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The Quest for a Truly Moist Vanilla Cake

4/7/2014

 
***UPDATE (August 21, 2017) - I'm grateful to everyone who has visited this page, tried this recipe, and commented. I've had lots of positive feedback, along with a few folks whose attempts were disastrous, which is disappointing and I apologize for. At this point in my personal life, I've moved on from baking and caking on the regular, and am unable to respond to comments and provide assistance for those who have trouble with the recipe. I'm turning off the comments and as always I encourage you to use caution when trying ANY new recipe - make sure you test it out and like it BEFORE you make it for a high-pressure situation like a party or a wedding.

***UPDATE (June 29, 2015) - There has been a lot of interest in this vanilla cake recipe! Thank you to everyone for your comments and questions. The biggest question/concern is over a too dense/too moist center once the cake should be "done". The answer to this is almost always: It's not actually done yet! The baking times listed below are for my convection oven. All ovens are different, and you need to get to know your own oven. If your oven is standard (i.e., not convection), it's almost certain to take quite a bit longer than the times listed below. I suggest you try toothpick-testing your cake at the times listed below, and then perhaps every 5 minutes thereafter if it's not done. If your cake is done, it will no longer be shiny in the center and will no longer jiggle or shimmy if you shake the pan lightly. It should spring back in the center if you press lightly with (clean) fingers. Now, on with the original post...


I've been on a journey to locate a recipe for a truly moist vanilla cake over the past three years.  I have baked dozens of vanilla cakes from myriad different recipes, from cookbooks to baking bibles to blogs to recipe websites, all in the hopes of finding The One.  Even those that promise to be The Moistest Vanilla Cake Ever left me reaching for a big glass of milk.
And of course I'm not the only one.  Brilliant bakers like Rosie from Sweetapolita have done ridiculous amounts of research and testing, and her Epic Tale of Vanilla Cake is over the top.  Bridget from The Way the Cookie Crumbles also did a thorough assessment of white cakes.  The list goes on.

After much testing and trying of my own, I had finally landed on the Cook's Illustrated White Layer Cake recipe as my go-to, as the moistest of the bunch.  Still, it paled in comparison to my chocolate cake.  I was starting to think dryness was simply the lot in life of the poor vanilla cake, and I would cringe ever so slightly whenever someone requested one.

Even so, I continued to bake vanilla cakes because people continue to want vanilla cake.  I have dressed up those vanilla cakes with rich, heavenly buttercream and simple syrup, layered on hand-carved fondant details, and packaged them up in crisp white bakery boxes for my friends and family to take home to their celebrations.

But, as Sarah Palin loves to tell us, we all know what happens when you put lipstick on a pig.

It's still a dry vanilla cake.

Until today.

Yes, friends, I dare say I have cracked the code.

I have been baking the same chocolate cake recipe for the past two years.  It's from a baker named Glory who writes the baking blog Glorious Treats.  Glory calls this recipe Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes, and she's so right.  Perfect.  Consistently moist and ever so chocolatey, and it adapts perfectly to two 9-inch round cakes.  I have hand-written notes all over my splattered recipe print-out for how to halve it (for two 6-inch rounds) and increase it to 150% (for three 9-inch rounds), as well as exact baking times for my oven, for any size cake pan, since all ovens are a little wacky in their own unique ways.

Update:  My super-smart, eagle-eyed cousin Sara pointed out to me that this recipe is actually Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake.  I'm so happy to know the original source.  I love being related to an engineer who also happens to be a baker.

Anyway, after all my searching and hunting and longing for a moist vanilla cake recipe, it finally dawned on me a few days ago that since I already had one perfect cake recipe in hand, maybe I could see what would happen if I just neglected to add in the cocoa powder. 

Could I possibly modify a recipe on my own?  Me, who follows instructions to a T and assumes the people who wrote them know what they're talking about?  Me, who thinks recipes are mystical, magical things that should never be altered?  Could I actually change a recipe?!

Well, sure enough, I did it.  I omitted the baking soda because I read a couple years ago in the Crabapple Bakery's Cupcake Cookbook that baking soda is used when there are acidic ingredients (like cocoa), and only baking powder is required for recipes with all basic ingredients (like a vanilla cake).  How I remembered that, I will never know.  My memory is not exactly stellar these days.

But back to the cake, I increased the baking powder from 1 1/2 to 4 teaspoons, because that's how much was in the Cook's Illustrated recipe, and that was reason enough for me.

I mixed up the ingredients and popped them in the oven while Clara napped, and 22 minutes later, these beauties emerged:
Picture
I was so excited to get them out of the pans and see how they turned out that I accidentally crushed the sides of each one against the other.

