Vanilla 6 Inch Cake Recipe

After extensively testing cake recipes, this is my absolute favorite vanilla cake recipe. It’s super fluffy but not too spongy, perfectly balanced vanilla and buttery flavor and simple to make!

I use it as the base to SO MANY of my cake recipes because it can easily be adapted into any flavor, paired with any frosting and adjusted to different pan sizes.

*If you saw a different image of this photo, it’s the same cake recipe made with a rhubarb frosting.

What makes this the perfect 6 inch cake recipe?

I wanted the perfect 6 inch cake that I could use on it’s own as vanilla or as a base for other recipes. Now, we know that perfect is different to everyone so let me describe my version of perfect. 

• Texture: I don’t like when there are large air tunnels throughout in my cake or when the crumb is too crumbly or too bread-y. I wanted a perfect combination of moisture, density, and fluffiness. 
  • For instance, if your cake has too much moisture, it can be kinda gummy and super dense and heavy. We obviously don’t want that. If the cake is super light and airy, it can be a little too spongy or not sturdy enough to stack three layers.
• Flavor: I don’t want my cake to taste too buttery or too sweet – it has to taste like a combination of butter, sugar, flour, milk and vanilla in harmony!
• Simplicity: No one wants to make the BEST cake out there if the ingredient list is inaccessible or the instructions are obnoxious. Some will still say this one is way too much work but remember, you’re making a cake from scratch… not a box mix. That said, it is super versatile, I’ll list substitutions below!
• Adaptability: I wanted my perfect 6 inch cake to be easily adapted to other flavors. I’ve tried many different version of this cake with different flavors and it’s very versatile.

I would not recommend adding anything that will vastly alter the wet to dry ratio but you can certainly do things like substitute ¼-½ cup of flour for graham crackers or cocoa powder, etc. 

Ingredients & Substitutions:

*full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom!

• Flour: This recipe was developed specifically to use all-purpose flour since that’s what most people have at home but cake flour also works well!
• Fat: I use butter and oil in almost all my cake recipes because I like the flavor from the butter and I like the texture produced by the combination of both fats. I find that oil alone is sometimes too spongy and not quite as pleasant in a plain cake. Whereas using all butter usually results in a cake that’s a bit more stiff. 
• Whole Eggs: you simply can’t argue against the flavor and richness that egg yolks bring to the table. I replace the 3 eggs with 5 egg whites when I specifically want my cake to be white (less yellow) but this cake was developed for optimal flavor and texture so I recommend whole eggs if you don’t mind the yellow color.
• Sugar: I mean do we need to talk about this one? YES WE DO. Sugar is not only there for sweetness. It caramelizes to provide color and flavor, creates tenderness and locks in moisture so PLEASE don’t cut out any sugar. If you want to reduce sweetness, use a European based buttercream like Swiss or French instead of American.
• Liquid: I was a firm believer in buttermilk before I did all this testing. Now I am a firm believer in sour cream with milk. The difference in texture and flavor was mind blowing from the very first test. If you really don’t have access to sour cream you can substitute it for 3/4 cup of plain yogurt or Greek yogurt.

I’ve tested this recipe with gluten-free 1:1 flour blends, including King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill, and it works beautifully. I’ve also made it with dairy-free butter, milk, and sour cream or yogurt with great results.

TIP: I HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as dry ingredients are almost always over measured. 

Step-By-Step Photos

My cake is pretty straight forward but there are a couple of important steps not to skip:

1. Ingredients at a cool room temperature will emulsify properly and hold on to more air, creating a fluffier cake texture.
2. Adding the eggs one at a time and giving them each time to emulsify properly will incorporate more air and also result in a fluffier cake texture.

Vanilla Cake

1. Beat together the butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes with the whisk attachment.
2. Add the oil and continue beating for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for at least 30-60 seconds between each addition, until each one is combined. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix just until they’re incorporated.
4. Add in half of the dry ingredients, followed by the milk and then the other half of the dry ingredients. Mix just until the last streak of flour is combined.
5. Distribute the batter evenly between three round 6 inch cake pans, about 14 ounces of batter in each one.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake is golden brown, the edges released from the pan and/or the cake springs back when you press on it gently. Flip over onto a cooling rack or a tea towel and cool completely before frosting.

Pro Tip: lighter colored baking pans will reduce the amount of browning on the outside whilst darker pans will brown more.

Vanilla Buttercream

I used American buttercream for simplicity here but this cake pairs well with any buttercream. The amount of frosting you get in the recipe is JUST enough to frost it how I did in the pictures. If you want to decorate the cake more, I recommend doing 1.5x or 2x the frosting recipe.

