White Cake Recipe

Why This White Cake Recipe Works

Making a good white cake is trickier than it seems. But it is possible to make great white cake from scratch with a well balanced and carefully written recipe. The balance of ingredients in this recipe, along with the mixing technique produces a white cake that is soft and velvety.

There are three important factors that really set this recipe apart:

✓ Extensive Recipe Testing

First and foremost, this is a well-tested recipe. I did 5 rounds of testing to land on exactly the right mix of ingredients and technique to make a velvety soft white cake. Professional bakers use the “Baker’s Percentage” to balance the ingredients in a recipe. With this knowledge I created a white cake that could be stacked into a towering wedding cake or used as the base for an array of lovely layer cakes.

✓ Egg Whites

The main difference between a White Cake and a vanilla/yellow cake is the absence of yolks in the batter. Egg whites are full of protein, which helps create the structure of a cake. But too much structure can make a cake rubbery or tough, which is most often the problem with cakes made with only egg whites. But I didn’t just replace the yolks with more egg whites. I tested three different methods for adding the whites to the batter. My science backed method of whipping the whites before adding them to the batter makes a softer and fluffier cake.

✓ Reverse Creaming Method

Mixing technique can make a BIG difference in a cake’s texture. Traditional cake recipes cream butter and sugar together first, then add the dry ingredients. This recipe uses reverse creaming instead — the butter is mixed directly into the dry ingredients before any liquid is added, coating the flour in fat. The result is a finer, more velvety crumb with less risk of the tunnels or dense streaks that can show up in a traditionally creamed cake.

Ingredients

• Cake Flour – Has a lower protein content than all purpose flour so it makes a softer cake. I prefer bleached cake flour. Bleached cake flour is acidic which tenderizes the cake and allows the batter to absorb more liquid for a moister cake.
  • Although you will definitely get the best results with cake flour, in a pinch, for every cup of cake flour use ¾ cup of all-purpose flour mixed with 2 tablespoons of corn starch.
• Butter – For my recipe testing I made cakes using just butter, 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening and all shortening. The cake was not noticeably whiter by substituting the butter with shortening and I definitely prefer the taste of the all butter cake, as did my taste-tester husband.
  • I prefer unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe. If you use salted butter eliminate the salt listed in the ingredients. The butter must be room temperature for the best results. Room temperature butter is about 65F-70°F (21°C). The butter should be pliable but not soft and melty. 
• Sour cream – Is used instead of milk as the “liquid” in this batter. Sour cream softens the cake and the added fat enriches the batter. Full-fat, unsweetened Greek yogurt would be the best substitute for sour cream.
• Vanilla extract – Use real vanilla extract for the best flavor. (Alternately, you can use almond extract to make White Almond Sour Cream cake.)
  • Many white cake recipes recommend using “clear vanilla”. I don’t recommend that since it’s not made with real vanilla beans.
• Egg whites – Do not use pasteurized egg whites as they may not whip up properly.
• Cream of tartar – This acidic ingredient stabilizes the whipped egg whites and acidifies the batter for a softer crumb.

Process Photos

Here’s what the recipe process looks like at each stage. Refer to the recipe card below for measurements and exact instructions.

• Draw an 8″ circle on parchment paper using your cake pan as a guide. Cut out two circles and use them to line your cake pans.
• If you don’t have parchment paper butter and flour the bottom of the cake pan only, not the sides.

• Mix the dry ingredients on low speed and add the butter and half the sour cream — this is the reverse creaming step — mix until it forms a thick paste. Add the reserved sour cream and vanilla.
• Mix the batter on high speed until it is light and aerated. Scrape the bowl and beater.

• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy.
• Add the sugar and whisk to soft to medium peak.

• Fold the egg whites into the batter in three batches.
• Fold just until there are no streaks of egg white.

• Divide the batter between two cake pans.
• Bake until the center of the cake springs back when pressed. Do not overbake the cake. Remove it from the oven as soon as the cake springs back when the center is pressed.
• Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

What Frosting Should I Use for My White Cake?

I love to fill and ice Velvety Soft White Cake with snow-white Ermine Frosting. I also recommend Italian Meringue Buttercream, Swiss Meringue Buttercream, Seven Minute Frosting or American Buttercream frosting for this cake.

Variation: White Almond Sour Cream Cake

White Almond Sour Cream Cake is a favorite among wedding cake bakers — and it’s really this same recipe with one swap. Replace the vanilla extract with almond extract, or use a combination of both for a softer almond flavor. The sour cream and reverse creaming work exactly the same way, giving you the same soft, tender crumb.

More Cakes That Start With This Recipe

This white cake is also the base for two of my favorite layer cakes — Snow White Coconut Cake and Piña Colada Cake. Both start with these same layers, flavored with syrup and finished with different fillings and frostings.

Occasions for This Cake

• White cake is often traditional for wedding cakes. Make sure to use proper supports for stacking cake tiers.
• This recipe is also perfect for making birthday cakes. It’s wonderful as a simple white cake, but you can also fold in colorful sprinkles to make a funfetti cake.