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August 23, 2020 · 6 Comments

Classic White Cake Made from Scratch

Cakes & Pies

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This Classic White Cake Made from Scratch was my grandmother’s favorite butter cake recipe which she called a 1-2-3-4 cake. It’s filled and frosted with a classic vanilla buttercream frosting and decorated with sprinkles.

Classic white cake made from scratch

My sweet, Southern grandmother was an avid baker and at my granddaddy’s request, always provided dessert after supper. She passed away back in 1987 but I’m so thankful that my mom kept her recipes and now they’re mine! Going through my grandmother’s recipe cards is something I love to do. It’s a way to feel connected to her and the wonderful memories I have of sitting down for a meal at her table, saying the blessing and being excited about what was on the dessert menu that evening.

White cake 1-2-3-4 cake

As I pour over her yellowed recipe cards in her barely legible chicken scratch (she had a bad index finger from a childhood accident that made it difficult to write but she could play the piano like nobody’s business), I can tell which recipes were her favorite because she would have several copies. This cake recipe was definitely one that she made often because there must be at least 4 or 5 copies of it in her recipe box. She called it a 1-2-3-4 cake because the first four ingredients were 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs. I’ve made this recipe many times now myself and it always comes out so well! I’ve named it a Classic White Cake as that is what it truly is.

Classic white butter cake recipe

What is Classic White Cake?

Although it’s not pure white, this Classic White Cake is a butter cake flavored with vanilla and very light in color. It’s texture is on the lighter side (not dense) and has a fine crumb. Some folks make white cakes with only egg whites but I prefer to use the whole egg for more depth of flavor and it’s also easier to make that way and there’s no wasting of egg yolks.

Slice of white cake

Why is this Classic White Cake also called a 1-2-3-4 Cake

The first four ingredients are:

1) One cup of butter

2) Two cups of sugar

3) Three cups of flour

4) Four large eggs

Classic white butter cake

How to make Classic White Cake from Scratch

1) Grease two (8-inch) pans and line with parchment. Whisk dry ingredients together in medium bowl, set aside.

2) Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk plus vanilla.

3) Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake as directed. Let cool.

4) Make your buttercream (recipe follows). Fill and frost cake.

How to make white cake from scratch step by step photos

Pro Tip for Best Cake Results

Weigh your flour using a food scale for the best accuracy in measuring the amount needed for this White Cake recipe.

Scroll down for the complete recipe.

Slices of white cake on plates

Side note: I made this particular Classic White Cake as part of a cake collaboration I was a part of last week over on Instagram. About a dozen bakers participated and we all made cakes with a Gilmore Girls theme (the popular tv show that originally aired in 2000). Each baker was assigned a character to base their cake on and mine was Logan Huntzberger.

In omnia paratus ready for anything gilmore girls cake

A Gilmore Girls Themed Cake

Here’s my caption from my Instagram: My Gilmore Girls cake theme is Logan Huntzberger played by Matt Czuchry – Rory’s boyfriend at Yale. As their first “date”, Logan takes Rory to a secret society event in the woods hosted by the Life and Death brigade of which he is a member as well as many of his family members before him. He comes from a wealthy family loosely based on the real family that owns the New York Times. Rory wants to be a journalist and uses the event as a way to get a story for the school newspaper.

It was a spend the night party where everyone slept in fancy little tents and Logan gave her an evening gown to wear in the morning. He’s in a tuxedo and asks her to climb this giant scaffolding structure to jump off with him (attached to a harness), holding umbrellas. It’s crazy but thrilling and a very cool scene in the show and the inspiration for this cake. In Omnia Paratus is the slogan for the secret society – Ready for anything!

p.s. The New York Times in the photo is actually from September 1992. I kept it because there’s an article about my dad in it, Dr. Jerome Sullivan, pioneer of the iron and heart disease theory.

Four generations of women

Four Generations of Southern Women

Since I’m sharing my grandmother’s cake recipe, I thought I’d show you a photo of us. Here I am (the little girl in the middle) with my great grandmother, Ammie, on my right. Behind her is my grandmother, Dorothy, and next to her is my mom, Jane (isn’t she PRETTY!). The lady to my left was a close friend (can’t remember her name). Four generations represented here. Also, there appears to be a lit candle in front of us. There was most likely a cake under that candle. Maybe it was someone’s birthday and maybe, just maybe, it was Dorothy’s favorite 1-2-3-4 cake.

Tools for success

8-Inch Round Cake Pans (Set of 2)

Kitchenaid Mixer

Marble Cake Stand

Swans Down Cake Flour

8-Inch Round Parchment Cake Pan Liners

Note: The above items are affiliate links.

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Classic white cake slice
Print Recipe

Classic White Cake Made from Scratch

This was my grandmother's favorite recipe which she called a 1-2-3-4 cake.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time55 mins
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 435kcal
Author: Lise Ode

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (384g)
  • 3 cups cake flour (336g)
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (or 16 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 2 (8-inch) round pans with melted butter and line with parchment paper. Brush with more butter. You could also use non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, measure out flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar and mix. Add eggs and mix until combined. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk, plus the vanilla. Mix on medium low until combined. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. Mix until combined, then continue mixing on medium low for 30 seconds. Divide batter between the two prepared pans. Bake on the middle rack of your oven for 30-35 minutes. At 30 minutes, test one of the cakes by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean, they are done. If not, continue to bake for just a few minutes more or until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Let cool completely,

For the frosting

  • Beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
  • Add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  • Note: If the frosting is too thick, you can add a little more cream. Just add one tablespoon at a time, then mix thoroughly until you get the consistency you like.
  • Fill and frost the cooled cake, reserving about 1 1/4 cups of frosting for the decoration (if desired). I used a 103 tip for the flowers and border. I used a 352 tip for the leaves. Add sprinkles.

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 685IU | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

You might also like this recipe from grandmother, Alabama Lane Cake

Alabama lane cake

Another one of her favorites was this Watergate Cake

Watergate cake

You might like Classic Southern Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet cake

If you like this recipe, please share on Pinterest and use the below image for your pin. Thank you!

Slices of classic white cake on plates

All text and images © Lise Ode for Mom Loves Baking. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. sara says

    August 24, 2020 at 10:09 am

    Beautiful cake!! So special you have your grandmother’s recipes & love the photo!

    Reply
    • Lise Ode says

      August 24, 2020 at 11:13 am

      Thank you, Sara! xo

      Reply
  2. Blimey says

    October 28, 2020 at 11:44 pm

    This recipe looks sooo good! & the plus part… is … there’s no Sour cream or Yogurt in it. (I have no problem with oil & Buttermilk, or butter & oil or butter & Buttermilk… just don’t like Sour cream or Yogurt in my baked goods.
    I know I can substitute Buttermilk for Sour cream… but not in every recipe!
    Question, can these be made in any other pan? (I understand I may need to double or quadruple…. but what about cupcakes, stuff like that?
    And also can this recipe be “Colored” with Gel coloring?
    Thanks! Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Lise Ode says

      October 30, 2020 at 8:30 am

      Hello, I’m so glad you like this recipe. I think it would work for cupcakes, although I haven’t tested it with cupcakes yet. I always make it the same size. You could definitely use gel coloring if desired.

      Reply
  3. Jessica says

    January 27, 2021 at 4:56 pm

    Can I use 1% milk instead of whole? Or anything to substitute whole milk?

    Reply
    • Lise Ode says

      February 4, 2021 at 10:59 am

      I would prefer at least 2% milk but I think the 1% would work.

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Lise! Welcome to Mom Loves Baking where I’ve been sharing recipes I love since 2013. I hope you love them too!
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