8-Inch Cake is the perfect, customizable cake recipe to have in your back pocket for all occasions! Three tender & fluffy vanilla cake layers are frosted in a luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting. Add any flavor of filling you like (caramel! chocolate! jam!) or swap in a chocolate frosting to customize this absolutely irresistible cake.
Why you’ll love this 8-Inch Cake recipe:
- Buttery Vanilla Cake – This vanilla layer cake tastes like the perfect bakery vanilla cake – it has a rich, buttery flavor and fluffy, moist cake layers.
- Unique Frosting Flavor – This is not your basic vanilla buttercream ! A silky brown butter cream cheese frosting is ultra creamy with warm, caramelly notes from the brown butter – and the flavors compliment the vanilla cake beautifully!
- Perfect Blank Canvas – This vanilla cake is the perfect blank canvas! Keep the flavors as is, or dress it up for special occasions by adding a fruit filling (try my raspberry filling or orange curd!) between the layers, or by swapping the frosting for chocolate. See a complete list of filling & frosting options in the recipe variation sections farther down in this post.
Ingredient Overview:
- Butter – I prefer salted, but you can use unsalted butter if that’s your preference.
- Vegetable Oil – Using a combination of oil and butter gives this cake the best of both worlds – oil keeps the cake tender and moist, while butter adds flavor.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temperature, for best results. We’re using whole eggs rather than just egg whites to add extra flavor & tender texture to this cake.
- Milk – I used 2% milk. I think skim and whole milk are fine as well. Lactose-free works beautifully also.
- Sour Cream – Use full-fat sour cream at room temperature.
- Cake Flour – Cake flour produces a lighter crumb in cakes, and I highly recommend using it! Spoon & level your flour for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly in will lead to too much flour. 1 cup of cake flour weighs 110 grams, whereas 1 cup all-purpose flour weighs 130 grams. (Some people standardize at 120, 125, or 130 – I’ve chosen 130.)
- Vanilla Extract – Since the flavor in this cake comes from simple quality ingredients, be sure to use real vanilla instead of imitation vanilla for the best flavor.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite trusted dairy-free or lactose-free products.
- Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of this cake.
- Sour cream – Use full fat plain yogurt in a pinch.
How to Make this 8-Inch Vanilla Cake Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Mix the Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter & oil with a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) on high speed. Then, add the sugar & beat on high for two full minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between each on medium high speed for 45 seconds. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla until just combined.
Step 2: Add Dry Ingredients. Add half of the flour mixture, then begin mixing on low, then pour the milk in, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until a few streaks of flour remain. Stop the mixer and fold in the last few dry bits with a spatula – a few lumps in the batter are fine!
Step 3: Bake the Cake Layers. Divide batter between three prepared pans (a scale helps here!) and bake as directed in the recipe card below. Use a cake tester or toothpick to check for doneness. Let cool for 10 minutes before inverting to cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 4: Make the Frosting. Cream together butter and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl with a mixer on high speed, adding a splash of milk as needed to help it come together. Then, add the vanilla and salt. Beat in the cream cheese last – this prevents it from becoming weepy.
Step 5: Frost the Cake. Use a cake turntable with your cake stand placed on top of it. Frost the first cake layer. Place the second layer on top and chill for 10-15 minutes before repeating. Crumb coat then frost the cake, creating swirls on top of the cake with the back of a spoon – see more in depth directions in the recipe card.
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
Place the frosted cake in the fridge for 10-30 minutes so the frosting can firm up a bit before serving. Once the frosting is completely set in the fridge, you can cover the cake in plastic wrap. Or, keep the cake in a cake carrier. If the cake has been in the fridge overnight, let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before slicing, so everything isn’t so solid from the fridge. Store sliced cake in the fridge for 2-3 days, in an airtight container (such as the cake carrier) with plastic wrap covering the cut portion of the cake. Wrapping individual slices in plastic wrap and storing in an airtight container works well too!
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Cake Layers – Cake layers can be baked, cooled at room temperature, and placed on dinner plates. Wrap well in plastic wrap and frost & assemble within 24 hours of doing this, for maximum freshness.
- Frosting – The frosting can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Let sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes before using, then mix with your mixer to get it back to a spreadable consistency before using.
Expert Success Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
- Not-too-sweet Frosting – I have a little trick to keep frosting from being too sweet (you know, that annoying tooth-ache that often comes from frosting?). I always add cream cheese to my frostings – this doesn’t make all my frostings true cream cheese frostings, since the quantity of butter still surpasses the amount of cream cheese.
FAQs:
Yes, you can halve this recipe and bake as two, 6-inch cake layers, or you can halve it and bake in an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan.
Yes! The amount of batter in the recipe will make three 8-inch cake layers, three 9-inch round cake layers, six 6-inch round cake layers, two 8×8 or 9×9 square cake layers, or one 9×13 sheet pan of cake. Your pan size will affect bake time – All these sizes will bake faster than 8-inch rounds, except the 9×13. Start with 22-26 minutes for the 9×13 but be prepared to go up to 35 minutes or so.
Yes you certainly can! I have no experience stacking tiered cakes, so I can’t advise you on the specific method, but this cake is tender, yet sturdy enough for that.
8-Inch Cake Filling & Frosting Variations:
- Frosting – If you want to skip the brown butter, you can – although it’s incredibly delicious! You can also use a more traditional cream cheese forward frosting, like this cream cheese frosting from my Pineapple Carrot Cake (omit the cinnamon if desired.). The creamy chocolate frosting from my Tuxedo Cake would be delicious here as well!
