vanilla flavor
Easy classic vanilla layer cake is moist and has a gentle vanilla flavor. We think it tastes even better than most cake recipe from scratch. This vanilla layer cake is light in texture and is the perfect base for our buttercream frosting. As a result, our cake and frosting make a tasty pair. We added some vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract to our buttercream frosting for a little gourmet touch. You might be able to see the little vanilla speckles!
How to make a layer cake
You can make this cake in a 9x13-inch rectangular cake pan. Or, if you want to dress it up, make a two or three layer cake. Traditionally, I’ll make this cake in two 8-inch round cake pans. Sometimes, I’ll feel a bit more creative and use three 6-inch round cake pans like the cake pictured. I think it’s fun to have a taller, more narrow cake.
Assembling the cake
While assembling the cake I think it’s best to put all layers upside down. This gives you a more level top with distinct edges. You’ll want to place the first layer down, then frost it with about one cup if frosting. Place the next layer upside down and centered over the frosting. For three layers, repeat.
How to frost a cake
Next, lightly cover the cake with a thin coat of frosting. This is called a “crumb coat.” Put your cake in the fridge or freezer for at least an hour to set the frosting. Once the crumb coat is set, you can continue by frosting the sides and the top. I used a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 1M star tip for my frosting swirls a top the cake. Then I added heavy sprinkles up the sides of the cake, and a light dusting on top.
Easy classic vanilla layer cake is just what you’ll want for your next celebration, or the next time you need a dessert. Whichever size of pan you use, we hope you’ll add this recipe to your lineup of favorite cakes!
Easy Classic Vanilla Layer Cake
Easy Classic Vanilla Layer Cake features an enhanced version of a box cake mix. Add a few extra ingredients for a simple, moist and delicious three layer vanilla cake iced with butter cream frosting.
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Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 326kcal
Ingredients
For Cake (short cut)
- 1 White Cake Mix I like Duncan Hines Classic White best
- 1 3 ounce package dry Vanilla Cook & Serve pudding mix
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup water
- ⅓ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 6-inch or 8-inch round metal cake pans
(Alternative) For Homemade Vanilla White Cake or Cupcakes
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup butter
- 2 ¾ cups sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 3 eggs large
- 1 ¼ cups milk
For Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 8 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ½ cup milk or cream
Instructions
For Cake (short cut):
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare your cake pans. For a 3 layer cake: Lightly grease sides and bottom of three 6-inch (if you want it taller and narrower) or 2 8-inch round cake pans (if you want it shorter and wider like a traditional cake). Cut parchment paper by tracing the bottom of pan and insert circle of paper to cover only bottom of pan.
- Blend cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, water and oil in a large bowl at low speed of electric mixer about 30 seconds to moisten all ingredients. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer for 2 minutes.
- Use a rubber scraper to scrape sides of bowl, divide and pour batter into prepared pans.
- For 3 layer cake bake 20-23 minutes. For 2 layer cake 25-28 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake springs back when touched gently.
- Cool cakes in pan on cooling rack about 15 minutes, then remove cakes from pan by running a metal spatula between the edge of cake and pan and inverting cakes on cooling rack.
(Alternative) Homemade Vanilla White Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pans and line 9x 13 cake pan or round pans with parchment paper to fit.
- Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a small mixing bowl, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed to soften butter. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each one.
- Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to beaten mixture.Beat on low speed just until flour disappears.
- Fill cake pans with batter. If using a 9x13 inch pan, bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If using two 9-inch round cake pans, bake for 23-28 minutes. If using two 8-inch round cakes pans bake for 26-30 minutes. If using three 6-inch cake pans bake for 18-21 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
For Buttercream Frosting:
- In a large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla & almond extract.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often.When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
- 5.Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. (I like to frost immediately after making frosting while it is soft and smooth.)
To Frost Cake:
- I find it easiest to frost the cake layers if they are frozen (see cake notes). For a 3-layer cake I like to stack each layer upside down. Make sure they are level by pushing layer down while slightly warm or trimming/shaving off a bit if there is a pronounced dome.
- For each layer, place a big blob of frosting in the middle; then push to sides with spatula while turning the cake. Frosting should slightly pass the edges of the cake.
- Stack the next layer on upside down and repeat frosting process. Repeat with last layer.
- I find it easiest to fill pastry bag and large tip with frosting, then pipe around sides of the cake in wide stripes. Go back with narrow metal off set spatula to smooth and spread frosting around the outside of the cake.
Notes
Cake Notes:
Once cool, wrap and freeze each layer until ready to use. It’s much easier to frost a frozen cake layer!
Frosting Note:
For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 195mg | Sugar: 9g
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This was amazing! The directions were clear and easy to follow! It was a hit!!
This is beautiful! I’m sure it tastes as good as it looks!