White Velvet Cake

White velvet cake has the same luscious texture and tangy flavor as red velvet cake, minus the red food coloring and cocoa. While many vanilla cakes are yellow-tinted, this white velvet cake recipe uses egg whites and buttermilk for a bright white crumb. Not to mention, every bite is light but also moist and as soft as velvet!

What is white velvet cake?

White velvet cake is a bright white cake that has an incredibly soft, light texture while remaining fluffy and wonderfully moist. Our white velvet cake recipe pairs perfectly with cream cheese frosting, or it can be filled with lemon curd or jam and dressed up with buttercream frosting.

Ingredients for White Velvet Cake

Molly Allen For Taste of Home

• Butter: Soften the butter so it creams effortlessly with the sugar. The first step of many baking recipes is to cream the butter and sugar. It’s especially important for both the texture and the white color of this cake. As the sugar mixes with the butter and air is added, the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.
• Sugar: Be sure you’re using white granulated sugar. Brown sugar, cane sugar and coconut sugar are not to be used here; their brown hue will discolor the velvet white cake.
• Egg whites: While many cakes can be made with whole eggs, this white velvet cake recipe is a bit different. Egg yolks add richness to a mixture, as well as color. To be sure your cake comes out snow white, crack and separate your eggs. Use the egg whites for your cake batter and save the yolks for another project.
• Vanilla extract: When a recipe relies heavily on vanilla for a majority of the flavor, I always splurge and buy the best vanilla extract at the store. You’d be amazed at what a difference it can make!
• Cake flour: Cake flour creates white velvet cake’s signature delicate, fluffy texture. You can use all-purpose flour here but know the cake will come out much denser.
• Leaveners: Test your baking powder and baking soda’s potency if they’ve been sitting in your cabinet for over six months. If they don’t react during your testing, add them to the grocery list.
• Buttermilk: Did you know you can make buttermilk at home? If you already have milk and vinegar, fresh lemon juice or cream of tartar, then that’s one less item to buy at the store.
• Cream cheese frosting: Just as with a good red velvet cake, we finish our velvet white cake with stark white cream cheese frosting. You’ll need one package of softened cream cheese, unsalted butter, a ton of confectioners’ sugar and a little bit of milk to whip up this tangy frosting.

Directions

Step 1: Beat the wet ingredients

Molly Allen For Taste of Home

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until soft and fluffy, three to four minutes. Add the egg whites, one at a time, then pour in the vanilla extract. Beat the mixture until it’s fluffy, one to two minutes.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients

Molly Allen For Taste of Home

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add half the flour mixture and half the buttermilk to the wet ingredients, beating on low speed until combined.

Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, beating until just incorporated.

Step 3: Bake the cakes

Divide the batter evenly between two greased 8-inch round cake pans.

Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 24 to 26 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely to room temperature.

Editor’s Tip: To effectively grease the cake pans, rub butter on the insides of the pans, then dust the insides with flour, tilting the pans so the flour covers all the butter. Turn the pans over a sink and tap them to shake off any excess flour. Place a round piece of parchment in the base of each cake pan. You can buy precut parchment circles or make your own with regular parchment and a pair of scissors.

Step 4: Make the frosting

Molly Allen For Taste of Home

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the cream cheese and butter until soft and fluffy, three to four minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Step 5: Assemble and frost the cake

Molly Allen For Taste of Home

Place one room-temperature cake layer on a cake stand or cake plate. Spread the cream cheese frosting on the top of the cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top, lining it up with the bottom layer as evenly as possible. Frost the exterior of the cake using an offset spatula or piping bag.

Editor’s Tip: Need a refresh on the technique? Check out our guide on how to frost a cake the easy way with helpful images, tips and tricks.

Molly Allen For Taste of Home

Recipe Variations

• Use your favorite frosting: Our white velvet cake recipe includes a cream cheese frosting recipe, but you can finish the cake however you prefer. To stick with the white-as-snow theme, use a simple vanilla buttercream or one of Europe’s favorites: German buttercream, Swiss meringue frosting, French buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream. For a lighter option, simply ice the cake in homemade whipped cream.
• Add a flavorful filling: White velvet cake’s flavor relies on good-quality vanilla and the tang from buttermilk and cream cheese. A great way to create more flavor without changing the recipe is through a flavorful filling. While assembling the cake, add your favorite jam, fresh fruit, or a lemon or passion fruit curd as a middle layer. Just be sure to line a ring of frosting on the perimeter of the cake layer to keep the filling from oozing out.

How to Store White Velvet Cake

To properly store velvet white cake leftovers, place a piece of storage wrap on any exposed sides of the cake that have been cut to prevent the cake from drying out. Cake domes are excellent for storing cakes, and if you find yourself making cakes fairly often, we highly recommend investing in one. Otherwise, wrap the cake in storage wrap or place slices in an airtight container. This cake can be kept in the fridge for up to four days.

Can you freeze white velvet cake?

Yes, you can freeze white velvet cake. To freeze cake without ruining it, place the frosted cake in the freezer until the frosting hardens, 30 to 60 minutes. Then wrap the cake in storage wrap. Or, wrap individual slices in storage wrap and place them in an airtight container. A frosted cake can be kept in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw the cake overnight in the fridge.

To freeze cake layers, allow them to cool to room temperature, then wrap the cakes separately in a few layers of storage wrap. They can last in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for one hour.

White Velvet Cake Tips

Molly Allen For Taste of Home

What’s the difference between red velvet cake and white velvet cake?

One of the key ingredients in a red velvet cake is buttermilk. Yes, a red velvet cake relies on red food coloring and a touch of cocoa powder for its pretty color, but the flavor and texture are all thanks to buttermilk. (Same with blue velvet cake!) White velvet cake skips the food coloring and cocoa powder but still uses buttermilk, resulting in the same soft texture.

Can I bake the cakes in other cake pan sizes?

Absolutely! Instead of two 8-inch cake pans, bake the cake batter in a 13×9-inch pan or three 6-inch round pans.