I tasted them as soon as they were cool enough to touch.  I don't want to overstate the moistness of these cakes, but in all honesty, the heavens opened and angels sang!  I kid you not.

The other beautiful part of this recipe is that there is no planning ahead required.  The Cook's Illustrated recipe calls for room temperature butter, milk and egg whites, all of which means that I have to get that stuff out before breakfast if I want to bake after lunch.  No such frivolity required with this modified recipe!
Picture
Perhaps one day I will write out the recipe and link to it here, but for now, the Cliff's Notes (for you Americans) or Cole's Notes (for Canadians) are as follows:

Truly Moist Vanilla Cake
  • Follow the recipe for Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes
  • Omit cocoa powder
  • Omit baking soda
  • Increase flour to 2 cups
  • Increase baking powder to 4 teaspoons 
  • Bake as 24 cupcakes or in two 9-inch round pans
Mom
4/8/2014 02:53:27 am

I may be a bit prejudiced, but you are delightful, smart, talented, beautiful and I love you ever so much! You conquered the moist, vanilla cake!!!

Bree link
5/1/2014 12:00:57 pm

I made this recipe tonight exactly how you recommended and I'll admit, the boiling water part made me nervous. No way would a cake come out moist and fluffy after pouring boiling hot water on the batter. Wrong!! The cake was soooooo good. Sooooo moist. Yes! I sprinkled cinnamon in my leftover batter and made a few cinnamon cupcakes...amaaaaazing!! Thank you!!

Jen @ jenniferjuliecakes
5/2/2014 02:33:16 am

I know, crazy right? I thought the same thing the first time I tried this recipe, and also thought the boiling water would cook the eggs, but nope, works every time! (Unrelated note: I have started stirring in the boiling water with a spatula instead of the Kitchenaid because it tends to splash out of my mixer bowl.) Anyway, I'm glad it's working for you! Cinnamon sounds fantastic!

Ktpahl
6/7/2014 12:56:21 am

Thank you!! My husband's favorite type is vanilla cake and I was JUST wondering if I could alter the Hershey's recipe to make it so(bc it's the best!). I didn't have the nerve until now!! Happy birthday to him!!

Jen @ jenniferjuliecakes
6/7/2014 12:21:00 pm

Fantastic! So happy to hear you tried it, and I hope he enjoyed his birthday cake!

Heather
6/16/2016 05:52:55 am

Hi, i make the chocolate one all the time but this time my daughter wants me to make vanilla for my twins 1st birthday on Saturday and I was wondering how much I would need to make four 6" pans and 40 cupcakes.
I'm having a hard time because of the smash cakes I am going to make with the 6" thanks. :)

April
7/29/2014 08:34:00 am

How would you modify this for 3 nine inch pans? I'm looking at making a three-layer cake for my daughter's birthday.

Jen @ jenniferjuliecakes
8/1/2014 04:37:48 am

Here are the vanilla cake ingredient measurements I use for three 9-inch round pans:

3 cups sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup boiling water

Use the same directions as in the original recipe, and divide between 3 cake pans. Good luck!

Elise
1/24/2015 07:54:34 am

Is there a conversion for 2, 8 inch round cake pans? :) that's the only size I have!

April
5/17/2015 06:35:43 am

This worked beautifully! Thanks so much!

Brynn
5/31/2015 02:17:21 pm

What do you use to cut it down to the two 6 inch pans?

Warda Gameela
2/6/2016 06:43:03 pm

Ok so as we speak I have finished mixing the components and since I did have enough sugar I'm adding blueberries and maybe some strawberries not sure yet but it tastes yummy

Nthandose
7/23/2017 11:58:16 pm

Hi lovely recipe. But how long should the baking time be.

Hania Qavi
9/18/2014 10:03:55 pm

This recipe sounds great!! But i have a worry here that 4tsps of baking powder is going to be a little troubling for my teeth. Could you recommend some alternatives for the quantity of baking powder/soda?

Jen @ jenniferjuliecakes
10/13/2014 11:53:21 am

Honestly I'm really not sure what I would substitute for the baking powder. I think you could try baking soda instead, but I haven't attempted it myself so I really can't vouch for it (although lots of people brush their teeth with baking soda, so maybe it would be a good alternative?). I'm not much of a food scientist, so since this recipe works so well for me as-is, I just stick with it. If any readers have a suggestion, feel free to comment!

