The Best Sourdough Vanilla Cake Recipe
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This Sourdough Vanilla Cake is soft, buttery, and just the right amount of sweet. Then there’s the subtle tang from sourdough discard that takes it to the next level of deliciousness. Just like my Sourdough Vanilla Cupcake recipe, the batter comes together fast, making it perfect for a last-minute dessert or a make-ahead treat.
You can even long-ferment the batter if you’re planning ahead, and the finished cake freezes beautifully. What else do you need to do? Top it off with homemade vanilla buttercream, that’s what. The result? A real winner for birthdays, gatherings, or…just because.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Texture:
I love sourdough discard in my baked goods like my Sourdough Lemon Cake or Sourdough Chocolate Guinness Cake because it tenderizes the crumb, giving you the softest and most moist cake. It helps the cake hold on to just the right amount of moisture without being heavy. Every bite has a level of softness that makes it hard to stop at one slice.
Flavor:
Just like my Sourdough Vanilla Cupcakes, this easy sourdough discard recipe is sweet and buttery, only now with a slight tang that makes things even better (and a little more gut-friendly).
That bit of sourdough discard adds depth and gently balances the sweetness without overpowering the vanilla flavor. It’s still the same crowd-pleasing vanilla cake at heart, just with a little extra personality. Top it off with homemade buttercream frosting, and you’ve got a real showstopper for just about any gathering.
Easy:
Sourdough Vanilla Cake is the easiest and most delicious way to use up extra sourdough discard. Simply measure, mix, and bake. It’s that simple. No fancy techniques, cooking methods, or hard-to-find exotic ingredients. Just basic ingredients and a simple method that delivers great results every time. Whether you’re an experienced baker or just getting started in your sourdough journey, this is one recipe you’ll come back to often.
Want to try a few more sourdough discard recipes? Check out some of my favorites.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements and the full list of ingredients, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
Sourdough Vanilla Cake Ingredients:
- Cake Flour: For the lightest and most tender sourdough discard vanilla cake, I highly recommend using cake flour. This flour is lower in gluten content, which creates a lighter and fluffier bake. However, you can substitute with all-purpose flour, but that may lead to a slightly denser cake.
- Unsalted butter: For the best cake texture, the temperature of your butter is important. Before creaming, the butter should be soft, so that a fingerprint can easily be left when pressed into the butter. If the butter is too hard or too soft, this will affect the texture of the cake. Aim for 67 degrees F. If you are using salted butter, subtract 1/4 teaspoon of salt from the recipe.
- Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder hasn’t expired, otherwise, the cake won’t rise properly. Refresh after 6 months of opening.
- Eggs: Bring eggs to room temperature quickly by placing them in a bowl of hot water for at least 5 minutes.
- Milk: I used whole milk for this recipe, however, you can substitute it with non-dairy options like almond milk. Bring the milk to room temperature quickly by heating it up for 15-20 seconds in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Unfed Sourdough Starter: I prefer using sourdough discard that is no older than 1-2 days for sweet recipes like this Sourdough Vanilla Cake. You can use active sourdough starter instead, just be sure to use the same amount in grams!
Vanilla Buttercream
- Unsalted butter: Again, in order for the buttercream to be smooth, it is important that the butter is at room temperature before mixing.
- Powdered sugar: Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time while mixing to prevent sugar from flying everywhere!
- Vanilla extract: For the best vanilla flavor, use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation.
How to Make Sourdough Vanilla Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two 9-inch cake pans with butter and parchment paper.
This recipe is made quickly with sourdough discard. However, if you would like to long-ferment this cake batter, see directions for “long ferment” below.
Dry ingredients:
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
Wet ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the room-temperature milk, sourdough discard, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
Baker’s Note
You can use an active sourdough starter instead of sourdough discard, just be sure to use the same amount in grams.
Combine
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar and soft room temperature butter at medium speed for about 4-5 minutes, or until white in color, light and fluffy.
- Next, add in the eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed until combined and a pale yellow color.
- Alternate between the dry ingredients and wet ingredients. Mix on low speed.
