The Most Amazing White Cake recipe is here! It’s light, and airy, and absolutely gorgeous. This is the white cake you’ve been dreaming of!
Ever since my Most Amazing Chocolate Cake became a viral sensation, people have been begging me to create the Most Amazing White Cake. It took ten rounds of experimentation and testing to perfect the white cake, but I think I’ve finally reached “the one.” I’ll continue with a bunch of tips and trips to give you your best chance at success with this cake. White cakes are more finicky and tricky than chocolate cakes, but when made well, they are absolutely perfect and blow those boxed cake mixes out of the water.
When making a white cake I highly recommend lining the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper. This prevents a thicker crust forming on the bottom as well as ensures that your cake will come out of the pan in one piece. I used butter to grease my pans for this recipe and I do not flour the pan. Butter only worked best.
My Other Recipes
This recipe is written for 3 9-inch layers. A three tiered cake produces the ideal cake to frosting ratio. A 9-inch pan is a standard size. 8-inch and 10-inch pans will require adjustments to the recipe.
Several of the ingredients in the recipe are listed as being room temperature. By following this method you’ll have a better texture in the end so it is worth the patience. For the milk, I simply warmed it in the microwave for 30 seconds because the idea of leaving it out on the counter to reach room temperature didn’t sit well with me.
This recipe is developed using salted butter because that is what most people tend to buy and have on hand. I like to keep my recipes convenient for home cooks so salted butter is used whenever possible in my recipes. Unsalted butter certainly works, but you may need to add a pinch more of salt. I used vegetable oil over butter in my chocolate cake because it produced a more result, but I was unable to replicate that in a white cake, as vegetable oil tinted the batter yellow.
Almond extract is used in a white cake. It has been my experience that some people aren’t fond of almond extract or feel the flavor is too strong. Almond extract is clear so it is ideal for a white batter. You can buy clear vanilla extract to use if you prefer that flavor. The almond extract in this recipe can also be reduced by half if desired. I myself prefer the traditional almond flavor.
White cakes are ideal for experimenting with different fillings and frosting. In the photos a traditional white buttercream was used which consists of simply butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Lemon curd and raspberry jam make excellent fillings, but feel free to experiment with your own ideas and personal taste preferences.
Watch the video below where I walk you through every step of this recipe and share even more tips and tricks for the perfect white cake. As always, you can find my complete collection of full-length recipe demos on my YouTube Channel.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Can this recipe be made into cupcakes?
A: Why yes it can! They are baked at 325 degrees for 20-22 minutes and this recipe makes about 36 cupcakes.
Q: Can I make this recipe into only two layers?
A: Yes you can, you’ll need to divide the recipe by 2/3rds. But no, I won’t do the math for you. I truly believe that the most amazing chocolate cake must be 3 layers.
Q: Do you have a substitute for eggs?
A: There are numerous options for substituting eggs in baking recipes. You can always try using one of those.
Q: Can I use a different pan size?
A: You are certainly welcome to try, but you’ll need to adjust cooking times and be careful as to how much you fill the pan. This recipe is written for 9-inch round pans, which is a standard size and is meant to be eaten as a 3 layer cake.
Q: Can I use a different frosting?
A: You certainly can! White cake is amazing with things like lemon curd and raspberry fillings.
Q: Can I make this recipe gluten free?
A: Use gluten free flours at your own risk. Not all gluten free flours are equal and most don’t work as a straight forward substitute for all-purpose flour. I have not tested any gluten free flours in this recipe as I do not have Celiac’s disease.
Q: Do you have a chocolate version?
A: Why yes I do. I call it The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake.
Q: Do you have a vanilla version?
A: Why yes I do, I call it The Most Amazing Vanilla Cake
The Most Amazing White Cake Recipe
The Most Amazing White Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 3 1/2 cups cake flour
- 4 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups milk room temperature
Instructions
- Grease three 9-inch pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in almond extract.
- Use a fork to combine the eggs and milk together in a bowl or 2 cup liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl stir together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix in until just combined. Add in half of the milk mixture and combine. Add in another 1/3 of the dry ingredients until combined followed by the remainder of the milk mixture. Add in the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix with the hand mixer until just combined, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom to make sure everything is mixed in.
- Divide the batter among the three prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit in pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before layering and frosting.
Notes
2 teaspoons almond extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk 1. Use a hand mixer to whip softened butter and almond extract together. Slowly add in powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Thin out with milk if it gets too thick.
Nutrition
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Linda Hensens says
Hey Rachel!