Wendy
10/9/2014 07:10:19 am

Hello Jen,
Have you tried this recipe with "cake flour" instead of "all purpose flour"? I use cake flour a lot but sometimes it doesn't work as well in some recipes, sometimes I have to increase the amount of cake flour I use to get the recipe to come out good.
Please let me know.
Thank you

Jen @ jenniferjuliecakes
10/13/2014 12:03:52 pm

I haven't substituted cake flour in this recipe, but I would certainly be interested to hear how it turns out if you try it. I've read a couple of good articles/posts on flour, and it sounds like you might be able to substitute 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp of cake flour for each cup of all-purpose that the recipe calls for, due to the lower protein content of cake flour (just as you have done before in other recipes).

You may already know all of this, but for any other readers out there who are interested, here are a couple of helpful flour links:

http://www.joyofbaking.com/flour.html
http://sweetapolita.com/2012/01/bring-me-flours/

Ann
10/13/2014 11:38:21 am

I am needing 4, 9" cakes. So, all I need to do is double your cliff notes along with the original?

Jen @ jenniferjuliecakes
10/13/2014 11:58:12 am

Exactly right, simply double it to get four 9-inch rounds. However, word of caution if you're using a stand mixer: You might want to bake it in two batches of two 9-inch rounds each because the volume of batter of the doubled recipe might overflow your mixer bowl if you're not super careful. If you're using a hand mixer, just start with a big bowl. Good luck!

Ann
10/14/2014 10:44:13 am

I had planned on making it in two batches.
Thank you!!

Amber
11/23/2014 10:03:22 am

Hi Jen,
I just made this recipe and didn't really taste the vanilla in it. Did you add extra vanilla in your recipe? If so how much?
Thank you

Jeny link
11/29/2014 10:08:42 am

This cake was awesome!! I'll admit, I was a little nervous about adding a cup of boiling water to a mix that already looked runny, but I did it and it turned out perfect. My daughter loved her birthday cake! Thank you:)

blackcoffee02 link
12/27/2014 10:52:28 pm

It was moist yes, but was not at all fluffy. It was quite thick and heavy.

Jay
4/5/2015 11:29:46 pm

I too, have been on a quest for a truly moist yellow cake recipe and now - thanks to your efforts - I have found it. I just made this one for an Easter bunny cake and everyone agreed - it was truly moist! It's a keeper - and I can scratch this quest off of my list. The only change I will make to it will be to increase the vanilla flavor or possibly add some almond flavor. But the cake itself is great as it is! Thank you - I'm glad someone posted this on FB....

Janelle
4/13/2015 04:25:48 am

If making 9" cakes do you bake them for the same amount as time as cupcakes? 22 mins?

Jay
4/13/2015 05:59:03 am

No, for 9" pans you'll be in the 30-35 minute range - I believe in my oven it was about 30. The toothpick test will tell you when they are done...

Jen @ Jennifer Julie Cakes
4/13/2015 08:06:48 am

Actually I think it depends more on your oven type. I have convection and I pull the 9" cakes at 22 minutes. I think a standard conventional oven will take longer. I would suggest you toothpick test them at 21-22 minutes if you have convection. Good luck!

Billye
4/15/2015 07:49:37 am

When you use your convection do you set it for 325 or 350

Jen @ Jennifer Julie Cakes
4/15/2015 08:58:00 am

I set it at 350 with my convection.

Billye
4/15/2015 10:22:19 am

For the poster asking about using cake flour I used cake flour for the original chocolate version of this and my cake kept falling and I could not figure out why until I switched to regular all purpose.

Marci
5/8/2015 12:00:25 am

Hi, I would like to make this delicious cake , but I am a little confused, for 2 cups of flour you use 4 teaspoons of baking powder and for the 3 cups version you use only 2 teaspoons. Which one is better? thank you.

sharon knabb
5/12/2015 08:30:49 am

OMG!! I too have been looking for that perfect moist vanilla cake and when happened upon your blog doing a revamp of the Hershey chocolate cake I couldn't believe it. That cake is my favorite due to hits moistness and I also wondered if I could some how alter it to produce the ultimate vanilla cake but you were that brave soul to do so. I can't wait to try it. Thanks again.

Billye
5/17/2015 06:20:12 am

Has anyone made this and had a problem with the center being very dense and wet? I just made three (yes three) batches and cooked for up to 40 minutes for one batch and it keeps coming out as if undercooked and not airy but a sense wet cake

Stacy
6/28/2015 02:11:10 pm

I just made one batch. I have to say the flavour is awesome and it is moist. I am having the same problem with it being wet and dence in the middle as well. The only thing I did different was that my eggs where at room temperature (I was going to make a different recipe) maybe that was my issue? Did you ever find out how to fix this?

Jen @ Jennifer Julie Cakes
6/29/2015 01:20:50 am

Hi Billye, my best guess is that you're using a standard (not convection) oven which will definitely require longer baking times. If it appears undercooked, that may be because it is and it may actually need more time in your oven (since all oven temps can vary). Also, I've found that the cake doesn't rise as well when the weather is humid, so that could be a possibility too.

