The Best White Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a perfect cake? ›

Vanilla extract is usually added to the batter to give the cake its distinctive taste. While the texture of vanilla cake can be light and fluffy like white cake, it can also be denser and moister, depending on the recipe. Vanilla cake is a great choice for those who prefer a cake with more flavor than white cake.

Room Temperature Butter / Don't Over-Cream

Most cakes begin with creaming butter and sugar together. Butter is capable of holding air and the creaming process is when butter traps that air. While baking, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake. No properly creamed butter = no air = no fluffiness.

Applesauce: Applesauce is a popular substitute for oil or butter in baked goods, as it adds moisture and natural sweetness to the cake. Use an equal amount of applesauce as the amount of oil or butter called for in the recipe.

Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.

It's common for a white cake only to use egg whites, which gives you a purer “white” color and light texture. I like using the whole egg for a more decadent, slightly denser cake for this white cake recipe with a subtle vanilla flavor.

If you don't care for chocolate, try these white cake recipes! Almond cakes, vanilla cakes, butter cakes, sheet cakes, bundt cakes and more.

White cake is a type of cake that is often vanilla flavored and made without egg yolks. White cakes can be butter cakes or sponge cakes. Angel food cake is a type of sponge cake that is considered a white cake because it is made using only egg whites.

How do you make your cake taste like it came from a bakery? ›

Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix. Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich). Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount. Step 4: Instead of water, use whole milk.

In principal, fat and sugar are at least one of the major ingredient components used in the preparation of cakes. Sugar not only imparts sweetness, but contributes to the fresh flavour quality of cakes during thermal processing and acts as a tenderiser by retarding and restricting gluten formation.

In particular, whole milk and buttermilk add more fat and flavor to recipes. They can also make your cakes richer and more decadent. Consider soda, juice, or brewed coffee as flavor additives if you want a non-dairy option. If you want to step out of the box, try stout beer in chocolate cake.

Tips and tricks to get a lighter, fluffier cake

Moisture helps prevent your cake from becoming dense and dry, which is why the wet ingredients are so important in your cake. If your batter is looking a little dry, try adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of sour cream or swapping out some of the butter in the recipe for some oil.

To make a box cake mix rise higher, try using a smaller pan, adding an extra egg, using milk instead of water, adding baking powder, mixing for longer, using room temperature ingredients, baking at a higher temperature, or using cake strips.