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Creamy White Cake with Buttercream Frosting

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There is just something about a white cake. This creamy white cake with buttercream frosting is a truly moist treat, complemented by a delicious buttercream frosting. I originally wanted to have a filling between the layers, but I wasn’t able to find decent raspberries, so I made this cake with layers of buttercream, which I love! There is nothing better than a good buttercream frosting to top your cake with.

A red surface with a slice of white cake with white frosting and the whole white cake in the background.

Is there anything better than a delicious cake? No. The answer is no. There’s no better flavor or texture, and no more versatile dessert! Whether it’s a delicious lemon poke cake for a summer treat or a blueberry sour cream coffee cake for a sweet start to the day, nothing is better than cake.

Well, let me back that up a little. There is one thing better than cake… cake topped with buttercream frosting! Desserts like these coconut cupcakes with buttercream frosting are just about the best thing in the world.

This creamy white cake with buttercream frosting is the ultimate expression of everything you love about cake, all in one recipe. It features three layers of moist, tender white cake, with buttercream frosting between those layers and on the outside. It’s the ultimate cake.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Basic Baking Ingredients: Everything you need to make this cake is either in your kitchen or at your local grocery store.
  • Easy: This cake looks fancy, but it’s actually incredibly easy to make.
  • Moist and Tender: This cake is super moist and tender, with a wonderful crumb.
  • Beautiful: This cake is simple enough to make for a weeknight dinner, yet elegant enough to serve at a special occasion.
A three layer white cake with white frosting on a white small square plate.

Ingredients

Cake

  • Flour
  • Sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Whole milk
  • Butter
  • Vanilla extract
  • Egg whites
  • Coconut flakes (optional for garnish)

Buttercream

  • Butter
  • Powdered sugar
  • Whole milk
  • Vanilla extract

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.

Variations

  • Gluten-Free: You can easily make this a gluten-free cake by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour.
  • Buttermilk: Use buttermilk in place of whole milk for a cake with a subtle tang.
  • Cake Flour: Use cake flour for an extra-tender cake.
  • Coconut: Add shredded coconut to the batter for a touch of coconut flavor.

How to Make Creamy White Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Cake

  1. Mix the milk and vanilla and set aside.
  2. Beat the butter until creamy. Then, add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
  3. Alternate mixing the flour and the milk mixture into the butter mixture until combined.
  4. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold them into the batter.
  5. Pour into three prepared 9-inch round cake pans and bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Place the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, remove the cakes from the pans and cool them completely on a wire rack.

Buttercream

  1. Beat the butter until light and creamy. Then, add the milk and vanilla and mix again.
  2. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar until well blended.
  3. Place a cake on a cake stand and top it with buttercream. Repeat the process with the other two cakes. Then, frost the entire outside of the cake. Enjoy!
A thin slice of white cake with white frosting with three layers laying on a white plate.

Tips

  • Bring your cold ingredients to room temperature for easier, more complete mixing.
  • Mix your cake batter until just combined. Overmixing will create a dense, tough cake.
  • Ensure your cake is completely cooled before frosting it. Otherwise, the frosting will slide off the cake.
  • Stop beating the egg whites as soon as stiff peaks form. Overbeating will deflate the whites.
  • Sift your powdered sugar for the richest, creamiest frosting.

Creamy White Cake with Buttercream Frosting

What is white cake vs vanilla cake?

White cake is just vanilla cake without egg yolks.

What is the flavor of white cake?

Most people refer to white cake as “plain” cake. It has no specific flavor other than sweetness. Most recipes add vanilla, but not enough to make the cake a true vanilla cake.

Why was my cake dry?

A dry cake is usually the result of using too much flour. The most common reason people use too much flour is scooping it out direclty with their measuring cup. This compacts the flour. Instead, loosely spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife.

A slice of a three layer white cake with white frosting on a red plate and a white plate with the title of the recipe in text in between the two photos.

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A three collage photo of a three layer white cake with white frosting and coconut on top.

Creamy White Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Great Grub, Delicious Treats
This creamy white cake with buttercream frosting is a delicious cake with a scrumptious frosting and shredded coconut.
4.65 from 382 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Servings
Calories 816 kcal

Ingredients
  

White Cake

Buttercream Frosting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° and grease 3 (9 inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Grease and flour parchment paper. Set aside.

White Cake

  • Allow eggs whites to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.
  • In a small bowl, mix milk and vanilla together. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar. Mix until light and fluffy. Add flour and baking powder, into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk and vanilla mixture. Set aside.
  • Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into cake batter. Pour into prepared pans. Spread with spatula to cover pans completely with batter.
  • Bake at 350° for approximately 30 minutes or until wooden tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on cooling rack for 10 minutes then removed from pans, set cakes on cooling rack and discard parchment paper.

Buttercream Frosting

  • Beat butter until light and creamy. Add milk and vanilla and mix well. Gently add powdered sugar and mix until well blended.
  • Frost as soon as cake has cooled. Garnish with coconut flakes.