- Stop mixing when there are just a few streaks of flour left and finish by hand with a rubber spatula. This will help you from over-mixing the batter, which can make your cake bake up dense.
Long Fermentation Tip
To long ferment, cover the just-mixed batter and place it into the fridge overnight. The next day, divide the batter evenly between two prepared cake pans and bake. You might need to add a few minutes to the bake time since the batter is chilled.
Bake
- Divide the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake the Sourdough Vanilla Cake for 20-25 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist bites of cake.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
HOW TO MAKE VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the room-temperature butter at medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
Next, add the powdered sugar to the butter, one cup at a time, at medium speed.
Finally, add the vanilla extract, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt. Mix until combined.
How to Decorate
Before decorating, double-check that these delicious cakes are completely cooled! If they are even slightly warm, the frosting will melt into a sugary mess.
If the cake is domed, slice off a thin piece of the top of the cake with a serrated knife. This helps the cake lay evenly when layered.
First, place the bottom layer on the cake stand. Top with about a cup of the vanilla buttercream frosting and spread with an icing spatula until it is evenly covered. Place the second cake layer on top and cover evenly with another cup of frosting. Cover the edges with the remaining frosting.
I decorated my Sourdough Vanilla Cake with colorful dye-free sprinkles, but here are some other creative ideas for you to try:
- Dollops of homemade whipped cream
- Fresh fruit, like berries
- Fresh herbs
- Lemon zest
- Edible flowers
- Macaroons
Alternative Baking Suggestions
Bake at 350 degrees F in a 9×13 baking dish for 30-35 minutes.
This Sourdough Vanilla Cake recipe is a double of my Sourdough Vanilla Cupcake recipe. That recipe bakes 12 tender cupcakes, while this recipe makes 24 cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake at 350 degrees F for 16-18 minutes.
How to Store
Room temperature: Leftover Sourdough Vanilla Cake should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, but it is best served at room temperature. Remove the cake from the fridge at least 1 hour before serving.
Freeze: This cake also freezes beautifully! Once it has cooled, cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, bring to room temperature and decorate as described.
FAQs
This recipe calls for a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. What if you don’t have a stand mixer? A hand mixer on medium speed can also get the job done. Just take care to beat the butter and sugar long enough, about 4 to 5 minutes, so you achieve that same airy texture. Avoid overmixing after you add the dry ingredients.
Yes, there are a few swaps you can make in this sourdough cake recipe. Use all-purpose instead of cake flour, but just know the cake may turn out a little denser than usual. Non-dairy milk, like almond milk, can replace whole milk. I have tested this myself, and it works. And once you’re comfortable with the base recipe, feel free to try flavor variations like citrus zest or a splash of almond extract.
Yes, you absolutely can. This cake batter doubles beautifully as cupcakes. Actually, this classic recipe is based on my original Sourdough Vanilla Cupcakes recipe. Just divide the batter evenly between 24 cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full.
Bake at 350°F for 16–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. These cakes rise beautifully and hold their shape well, making them great for birthdays, school treats, or freezing for later. You’ll still get that soft, tender crumb and buttery vanilla flavor, just in cupcake form.
The Best Sourdough Vanilla Cake Recipe
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Equipment
- two 9-inch cake pans
Ingredients
Sourdough Vanilla Cake
- 290 grams cake flour *see notes 2 cups + 1 teaspoon
- 9 grams baking powder 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 5 grams salt 3/4 teaspoon
- 240 grams milk, room temperature 1 cup
- 120 grams sourdough discard, room temperature 1/2 cup
- 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup
- 350 grams sugar 1 3/4 cups
- 170 grams eggs, room temperature about 3 large eggs
- 12 grams vanilla extract 1 Tablespoon
- 15 grams oil 1 Tablespoon
Vanilla Buttercream
- 226 grams unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup
- 455 grams confectioners' sugar 3 1/2 cups
- 12 grams vanilla extract 1 Tablespoon
- 75 grams heavy cream 5 Tablespoons
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Sourdough Vanilla Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two 9-inch cake pans with butter and parchment paper.