1. Beat the butter until it lightens in color and get’s fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar and salt beat for about 5 minutes until it’s completely smooth.
3. Add the vanilla and stream in the heavy whipping cream, beating until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Pro Tip: Start with a whisk attachment on low speed to avoid the cloud of sugar, then switch to a paddle attachment if you want to beat the air out and make it smooth.

This cake in other sizes

I scaled this 6 inch cake into other commonly used sizes.

• 4 Inch Cake
• 10 Inch Cake
• 8 Inch Cake
• This exact recipe can be baked as 9×13″ for 45 minutes or in a large sheet pan to cut out Mini Cakes

Recipes that I’ve adapted this cake into:

There’re so many recipes on my website that were adapted from this cake including a full chocolate version but a few of my favorites are my Marble Cake, Oreo Cake, and Maple Spice Cake.

Serving & Storing Cake

This cake is best served at room temperature within 1-2 days. It can sit on the counter for a couple of days but if it’s sliced, make sure to keep it covered. I recommend freezing the leftover in an airtight container to keep it as fresh as possible and thaw at room temperature before eating.

I’m very aware that this will not be everyone else’s favorite base cake recipe so I always welcome constructive criticism.

I’d be happy to answer any questions down below. If you make this cake, please leave me a 5-star rating or a review as well!

As always, happy baking and have a blessed day!

Love, B

Recipes

Cakes

6 Inch Cake Recipe

4.59 from 210 votes

prep 10 minutes mins

cook 35 minutes mins

Additional Time 30 minutes mins

total 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Serves 10 servings

The perfect three layer, 6 inch cake recipe. The cake is moist, fluffy, sturdy for stacking and full of vanilla flavor! It can easily be adjusted to different flavors or sizes as well.

Author: Bernice Baran

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Servings 10 servings

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Equipment

• ▢
  Kitchen Aid 5 qt. Stand Mixer
• ▢
  6 Inch Round Cake Pan
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Rubber Spatula

Metric(US) Imperial

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

• ▢ 270 grams all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ 56 grams salted butter, room temperature
• ▢ 120 mL canola oil, any neutral oil works
• ▢ 300 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 170 grams sour cream, room temperature
• ▢ 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 180 mL milk , room temperature

Vanilla Buttercream

• ▢ 227 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
• ▢ 480 grams powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
• ▢ tiny pinch fine sea salt
• ▢ 45-60 mL heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and/or vanilla bean paste

Method

Vanilla 6 inch cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease and line three 6 inch cake pans.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until they’re evenly distributed.
   270 grams all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3. Place the room temperature butter and the granulated sugar in a large bowl and use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment to beat them for 1 minute. Add the oil and beat at full speed for another minute.
   56 grams salted butter room temperature, 300 grams granulated sugar, 120 mL canola oil any neutral oil works
4. Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until each egg is fully incorporated.
   3 large eggs room temperature
5. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and beat just until combined.
   170 grams sour cream room temperature, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
6. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, turn the mixer on low speed and then pour in the milk, followed by the rest of the dry ingredients.
   180 mL milk room temperature
7. Distribute the batter evenly among the three cake pans, about 14oz in each pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. When the cake is fully baked it will release itself from the edge of the pan and it will spring back if you press on the center of it.
8. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter at full speed until it’s pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
   227 grams unsalted butter room temperature
2. Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat at low speed just until it's combined.
   480 grams powdered sugar spooned and leveled, tiny pinch fine sea salt
3. Scrape the edge of the bowl and continue beating at medium-high speed until the sugar is fully dissolved and fluffy, a few minutes.
4. Add the vanilla and turn the mixer to medium speed, streaming in about 2 Tbsp of the heavy whipping cream, beating until it's well combined.
   45-60 mL heavy whipping cream, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and/or vanilla bean paste
5. Scrape the edge of the bowl, give it a good mix and assess the texture/flavor of the frosting. If you want it softer/more spreadable, repeat with more of the heavy cream.

Assemble

1. Use 1/2 of the buttercream to frost the first and second layer and then use 1/4 for a crumb coat.
2. Refrigerate the cake for 15-30 minutes, then use the last 1/4 of the buttercream to frost the rest of the cake.

Notes

If you want extra frosting for decorating, do 1.5x or 2x the amount of frosting. The amount in the recipe is just enough to lightly frost the cake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 787kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 6gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 316mgPotassium: 111mgFiber: 1gSugar: 79gVitamin A: 981IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 133mgIron: 2mg

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 6 inch cake, cake, mini cake, six inch cake, small cake, small three layer cake, three layer 6 inch cake, three layer cake, vanilla cake, yellow cake