- Fillings – If you want to add a filling to this cake, you’ll need to pipe a border on each frosted layer before adding the filling in the center, and then the next cake layer on top. If using a filling, use 1/3 to 1/2 cup between each layer. If you use more than this, it may be too much for the cake to contain. Try my Raspberry Coulis recipe (raspberry dessert sauce), 10-Minute Salted Caramel Sauce recipe, or the Peach Butter from my Peach Bars. Any store-bought or homemade jams (strawberry, blueberry, etc.) will work as a filling as well, as long as you use no more than 1/2 cup between layers, and as long as it’s not runny.
Special Tools:
- Offset Spatula – Offset spatulas make assembling this delicious dessert so easy! They can also be used for spreading cake and brownie batters evenly in your pan.
- Cake Turntable – If you make at least a few cakes a year, a cake turntable makes the process a breeze!
- 8-inch Pan – I love these 8-inch cake pans!
More Perfect Cake Recipes to Love:
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Perfect 8-Inch Vanilla Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 and 1/2 cups cake flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out 385 grams
- 3/4 tsp baking soda 4.5 grams
- 1 tbsp baking powder 14 grams
- 3/4 tsp salt 5 grams
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature 113 grams
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil 131 grams
- 2 and 2/3 cup granulated sugar 543 grams
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 large egg white, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract 19.5 grams
- 3/4 cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature 180 grams
- 1 and 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature 240 mL
For the Frosting:
- 1 and 1/2 cups salted butter
- 16 ounces cream cheese, cold use the full-fat blocks
- 6 and 1/2 cups to 7 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prep: Make sure all cold ingredients have come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350° F. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans. Use a paper towel to rub shortening all over the inside of each pan, coating them evenly and completely. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit inside each (tracing is the easiest way, or purchase parchment rounds). Place this on top of the greased pan bottom, then grease over the parchment paper as well. Add a handful of flour, and tap the pan around to evenly coat the entire inside with flour, tapping out the excess.
-  Make the Cake Batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter for about 30 seconds, until creamy. Add the vegetable oil and beat together on medium high speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 full minutes. The mixture will be fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl down throughout, to ensure everything is combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium high speed between each addition, for 45 seconds. The mixture will be very fluffy. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix on medium speed until just combined.Add half of the dry ingredients while the mixer is running on low speed. Add the milk when just a bit of the flour has disappeared into the batter, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Continue mixing on low, and stop when just a few streaks of flour remain. Turn off the mixer and use a spatula to gently fold in any last bits of flour. Some lumps is fine – do not over mix!
- Bake:Â Divide cake batter evenly between the prepared pans. (You can eyeball this or use a kitchen scale.) Bake the first two pans together, and then the 3rd pan on its own after the first two are done. This will ensure the most even bake. Bake the cakes for 24-28 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through (this helps them bake evenly). When done, a toothpick inserted into the center will pull out moist crumbs. Let cakes cool in the pans on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Then, invert onto cooling racks (peel off the parchment round) to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: While the cakes cool, make frosting. Melt butter in a medium pot over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium once melted, and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown. It will bubble up, then get foamy, then it will start to turn golden brown. Pour into a clean bowl and set in the freezer to quickly cool for 15-20 minutes. It just needs to be room temperature – not hot.Add the slightly cooled butter to a large mixing bowl with the cold cream cheese and mix – start slow to avoid splatters, then turn up the speed once things are combined. The mixture will look lumpy at first, but it will smooth out after a minute or so. Mix in the powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, mixing between each addition, and adding the vanilla and salt with the last bit of powdered sugar.
- Assemble & Frost the Cake: Place the first cake layer on a cake stand placed on a turntable. See note below if adding fillings. Place the second cake layer on top and spread the excess frosting peeking out from between the layers to begin your crumb coat. Chill for 10-15 minutes to set things so the layers don't slide around. Repeat with the second layer. Add the final layer upside down (for a flat top!) and give the cake a thin amount of frosting on top and on the sides. Use a cake scraper to smooth out and remove excess. This is your crumb coat, so don't fret if it isn't perfect. Pop the cake in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to set the crumb coat. Then, apply the remaining frosting, using the cake scraper to smooth the top and sides of the cake. Create pretty swirls on top with the back of a spoon. Let the cake in the fridge for about 20 minutes or until frosting is set, before slicing & serving. Note about Fillings: If using any fillings (see recipe variations section just a bit above the recipe card in the blog post), pipe a border of frosting around each cake layer (keep it just a bit in from the edges so it doesn't spill out) and use 1/3 to 1/2 cup of your desired jam or fruit filling. Place the next cake layer on top and be sure to let things chill before continuing so things don't slide around.
- Serve & Store:Â Slice and serve once the frosting is set, as mentioned above. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed over the cut portion of the cake, for 3-4 days. Or, wrap individual slices well in plastic wrap, and store these inside an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Individual slices can be double plastic wrapped and placed in a ziploc bag with the air pressed out, and frozen for 1-2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Anon anon says
Leading up to Easter I had about three recipes in mind for a coconut cake. I honestly wasn’t interested in using coconut milk like many of the recipes called for so I opted to just do a plain yellow cake with cream cheese frosting and I would add in coconut flakes coconut extract And walnuts. I did also use a butter, vanilla emulsion In this recipe instead of extract and I must say this cake just like a box yellow cake. My only complaint is how crumbly my cake came out and I’m sure that it’s something that I did wrong all in all really good recipe I will probably make again in the future
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad you enjoyed this cake, Anon! Hmm, that’s odd that it came out a bit crumbly. There are a few possible causes – if you accidentally left some of the sugar out, measured the flour incorrectly, or over mixed the batter this can happen. Do you remember how you measured the flour? I would love to help you troubleshoot!