DRY INGREDIENTS
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set to the side.290 grams cake flour *see notes, 9 grams baking powder, 5 grams salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the room-temperature milk and sourdough starter discard until smooth. Set aside.You can use active sourdough starter instead of sourdough discard, just be sure to use the same amount in grams.240 grams milk, room temperature, 120 grams sourdough discard, room temperature
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the sugar and soft room temperature butter at medium speed for about 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy and white in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, when needed. Do not rush this step. Creaming the butter and sugar together is how we incorporate air in the batter so that our cake will bake up light and fluffy. If your kitchen is on the cooler side, you might want to run your mixing bowl under warm water so the metal bowl isn't ice cold.113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature, 350 grams sugar
- Next, add in the eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed until combined and a pale yellow color. Again, scrape the sides of the bowl when needed. Add the vanilla extract and oil and mix until incorporated.170 grams eggs, room temperature, 12 grams vanilla extract, 15 grams oil
COMBINE
- While mixing on low, alternate between the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, starting with adding a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then half of the discard mixture. Continue to alternate until everything has been added. Stop mixing when there are just a few streaks of flour left and finish by hand with a rubber spatula.
- LONG FERMENT: To long ferment, cover the just-mixed batter and place it into the fridge overnight. The following day, divide the batter evenly between two prepared cake pans and bake. You might need to add a few minutes to the bake time since the batter is chilled.
- Divide the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
BAKE
- Bake the Sourdough Vanilla Cake for 20-25 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist bites of cake.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the room-temperature butter at medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Again, if you have a metal bowl, I suggest running the outside of the bowl under hot water and drying it before making the buttercream to help warm it up!226 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- Next, add the powdered sugar to the butter, one cup at a time at medium speed.455 grams confectioners' sugar
- Finally, add the vanilla extract, heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Mix until combined.12 grams vanilla extract, 75 grams heavy cream, pinch of salt
- Assemble, decorate and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredients & Substitutions
Sourdough Vanilla Cake Ingredients:
- Flour: For the lightest and most tender sourdough discard vanilla cake, I highly recommend using cake flour. This flour is lower in gluten content, which creates a lighter and fluffier bake. However, you can substitute with all-purpose flour, but that may lead to a slightly denser cake.
- Unsalted butter: For the best cake texture, the temperature of your butter is important. Before creaming, the butter should be soft, so that a fingerprint can easily be left when pressed into the butter. If the butter is too hard or too soft, this will affect the texture of the cake. Aim for 67 degrees F. If you are using salted butter, subtract 1/4 teaspoon of salt from the recipe.
- Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder hasn’t expired, otherwise, the cake won’t rise properly. Refresh after 6 months of opening.
- Eggs: Bring eggs to room temperature quickly by placing them in a bowl of hot water for at least 5 minutes.
- Milk: I used whole milk for this recipe, however, you can substitute it with non-dairy options like almond milk. Bring the milk to room temperature quickly by heating it up for 15-20 seconds in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Unfed Sourdough Starter: I prefer using sourdough starter discard that is no older than 1-2 days for sweet recipes like this Sourdough Vanilla Cake.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Unsalted butter: Again, in order for the buttercream to be smooth, it is important that the butter is at room temperature before mixing.
- Powdered sugar: Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time while mixing to prevent sugar from flying everywhere!
- Vanilla extract: For the best vanilla flavor, use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation.
How to Decorate
Before decorating, double-check that the cakes are completely cooled! If they are even slightly warm, the frosting will melt into a sugary mess. If the cakes are domed, slice off a thin piece of the top of the cake with a serrated knife to help level the cakes. This helps the cake to lay evenly when layered. First, place the bottom layer on the cake stand. Top with about a cup of the frosting and spread with an offset spatula or flat knife until it is evenly covered. Place the 2nd cake layer on top and cover evenly with another cup of frosting. Cover the edges with the remaining frosting. Leave the cake uncovered for at least 30 minutes to set. This makes for easier and cleaner slicing. I decorated my cake with frosting and these dye-free sprinkles, but here are some other creative ideas for you to try:- Sprinkles
- Macaroons
- Edible Flowers
- Fresh Fruit
My family couldn’t get enough of this cake! Fluffy, buttery and sweet. This will be our go-to recipe from now on!