My mom’s birthday is November 21st. She will be 75 years old. She has requested a strawberry cake with whipped cream icing and strawberries on top. I want to make this cake for her birthday cake, but I normally use the strawberry juice as the liquid in a boxed cake mix. How would I do this with this cake recipe if at all? I made the chocolate version and it was incredible, so I am thinking this one will be just as good. Could I use the strawberry juice by mixing it with the room temperature milk? Also, we do not like almond extract at all. I don’t want to buy a bottle of clear vanilla extract to use that. Could I not use regular vanilla extract instead? I do have some lemon extract that is clear, but I don’t know how lemon extract will work in this cake. Your help is appreciated!
Linda Hensens
Amy says
This recipe is absolutely amazing, and delicious. I used a layer of raspberry fruit spread between the layers (Trader Joes, no added sugar)and decorated with roasted sliced almonds and fresh raspberries and it was such a hit. Everyone at the party was raving about the flavors. I’ll be filing this away for all future white cake needs
Amy says
This cake is absolutely incredible and will be kept as one of my “go-to” recipes
Rita says
I made this cake Ina bunt pan. I left some batter aside, added cocoa to it spooned it into the white batter and gave it a delicately blended it in. It was a delicious marble white cake. Thank you for this cake recipe, I will definitely be using it for other additions.
Meagan says
I use this recipe as my go to recipe all the time! i do sub some things to make it vegan (oatmilk, vegan butter, and aquafaba for the egg whites) but i use this recipe as a base. so moist and yummy, everyone always loves it! sometimes i add sprinkles to the batter for funfetti as well!
Cindy says
My God…that is good. Holy cow! Thank you for that recipe. I was at home and just made a 14×9” glass backing dish and let cook for 45 min. Absolutely amazing…the top cracked, but I don’t even care. Very good recipe…well done!
Kelly says
This is a great recipe! Works well as cupcakes or cake, and a great almond flavor (which I have always loved). Came out a perfect white color, which is hard to do!
V G says
Will using buttermilk change how white the cake is?
Rachel Farnsworth says
No, buttermilk will not change the color of the cake.
Luz says
Hi! Could this batter be frozen then thawed later? I’m planning on using this recipe to make a batch of about 12 cupcakes for a small birthday gathering. I’m afraid of scaling down the recipe too much, so I thought I would half the recipe & then freeze whatever I have left over, just to give myself some wiggle room.
Also, have you heard any feedback on anyone who has attempted to use this recipe with a non-nutritive sugar substitute? I love white cake personally & would like to try this recipe for myself, & I try to reduce my added sugar intake as much as I can while still enjoying myself.
Thank you so much!
Kara Wensel says
My son reduced this to a one layer, baked it in a 8×8 square and plans to enter it in the county fair. The practice one was delicious!
Mim Wedel says
Would he let you share the measurements for the 8×8 pan?
S.map says
Do you think this would hold up well with fruit added to the batter?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Worth a try!
A Baker says
I’m confused about your Nutrition information. No serving size is listed, just the individual stats for protein, fat, sugars, etc.
What serving size are you basing the totals on?
Rachel Farnsworth says
The listed serving is 12 slices per cake. The nutrition information is per slice.
Crystal says
Did you use Simple syrup
Rachel Farnsworth says
No, I did not.
Lucky Cedarlane says
Do you think if I use buttermilk it would be ok? For the extra fat/richness because of no yolk . I that is what I use for my chocolate 3 layer birthday cake (buttermilk).. I love baking and trying new think and have never made your recipe before, want to make it for the 4th
Rachel Farnsworth says
Yes you can use buttermilk.
Jacob says
Been a wee while since I’ve looked at this, sorry about that…and I’m actually yet to try the cake (sorry about that too!), but I thought I’d mention this. I’ve now seen this sort of comment in other places too: it seems American butters are often whiter than European butters due to a difference in the cattle feed: grass-fed cattle are more likely to produce yellower butter, grain-fed cattle less so.
That’s obviously a tremendous generalization, and of course there are all sorts of foods available all over the world…but I think that’s probably the basis of my thinking of butter as YELLOW, rather than merely having a yellow hue.
Rebecca L Yant says
Butter is naturally pure white. As white as cream — no matter where you are in the world. Annatto coloring has been added to butter for a very, very long time to increase its appeal. Dairies thought a slight golden color was more appetizing, and it’s become the norm. I suspect in Britain they add more annatto than in the states. (note: I come from a dairy farming family)
Susie says
I know for a fact that grass fed cattle in Ireland produce a yellow butter.