Try this delicious white cake recipe made using only egg whites for a softer and tender texture that we love to go with our favorite vanilla frosting like vanilla whipped buttercream or a mascarpone frosting and fresh berries, perfect for a birthday cake, wedding cake, and more.
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Homemade white cake is a variety of sponge cake known for its pale white color and airy, fluffy texture, as opposed to yellow cake recipe, which tends to have a more golden hue due to the addition of egg yolks.
The primarily egg-white composition of this vanilla cake gives it its white color and light, fluffy texture. It's similar to angel food cake but with extra butter to give it a more structured crumb.
Why you'll love this recipe
Best frostings for this cake: Prepare my vanilla mascarpone whipped cream or this chocolate cocoa mascarpone whipped cream, Swiss buttercream or my American whipped Buttercream for frosting.
Ingredients you need
You need these ingredients to make his white cake from scratch:
- Butter: Use unsalted butter, which should be well softened. Take it out of the fridge in advance, or soften it a little in the microwave.(You can replace it with neutral vegetable oil)
- Sugar: Use extra-fine white granulated sugar if possible, no powdered sugar.
- Egg whites: Whites only, use a separator to separate them easily from the yolks, and they must be at room temperature.
- Flour: I recommend using cake flour, which gives better results. When I only have all-purpose flour, I mix it with a tablespoon of cornstarch or potato starch.
- Yeast: A mixture of baking powder and baking soda, the latter especially when there is buttermilk or sour cream in the recipe gives better results.
- Buttermilk: Indispensable for this recipe, but I don't always have buttermilk in my fridge, so I'll give you my substitution tips in the recipe notes.
- Vanilla and salt: Pure vanilla extract and table salt are essential to bring out the flavors.
*Don't throw away your egg yolks: Use them to make a vanilla pastry cream a egg yolk lemon curd or these egg yolk chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Homemade White Cake Recipe
Step 1: Place the diced unsalted butter softened and white sugar in the bowl of a mixer or in the mixing bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
And beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until creamy and smooth.
Step 2: Add vanilla extract and room-temperature egg whites one by one in the butter mixture, keeping the mixer running at medium speed.
Then continue mixing at high speed for around 5 minutes, until the texture is white and voluminous.
Step 3: Mix and sift together the dry ingredients, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately and in batches, mixing after each addition with a rubber spatula until the cake batter is smooth.
Step 4: Preheat the oven to 329°F/165°C and prepare ⅔ round cake pans 6 inches/ 15 cm in diameter, lining them with parchment paper only on the bottoms.
Step 5: Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans, tapping them lightly on the work surface to spread the cake batter. And bake the cake pans together in the oven at half-height for about 30 minutes, without opening the oven door, until golden brown on top.
Leave the cakes to cool slightly, then carefully remove from the pan and cool completely, upside down, on a cake rack.
Serving Suggestions
- Vanilla or chocolate cake: like this Vanilla birthday cake, this Chocolate birthday cake or this chocolate cake with vanilla ganache.
- Fresh Berries: with fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries like this strawberry whipped cream cake or this raspberry vanilla cake.
- Caramel Sauce: Drizzle my French salted butter caramel sauce to make a salted caramel cake.
Tip for this recipe
Storage and freezing
In the fridge: You can store them in the fridge under plastic wrap or in a storage box for up to 5 days.
At room temperature: Wrapped in contact with plastic wrap or in a storage box for up to 5 days.
In the freezer: When cold, in an airtight container for up to 3 months, let them thaw gently at room temperature.
Variations & Substitutions
FAQ - Frequently asked questions
Why is my white cake too dense?
You didn't whip the egg whites enough, or you over-mixed the cake batter after adding the dry ingredients.
How do I flavor my white cake?
With fruit purées, like strawberry purée, and raspberry puree, and natural extracts, like almond extract, lemon juice, etc..
Can this recipe be used for cupcakes?
Yes, you can use this recipe to make cupcakes.
More Sponge Cake Recipes
I hope you love this white cake recipe. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!
Print
Fluffy White Cake Recipe
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 parts
Description
Soft and tender homemade white cake sponge with egg whites only, perfect for layer cakes (for 2 or 3 6 inches/ 15 cm diameter cakes 8 - 10 slices ).
Ingredients
- 300 g (2 ⅓ cups) Cake flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 150 g (⅔ cup) Butter - unsalted and softened
- 290 g (1 ½ cups) Sugar - granulated and extra fine
- 5 Egg whites - at room temperature approx.175g
- 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 220 ml (1 cup) Buttermilk - or plain yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 329°F/ 165°C and prepare 2 or 3 round cake pans, 6 inches/ 15 cm in diameter, with parchment paper on the bottom only.
- Mix and sift together the cae flour baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a mixer or in the mixing bowl of you stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, blend the softened butter and sugar at high speed for 3 minutes, until creamy.
- Lower the mixer speed and add the vanilla extract, then the room-temperature egg whites one by one, leaving the mixer running for 1-2 minutes between each addition.
- Then start again at high speed and beat for another 5 minutes or so, until the mixture is smooth and white.
- Finish by alternately adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk in batches, and gently folding them in with a spatula until you have a smooth cake batter.
- Weigh and divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pans, and bake in the oven at half-height for around 30 minutes, until golden on top.
- Check for doneness by plunging a toothpick or knife blade into the center of the cakes; the blade should come out clean, with no crumbs or runny batter.