I want to use this recipe for my daughter’s smash cake. Can I just use a 6 inch cake pan?
Absolutely! A 6-inch cake pan will work beautifully for a smash cake. I recommend cutting the recipe in half for one 6-inch layer, or baking the full recipe and dividing it into two or three 6-inch layers if you’d like a taller cake.
Just keep an eye on the bake time— I would start checking if it’s done around 18 minutes. So excited you’re using this recipe for such a special occasion! Let me know how it turns out!
I made this cake today measuring by grams. I used 100% whole wheat flour, left out the oil, egg whites instead of eggs, I used cashew butter in place of the butter, 3/4 c soy milk (I do not know the grams as I measured the milk by grams but then it looked like the batter was getting to thin so I only put in about 3/4 of a cup), my discard was a mixture of 14 to 2 day old. We used the cake for strawberry shortcake – it is perfect. There was no sugar added to the strawberries, we put dream whip (the packet mix up stuff) on top. The cake was great on it’s own also although I would probably cut some sugar if I was going to frost it. To make the cashew butter all I do is grind raw cashews until they are like butter. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I make changes to cut cholesterol etc for health in my home so I am sharing my changes in case others might need to consider the options.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your beautiful adaptation—I love how you made the recipe work for your household’s health needs! Using it for strawberry shortcake sounds absolutely dreamy, and I really appreciate you sharing the swaps (especially the homemade cashew butter tip—that’s so helpful!).
It’s always inspiring to hear how others make these recipes their own, and I know your notes will be incredibly useful for others looking for lower-cholesterol or dairy-free options. Thank you again for baking and for sharing your experience!
Great moist cake. I added 1 cup diced fresh pineapple and 3/4 cup pistachios coarsely crushed. I also used 1/2 cup brown sugar to replace some of the white sugar. I think fermenting the batter in the refrigerator overnight is the key.
That sounds absolutely delicious—pineapple and pistachios are such a fun and flavorful combo! And I completely agree—letting the batter ferment overnight in the fridge really deepens the flavor and improves the texture. Thanks so much for sharing your variation! I love hearing how others make the recipe their own.
Do you have to ferment over night?
You do not! You can prepare this no-wait recipe using sourdough discard.
We tried your recipe the other day and it was delish albeit a tiny bit too sweet. I was wondering if i’d be able to reduce the sugar without compromising the texture of the cake? any advice? 😀
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! Yes, you can reduce the sugar a bit without affecting the texture too much — I’d recommend cutting back by about 15–20% to start. Any more than that and the cake may turn out less moist and not brown as well. You could also balance sweetness by pairing the cake with a tangy frosting or fresh fruit.
This was delish! I will make again & again! I’ve been searching for the best vanilla cake recipe and this is it! I did not have enough milk, so I used 1 cup starter & 1/2 cup milk, and used Smart Balance instead of butter and it still turned out perfect! Next time I will make as directed, but good to know that it still works with substitutions. Thank you so much for this great recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that! It’s wonderful that the cake still turned out perfectly with your substitutions—that’s the fun of sourdough baking! Thank you for sharing your experience, and I’m excited for you to try it with the original ingredients next time too!
Do you think this would pair well with homemade pastry cream between the layers and a whipped cream frosting? I want to make for my son’s 2nd birthday. Also contemplating putting macerated strawberries between the layers.
Can I bake it in a 9 x 5″ loaf pan? Does it al fit into one pan or do I need two? Thank you
Would these be the same measurements to make it into a sheet cake like your pumpkin and gingerbread sheet cakes?
I personally have not done this myself, but it should turn out beautifully as a sheet cake. I’d start checking it is baked around 20 minutes. If you do give it a go, please let me know how it goes!