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If you’re looking for a dependable white cake that bakes into beautiful, even layers and stacks with confidence, this is the recipe I return to again and again.
I developed this white cake because I needed a recipe I could trust for my kids’ birthday cakes year after year. With five children, our home sees plenty of celebrations, and I wanted a cake that would bake evenly, slice cleanly, and hold up to generous layers of buttercream without shifting or crumbling.
After refining it over time, this cake became my go-to — soft yet structured, moist but sturdy, and reliable enough for the moments that matter most.
This white cake recipe holds a special place in my heart — it’s the very one that clinched first place at our local county fair. After countless trials and tweaks, achieving that blue ribbon was a moment of immense pride.
If you plan to build any kind of layered celebration cake, this is exactly the kind of foundation recipe every home baker should have.
Why This Cake Is Perfect for Layer Cakes
Not all white cakes are designed for stacking. Many bake up fluffy but fragile, making them difficult to frost cleanly or transport without worry.
This recipe is intentionally different.
The combination of butter and oil creates both flavor and lasting moisture, while whipped egg whites provide lift without sacrificing structure. The result is a bakery-style crumb that stays tender yet slices beautifully — ideal for layered birthday cakes, holiday desserts, and special occasions.
When paired with a stable buttercream frosting, the layers hold their shape, making decorating dramatically easier even for beginner cake builders.
If you’ve ever worried about a cake sliding or collapsing once frosted, this recipe removes that risk.
One of the things I love most about this recipe is how easily it doubles. A single batch creates beautiful, sturdy layers, but when I’m baking birthday cakes for my kids or preparing for a larger celebration, I simply double the recipe to create taller cakes or additional layers. The batter scales reliably without compromising texture, giving you the confidence to bake for both everyday desserts and special occasions.
When I double this recipe to create a tall celebration cake, I often use the trimmed cake layers to make cake pops — a simple way to reduce waste and create an extra treat everyone gets excited about.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Dependable structure – Layers bake evenly and stack with confidence
- Moist texture – Oil keeps the crumb from drying out
- Celebration-ready – Perfect for birthdays and gatherings
- Professional results – Straight layers frost cleanly
- Versatile base – Ideal for filling variations and decorative finishes
This is the kind of recipe that quickly becomes part of your permanent baking rotation.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Salted butter
- Canola oil
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
- Egg whites
For frosting:
- Vanilla buttercream frosting (highly recommended for stability and clean layering)
(Ingredient measurements are provided in the recipe card below.)
Equipment Needed
8-inch anodized aluminum cake pans — My preferred choice for layer cakes because they bake evenly and create straighter sides, which makes frosting much easier.
Parchment paper — Ensures effortless cake release.
Stand mixer — Provides the creaming power needed for a smooth batter.
Hand mixer — Ideal for whipping egg whites to stiff peaks.
Long serrated knife — Perfect for leveling cooled cakes.
Cooling rack — Allows cakes to cool evenly and prevents excess moisture.
How to Make
A great layer cake starts long before the frosting — it begins with proper pan preparation, balanced mixing, and careful handling of the batter.
Lining the pans with parchment rounds helps guarantee a clean release, while thoroughly creaming the butter, sugar, and oil creates the foundation for a uniform crumb.
Alternating the dry ingredients with milk keeps the batter smooth without overworking the gluten, which is key to maintaining tenderness in a structured cake.
Whipped egg whites are gently folded in at the end, introducing air that gives the cake lift while preserving its bakery-style density.
Once baked, allow the cakes to cool completely before leveling. Removing the slight dome creates flat surfaces that stack securely and frost with ease — a small step that makes a dramatic difference in the finished cake.
👉 If you’d like to see my full method for stacking, crumb coating, and frosting a tall celebration cake, check out my How to Make a Geode Birthday cake tutorial!.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
PrintSturdy Bakery-Style White Cake (Perfect for Layer Cakes)
This sturdy bakery-style white cake is soft, moist, and structured enough for beautiful layered celebration cakes. Made with whipped egg whites for lift and a butter-oil combination for richness, this dependable recipe bakes flat layers that stack easily and frost cleanly with buttercream.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 (8-inch) round cakes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 TBSP salted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup canola oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 TBSP baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk, at room temperature
- 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
For frosting:
-
Vanilla buttercream frosting (Double the batch)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds and generously grease the sides.
- In a stand mixer, beat softened butter on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add sugar and canola oil, beating until fully combined and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix in vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- With mixer on medium speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour. This method keeps the batter stable and prevents it from becoming overly wet, helping create a cake with a soft crumb that is still sturdy enough for layering. Mix until just combined, scraping the bowl between additions.
- In a clean bowl, beat egg whites on high speed with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Using a silicone spatula, gently fold egg whites into the batter until fully incorporated, being careful not to over mix.
- Evenly divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cakes should be lightly golden.
- Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 15–20 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges, then flip upside down onto a cooling rack. Flip cakes right-side up and cool completely before leveling and frosting.
Notes
👉 For best layering results:
Level cakes with a long serrated knife once fully cooled.
👉 Doubling Tip: This recipe doubles beautifully for taller layer cakes or larger gatherings without sacrificing structure or crumb.
👉 Crumb coat tip:
Separate a small portion of buttercream for the crumb coat to keep your final frosting smooth and free of crumbs.
👉 Chill between frosting stages:
Refrigerate the cake for 20–30 minutes after the crumb coat and between frosting layers for the cleanest finish.
👉 Recommended frosting:
Use a double batch of our stable Vanilla Buttercream Frosting for a cake that pipes beautifully and holds its shape.
👉 Double the recipe:
Perfect for tall celebration cakes — and the extra layer makes excellent cake pops.
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Hand mixer
- 8-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Long serrated knife
Tips for Success
- Use room-temperature ingredients for a smoother batter and more even bake.
- Avoid overmixing once the flour is added to keep the crumb tender.
- Fold egg whites gently to preserve the air that helps the cake rise.
- Cool completely before leveling — warm cakes are prone to tearing.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Store:
Keep the frosted cake covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or refrigerate for longer freshness.
Freeze:
Unfrosted layers freeze beautifully. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator before decorating.
Don’t Waste Those Cake Scraps — Make Cake Pops
After leveling your cake layers, you’ll likely have a pile of soft, flavorful crumbs. Don’t throw them away — they make incredible homemade cake pops.
Simply crumble the cake pieces, mix with a small amount of buttercream, roll into balls or shape into cake pop molds, (I prefer molds 100%) and freeze before dipping in melted chocolate or almond bark.
It’s a simple way to turn leftovers into a second dessert, and it’s always a hit with kids.
👉 See my full step-by-step cake pops tutorial so you can make the most of every layer.
Variations & Serving Ideas
- Fill with raspberry preserves for a bright flavor contrast
- Add fresh berries between layers
- Pair with chocolate buttercream for a classic combination
- Flavor the buttercream with almond extract for a bakery-style twist
Final Thoughts
Every baker needs a reliable white cake — one that delivers consistent results when the occasion matters.
Whether you’re baking for a birthday, a family gathering, or simply building your confidence with layer cakes, this recipe provides the kind of structure and dependability that makes decorating enjoyable instead of stressful.
Once you have a cake like this in your recipe collection, celebrations become that much easier to create.
If you make it please consider leaving a review. We love to see your posts! Tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok! @ourgratefulkitchen
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