Notes

Storage
  • Store at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container. 
  • Refrigerate for up to 5 days in an airtight container. 
Tips
  • Bring your cold ingredients to room temperature for easier, more complete mixing.
  • Mix your cake batter until just combined. Overmixing will create a dense, tough cake.
  • Ensure your cake is completely cooled before frosting it. Otherwise, the frosting will slide off the cake.
  • Stop beating the egg whites as soon as stiff peaks form. Overbeating will deflate the whites.
  • Sift your powdered sugar for the richest, creamiest frosting.
 
Nutritional values are approximate.
 
Please note that these values can change with different brands and any modifications made to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements.
 
Cake adapted from My Recipes

Nutrition

Calories: 816kcalCarbohydrates: 111gProtein: 6gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 347mgPotassium: 218mgFiber: 1gSugar: 85gVitamin A: 1221IUCalcium: 91mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Creamy White Cake with Buttercream Frosting, Layered White Cake, White Cake
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Creamy White Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Creamy White Cake with Buttercream Frosting
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Coll

    I made this for my sons birthday party. It turned out really flat, any idea on what I may of done wrong?

  2. Sugarbowl

    Hey! The recipe looks great but I only have a 10 inch pan. Should I make two layers instead of three since i can’t purchase another pan at the moment?

  3. Sarah Blake

    If I want to make a 9×13 cake, do i need to modify the ingredients or just the baking time? If just baking time, how long should I cook it?

  4. SG in Oklahoma

    This cake looks delicious and moist. I have searched for many months for a moist and delicious cake. I haven’t tried this recipe yet because I do have a question. I realize that for the pure white color the egg whites are the only portion of the egg used. However, if I didn’t mind the tint of color would using whole eggs turn out as well? Would that effect the taste or texture? If I did use whole eggs how many would you suggest? Thank you so much in advance. :)

  5. Lowella

    Hi Terri, this cake looks so delicious & I really want to make this but in 3 – 6 inch rounds, I’m thinking of using half of the recipe but should I use 2 or 3 egg whites?

      • lowella

        Hi Terri, so I made this cake last week using half of the recipe. I used 3 egg whites & the texture was perfect. I used cake strips & I got even layers when it’s done. I ended up using just 2 of 3-inch round pans & it rose to almost 2 inches high. I fill the layers with strawberry filling which I just found the recipe online & frost it with buttercream. It was sooo yummy, my friends can’t get enough of it. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe. Next time i’ll try your zesty lemon cake, I can’t wait….

  6. Terri

    I made this cake yesterday, it’s absolutely delicious. Not overly sweet and so fluffy! Kids and hubby approved. This is my new go-to white cake recipe!

  8. Sabrina

    I made this cake for our youth birthday party. I didn’t have any, but no one liked it. Very upsetting.

  10. Haleigh

    My batter felt super thick before I added the whipped egg whites, is this normal?! I hope they don’t turn out dense, they’re in the oven now!

  11. savannah

    Not sure how you were able to frost this cake. I have added about 7 cups of powdered sugar instead of 5 and it is still the consistency of cake batter. Just dripping off spoon. I’m not a good baker. No idea how to fix it. The cake is good though

    • John Jung

      Generally hold milk to last and only add if icing is too thick (a little at a time). Most of the time I do not need the milk. A little milk goes a looooong way. Same with the vanilla, do not over measure as it is also a liquid.

    • Alex

      Savannah, here are a few things that could be the culprit:
      Did you use real butter or margarine/light butter/spread? Buttercream needs real butter to have the proper consistency.
      Was the butter softened or did you melt most of it when trying to soften it quickly in the microwave?
      Did you measure the ingredients correctly?
      Was your kitchen very warm? If the frosting is so soft, chill it in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight. Then whip again with your beater to make it fluffy again before you frost the cake.

      I’ve never made this recipe in particular, but I’m a home baker with a lot of experience. These are all common things that can happen to many of us. Hope this helps.

  12. Firefly

    I made this cake for my birthday (July 6th). It turned out really light, fluffy, sweet and satisfying! After a night in the fridge it became even moister! My family liked it a lot as well. Great recipe! 10/10 would make it again :) I also only put half a cup of butter and 2/3 cup of yogurt instead of a whole cup of butter and added baking soda. It still turns out winderful!

  13. Angela

    My cake color is more on the medium yellow side and not the light yellow/off white featured in your cake photos. I used white sugar. How can I get the cake to look more like your cake color?

  14. Julie

    I want to make this recipe but I need to to be a sheet cake. Would it work? What changes would I need to make. I was hoping to do 4 sheet at 1 inch think. Help!!!

  15. WINFRED

    My white cake recipe is a sturdy recipe. Tender, yet moist and holds together well from cooling to frosting to slicing and serving. It just works.

  16. Ramona

    I want my frosting to be chocolate for this cake. How much cocoa powder would I need to add?

  19. Shaheda timol

    Hi there I baked this cake today for my 40th birthday and wow! A highly recommended recipe spongy light fluffy cake and a creamy dreamy frosting….

      • Barbara

        Made this again today for Easter. The coconut I purchased seemed a bit stale, so I omitted it and added bunnies. Looks adorable.