- Leave the cakes to cool in the pan a little before carefully unmolding them and placing them upside down on a cooling rack.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you're ready to assemble your cake.
Notes
Storage: Up to 3-5 days in the fridge or at room temperature, wrapped in plastic film or in an airtight container. Up to 3 months in the freezer.
Homemade buttermilk and substitutions: Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of semi-skimmed milk and leave until it begins to thicken and have a curdled texture.
Or replace it with the same amount of sour cream, slightly diluted in milk, or plain yogurt.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: cake, sponge
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 19.5 g
- Sodium: 128.2 mg
- Fat: 13.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 21.4 mg
Hello Fadela,
I just discovered your wonderful blog, I am more than delighted! Your creations are beautiful!
Thank you so much for all these tips and recipes!
And now I know where to turn if I want to order kitchen utensils and more! I would have liked to make your sponge cake tomorrow but I would like to know if we can replace the buttermilk with regular milk ???
Also, the flowers with which you decorate your beautiful cakes, do you make them with sugar paste???
Do sugar paste flowers hold up in the fridge???
Thank you very much!!!!
Hello Soso,
Yes, you can absolutely replace the buttermilk with semi-skimmed milk (I've done it before and it's just as good).
The flowers are made with special sugar paste for flowers (flowerpaste), it's perfect for flowers.
To store the flowers in the fridge is possible, if the fridge is ventilated and even better if the cake is in a box (to limit moisture absorption that could damage the flowers). It would be best to place the flowers when serving the cake.
I just saw your response, thank you very much!
I made the sponge cakes but I found my batter a bit too thick, should I only use the egg whites, or 4 whole eggs? Because the recipe specifies 4 egg whites but my batter was very thick and didn't cook well inside. Or maybe I missed a step?
And regarding the flowers, does flower paste dough store in the fridge, is that it? Is it different from regular sugar paste?
Thank you very much!
Hello Soso, this is a cake recipe that is denser than a sponge cake.
The flowerpaste keeps well wrapped in plastic wrap and in an airtight container, and definitely not in the fridge.
It's completely different, it hardens more, it's firmer, more elastic, specifically for making flowers and leaves.
Fadela
Thank you, Fadela
So basically, no roses can withstand being refrigerated on a cake once they're shaped, is that right? There isn't a sugar paste that can be stored in the fridge without melting? It's troublesome when you want to make a cake filled with whipped ganache, for example, and you want to decorate it with pretty roses.
You can place flowers on a cake with a buttercream frosting, just place them when serving, or alternatively store in the fridge. However, the cake should be in a box with a lid to prevent the flowers from absorbing too much moisture from the fridge, or try with a fridge that has ventilated cold air.
Good evening, first of all, thank you for your recipe ☺️ I tried a layer cake recipe two days ago with a cream cheese frosting but I have to admit I didn't quite like it. What do you mean by leveling the three layers? Have a lovely evening!
Cutting off the cake dome using a cake leveler or a serrated knife.
Hello Fadela, I love your website and your advice! I wanted to know how many people this cake would serve? Because I would like to make it for a birthday party and we will be 15 people. Thank you in advance!
Hello, thank you Sandrine, here the quantities are for 8-10 servings in a 15 cm pan.
Hello,
I don't have a KitchenAid mixer, but I do have a Thermomix. Do you think I could use it to make this cake, or would you recommend using an electric mixer instead? Thank you.
Hello, using an electric mixer will work perfectly fine.
Hello,
If I want to make a regular-sized cake (24cm), do I double the quantities? Does the cake rise a lot during baking so I know how much to fill the pan to prevent it from overflowing? Thank you.
Good evening, yes, you can double the quantities, and it's a cake that won't rise too much during baking, so fill the pan halfway and it will be fine.
Good evening, first of all, thank you for sharing your recipes, they are really lovely. One question, can we bake the sponge cake in the same pan? Because the 15 cm diameter pan is usually tall and specifically for layer cakes! I have one that's 15 cm and the other that's 20 cm, both of them are 10 cm tall. Thank you.
Good evening, it's not a recipe that will rise much, ideally, you should bake the batter in two separate batches.
Hello, can we add food coloring to the batters to make a pink cake?
Yes, you can add gel food coloring without any problems.
Hello, I just stumbled upon your blog while looking for a layer cake recipe! I would like to use your recipe for a birthday party... The goal is to make a cake in the shape of the number 3 (by cutting it...) and cover it with red fondant or a red frosting if I find a recipe... Is this recipe doable with a "standard" cake pan? What would be the quantities? As for the buttermilk, can you taste its flavor? Is it El ben? In other words, whey? Thank you for your help.
Hello, yes, you can use this recipe for a cake that will be covered in fondant. Use a rectangular pan; as for the quantities, it depends on your pan size, you can double the ingredients for a larger cake pan. As for the buttermilk, yes, it's like El ben, you can also simply use skim milk; you don't taste the buttermilk in the cake at all.
Hello, Thank you for your response! I'll go with a 24cm round pan. Okay, I'll keep that in mind for the milk. That's very kind of you! Pleasure...
Hello! I wanted to know if it's possible to add a few tablespoons of unsweetened chocolate like Van Houten for flavoring?
Also, what kind of vegetable oil should be used?
Thank you for your response!
This is excellent cake. Easy, moist, fluffy, firm. Everyone liked it.