Jennifer
5/18/2015 09:56:14 pm

Hello. For some reason i cant find the recipe for the vanilla cake ....Could some email it to me ....please

Jen @ Jennifer Julie Cakes
6/29/2015 01:22:21 am

You can just click on the link to the Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes recipe at the bottom of the blog post above and follow the modifications as listed there. Good luck!

Carmen
8/26/2015 02:38:23 pm

Hi, do you know if this recipe is good for stacking like on tiered cakes and carving as well?

Jen @ Jennifer Julie Cakes
8/26/2015 11:04:37 pm

Hi Carmen, this is my go-to recipe for wedding cakes. The tallest wedding cakes I make are 3 tiers (supported with plastic dowels as you would support any tiered cake). Here's an example: http://www.jenniferjuliecakes.com/blog/the-wedding-cake-roadshow-west-coast-edition I'll be using this recipe in a carved cake next week as well and feel pretty confident it'll work nicely.

Sheela
9/23/2015 02:20:25 pm

After trying number of recipies , tried this one and found it amazingly perfect moist cake that am looking for. Thanks for the recipe . Am going to bake couple more this weekend :)

Shannon
10/3/2015 12:27:05 pm

I have also used the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe for years and will never try any other recipe for the chocolate. So I too have searched and searched for a vanilla recipe with the same texture. I had thought about using the same recipe but omitting the flour but had been looking for maybe a white chocolate powder instead but no such luck. I don't even think it is a thing. But thank you for letting us all know how to adjust this recipe. I am definitely going to try it out. Maybe even tomorrow :-)

Anastasia Widiarsih
10/7/2015 05:04:44 pm

This is an amazing recipe. I made this a few times already and came out very good everytime. Baking time in every recipe is always just a guide. Every oven is different. Some ovens run hotter than others, some cooler. It is always best to learn to check for doneness when it comes to baking, instead of relying on time stated on the recipe.

Yu
11/8/2015 06:53:17 pm

Wow I'll try it as soon as possible

kim
1/20/2016 03:39:17 am

Can you make this in a bundt pan

AM
4/13/2016 06:41:50 pm

I just tried this recipe, it was suppose to be for my daughter's birthday tomorrow, but it def. Did not taste right. It smelled and tasted like plado? I am not sure what I did wrong :(

Gin
4/25/2016 11:56:08 am

Can this white cake recipe be baked in a 9x13 pan

Lana
9/19/2016 12:27:52 pm

Hi Jen and everyone

I was just wondering if anyone has tried the vanilla recipe in cupcakes yet? I have just made a batch and they came out super moist and fluffy but stuck to the cupcake wrappers quite badly. The cupcakes were pulling apart when I removed the wrapper if that makes sense. I use the Chocolate version all the time in cupcakes with the same wrappers and same cooking times etc and they come away from the wrappers perfectly, so just wondering why the vanilla would stick so badly?

Zohra
12/24/2016 07:32:21 am

Hello
Thank you for this recipe; my four year old is allergic to dairy and I've been baking his cakes since his first birthday. I've tried so many different recipes, never content with the colour, density, the texture or sweetness. But your recipe here is bloody epic. I substituted milk with coconut cream (naughty but it's ok right); and added a little extra vanilla. The fluffiest, sweetest, most perfect vanilla cake ever in the history of my life. I totally love you and thank you whole heartedly for sharing your insight. Xx

Sarah
6/19/2017 03:24:11 pm

Can I add pecans to the batter? Thanks!

Brooke Johnson
7/24/2017 01:58:52 pm

I too made this recipe after looking at many other recipes- unfortunately it was a total bust. I was very surprised, as I bake quite often and everything I make always turns out great- I've never had a baking fail like this before. I followed the recipe exactly, and I baked it for the required 35 minutes, and to be totally honest it was the absolute worst cake I've ever had. It was way too dense and weirdly gummy in texture- like it wasn't cooked completely, but worse (even though it was cooked completely). The texture was very unpleasant- nothing like cake is supposed to be. Also the flavor was very unimpressive- just "eh." I hate to be a Debby downer here, but I think this recipe needs some serious adjustments...

laura anne
8/21/2017 06:37:30 pm

well, it did live up to its name "truly moist," but it was completely flavorless. now we have the reverse problem! lol a perfectly moist cake but with no flavor. I doubled the vanilla, but it desperately needed some butter and buttermilk.


Comments are closed.

    I'm Jen

    Baker and caker, mom and wife, ex-pat from the corporate world, I love turning butter and sugar into memory-making cakes.

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