        • Great Grub, Delicious Treats

          Hi Barbara, Oh I bet it does look cute! I would love to see a picture of your cake. If you have an Instagram account, tag me in your picture. If not, and if you’d like, send me a photo to my Facebook page, Great grub, Delicious Treats on FB. Happy Easter! :)

  21. Deanna

    Is it necessary to line the pans with parchment paper? If so, why? And do you just line the bottoms?

    • Ronda W. Hopes

      I line all my pans with grease and flour and then I line bottom with wax paper. This works wonderfully. Why? Well it insures that my cake is undamaged. Before using this type of method my cakes wold come out uneven in parts sticking some times to pan. This causes pockets of missing cake in areas which if you don’t crumb coat your cake prior to icing your cake could cause crumb in finished frosting. It pulls off smoothly every time for perfect straight layer! Before I prepare the pans I trace the bottom side down of pans on waxed paper you can also use parchment paper with pencil then carefully cut out shape to add to bottom of pans after they are prepared. Good luck….

  22. Samina

    Hi is it possible to get the ingredients in grams as I’m from the UK and we very rarely use cups for measuring. Also, what would be the equivalent of all purpose flour in the UK? Thank you

    • Great Grub, Delicious Treats

      Hi Samina,
      Here are a few ingredients in grams: 3 Cups flour = 375 grams, 2 cups sugar = 400 grams, Butter 1 cup = 226.8 grams, Powdered sugar 5 cups = 625.00 grams. I just googled it because I had no idea, honestly. And Plain flour is equivalent to our all purpose flour. Thanks for your comment. :)

      • Samina

        OK, great. Thank you for your response. I will give it a go when I can and see what happens!

  23. Jennie

    I am definately going to try this recipe. Got it off Pinterest. Looks and sounds wonderful. I was wondering if you ever heard back from the gal asking if cupcakes could be made with this recipe. If so, is there any changes to make for this? Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes. I have to say however, I have added a few pounds but just so you know – I am getting fat, sassy and happy! Seriously though – best cake recipes hands down!

    • Great Grub, Delicious Treats

      Hi Jennie,
      At least you are enjoying some amazingly tasty recipes!! LOL!! That’s cute! I’m the same way!
      No I didn’t hear back from her about the cupcakes. If you are thinking about making cupcakes, just check the time after about 18 minutes. Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I appreciate the feedback! Have a wonderful day! :)

  24. Lilac

    I used cake flour instead of all-purpose (and added 2 tablespoons for every cup) and it came out great! Very fluffy. I made it for the Super Bowl and I’m going to frost it tomorrow.

  26. Phyllis

    I made this cake for my son’ s girlfriend, having never made white cake before,I was worried it would be dry. The cake is amazing, she loved it, this will be my go to recipe when I make white cake again.

  28. Lorelena

    Hello!!!
    … cake looks delicious. Thanks For Share your recipes. What brand of flour you use?
    Now I’ll be your segudora !! Thank you!! : D

  29. Candace

    This cake is amazing !!! I was wondering if you have a chocolate recipe that you could share?? I would love to make a three tier cake with white and chocolate layers !!!!

  30. Priscilla

    I made this cake last weekend for my 7th wedding Anniversary and the cake was beautiful but it was also dry. It also tasted like it could use a little of salt. I followed your recipe exactly and I’m dumb founded. Help!

  31. Dana

    Ms. Teri, this cake looks SCRUMPTIOUS!!!! My question is, can this recipe use cake flour instead of all purpose? And if so, how much cake flour would you use for this particular recipe? Thanks!!!!!

  32. McKaylah

    Made this cake for “girls night” and it was DEVOURED! This recipe’s a keeper for sure! Thanks for sharing!

      • Barbara

        This looks amazing and I am going to make for Easter and fill the layers with my homemade lemon curd. Quick question. I bake with glass cake pans and always lower so the tops stay flat. I have noticed that sometimes I have a problem getting the cake out of the pans. Do you have any suggestions?

        Thank you so much!

        • Great Grub, Delicious Treats

          Hi Barbara, that sounds like it will be delicious with your lemon curd. As for your question, you could use parchment paper which I use often. I would also lower your temperature about 25 degrees when you bake the cake being you are using glass. Happy Easter!

          • Barbara

            Yes, I do always lower to 325 and bak a bit longer. I use parchment paper often, but not with cakes, so I will try that. Thank you so much. I t0ok a picture of the finished cake. WIsh I could post it here.

  33. jordan

    Hi,

    Just finished making your cake and it looks absolutely divine…will not be eaten until tonight but I’m sure it will taste as good as it looks

  34. Sheila

    Your cake looks scrumptious!! It inspires me to make one! Made a cake from scratch a looong time ago…it was pretty bad—very dense. Is it necessary to sift the flour? OMGoodness! I cant wait to try this..if this works-.no more Pepperidge Farm Coconut cake for me! Lol

  36. Esther Lord

    Hi Terri, love your new blog :) and this cake sound’s and look’s amazing. Definitely going to have to make this. Cake is my weakness. I’ll be looking forward to receiving your newsletters with new recipes. Great success I wish for you my friend !!!

4.65 from 382 votes (370 ratings without comment)