How to Make a White Velvet Cake
Updated: Nov. 29, 2023
This gorgeous white velvet cake has a soft, tender crumb. The secret ingredient: egg whites instead of whole eggs.
This white velvet cake has the same luscious texture and tangy flavor as a red velvet cake, minus the red food coloring and cocoa. While many vanilla cakes are yellow-tinted, this recipe uses egg whites and buttermilk for a bright white crumb. Not to mention, every bite is light but moist and as soft as velvet!
What is white velvet cake?
White velvet cake is a bright white cake. It has an incredibly soft, light texture while remaining fluffy yet wonderfully moist. It pairs perfectly with cream cheese frosting or can be filled with lemon curd or jam and dressed up with buttercream frosting.
White velvet vs. red velvet
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.
White Velvet Cake Recipe
This recipe makes a double-layer 8-inch round cake, which serves 10 to 12.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-1/4 cups cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
Frosting:
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 6-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
Directions
Step 1: Prep the cake pans
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and gently dust the inside with flour. Tap the pans to shake off any excess. Place a round piece of parchment paper in the base of each cake pan. You can buy precut parchment circles or make your own with regular parchment paper and a pair of scissors.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 10 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed while creaming. Mix in the egg whites, mixing on low for three minutes.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients
In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Start and end with the flour mixture.
Step 4: Bake the cakes
Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for 26 to 28 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Step 5: Make the frosting
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese. Gradually mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar and the milk. Gradually mix in the remaining powdered sugar until the frosting comes together. Turn the speed up on the mixer to whip the frosting until smooth.
Step 6: Assemble and frost the cake
Place one cooled cake layer on a cake stand or cake plate. Spread cream cheese frosting on the top of the cake layer, and place the second cake layer on top. Frost the exterior of the cake using an offset spatula or piping bag.
Tips for Making White Velvet Cake
Cream the butter and sugar fully
The first step of many baking recipes is to cream the butter and sugar. This important process not only incorporates the sugar into the butter, but it aerates the mixture along the way. As the sugar mixes into the butter and air is added, it makes the butter pale and fluffy. This is key to both the texture and the white color of this cake.
Keep the bright white color with egg whites
While many cakes can be made with whole eggs, using both the egg whites and the egg yolks, this cake is a bit different. Egg yolks add richness to a mixture, along with adding 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.
