Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, but your dessert doesn’t have to be. This simple white wedding cake recipe is a reliable DIY solution for an elegant centerpiece without needing professional pastry skills. Unlike many white cakes that fall apart under frosting, this recipe is formulated to be sturdy enough for stacking while keeping a tender, soft crumb. Made from pantry staples and finished with an easy homemade vanilla buttercream, it’s ideal for a one-tier cake, bridal shower, or rehearsal dinner—one less thing to worry about on your big day.
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“I love it.” –Karen Robinson
Easy DIY Wedding Cake
This simple white wedding cake balances delicate texture with structural strength. Many light cakes collapse under heavy buttercream, but this recipe keeps its shape for hours while remaining melt-in-your-mouth tender. The key is cake flour, which has lower protein to prevent toughness, and egg whites to keep the crumb bright and white.
The cake provides a clean base you can customize: add lemon curd, caramel sauce, or a favorite filling, or leave it classic with a crusting white buttercream. Decorated with rosettes, this DIY wedding cake looks impressively professional, even when made at home.
Use Room-Temperature Ingredients for Maximum Fluff
Bring butter, egg whites, and milk to room temperature before mixing. Cold ingredients can cause curdling and dense layers. Room-temperature butter whips more easily, egg whites trap more air, and milk blends smoothly—resulting in soft, even cake layers.
Simple White Wedding Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Stand Mixer
- 3 8-inch Round Cake Pans
- Piping Tip Set
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 4 cups cake flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1½ cups milk, room temperature
For the Buttercream:
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (4 sticks)
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3–4 tablespoons milk, room temperature
- 1 drop violet food coloring (optional)
Instructions
Bake the Cakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth (about 5 minutes). Add the vanilla and egg whites.
- Switch to the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed for 30–60 seconds until foamy—don’t overwhip.
- Add the dry mixture and milk, mixing on low-to-medium until smooth and creamy.
- Divide the batter evenly between three lightly buttered and floured 8-inch pans (about 582 g per pan).
- Bake 25–28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks and cool completely (about 2 hours).
Make the Frosting:
- Beat 2 cups room-temperature butter on medium-high for 5–8 minutes until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat 1 minute.
- On the lowest speed, add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Increase to medium and beat 2 minutes.
- Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. Beat on low for 3 minutes until silky. Add a drop of violet food coloring if you want a whiter finish.
Assemble and Decorate:
- Level the tops of each cooled layer so they’re flat and even.
- Place the first layer cut-side up on a cake board or stand. Pipe a frosting ring around the edge and fill the center. Repeat with the second layer, then top with the final layer cut-side down.
- Apply a thin crumb coat and chill 15–20 minutes to set.
- Add a thicker final coat and smooth, or pipe rosettes using a large star tip. To pipe a rosette, hold the bag straight up, squeeze to form a circular loop, then release and pull away.
- Continue piping rows of rosettes until the cake is fully covered. Fill any small gaps with mini rosettes.
Notes
*Use clear vanilla for the whitest color; regular vanilla will add a slight cream tint.
**Store-bought buttercream works in a pinch—plan on 4–5 cups.
***If the cake will sit at room temperature over 2 hours, use heavy cream in the frosting for better stability.
General Tips:
- Use a cardboard cake round slightly smaller than the bottom layer and secure it with a bit of buttercream for easier transport.
- If adding heavy flowers, insert 3–4 bubble tea straws or wooden dowels cut flush to the frosting for support.
- Transport the cake on a flat surface (car floor is best) with the AC on; buttercream softens quickly in heat.
Cake Tips:
- Room-temperature ingredients produce a finer crumb.
- Don’t overmix egg whites—just foamy is enough.
- Weighing batter helps get even layers that bake uniformly.
- Rotate pans halfway if your oven browns unevenly.
- Avoid overbaking—white cakes should not brown; remove when centers spring back.
- Chill layers 20 minutes before leveling for cleaner cuts.
Frosting Tips:
- A tiny drop of violet coloring can neutralize yellow butter tones for a crisper white finish.
- If the buttercream is slipping while piping, chill the cake 20–30 minutes and try again.
- A Wilton 2D tip makes full, forgiving rosettes that hide small imperfections.
Sheet Cake Option: To serve a larger crowd, bake one full batch in a parchment-lined 9×13 pan at 325°F for 35–45 minutes to yield about 45–50 wedding-sized slices.
Make-Ahead: Bake layers up to 2 days ahead, wrap tightly, and refrigerate. Crumb coat the day before; finish piping the morning of the event for best results.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container or cake cloche for up to 3 days. Freeze wrapped tightly (2 layers plastic, 1 layer foil) for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
How to Make White Wedding Cake Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather ingredients and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring butter, egg whites, and milk to room temperature for 15–30 minutes. Reserve yolks in an airtight container for another use. Butter and flour three 8-inch pans and set aside.
Sift the Dry Ingredients: Sift 4 cups cake flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt into a bowl. Sifting ensures an even, tight texture.
Beat the Butter: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup room-temperature unsalted butter until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 8 large room-temperature egg whites.
Whip the Egg Whites: Switch to the whisk attachment and beat on medium for 30–60 seconds until the whites are foamy—do not reach stiff peaks.
Mix the Batter: Add the dry ingredients and 1½ cups room-temperature milk, mixing on low-to-medium and scraping the bowl as needed until smooth.
Portion and Bake: Divide batter evenly between three prepared 8-inch pans (about 582 g each). Bake 25–28 minutes or until a toothpick returns with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then on racks until completely cool.
Level and Assemble: Chill layers 20 minutes and level the tops. Place the first layer cut-side up, pipe a frosting dam, fill, and repeat. After stacking, apply a crumb coat and chill briefly.
Finish and Decorate: Apply a final thicker coat of frosting or pipe rosettes using a large star tip. Work from the bottom row up, piping circular loops to form each rosette. Fill any gaps with small rosettes for a polished finish.
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover cake in an airtight container or cake cloche in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Bake layers up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate wrapped. Crumb coat 24 hours before, and do final rosette piping the morning of the event for the freshest look.
Transport on a flat, level surface (the car floor is best) with the AC on. Chill the cake for several hours before a long drive to firm the buttercream.
For this size cake they aren’t required, but use 3 straws or wooden dowels if adding heavy flowers or if the drive is long.
This recipe serves 24. For larger groups, bake additional batches or make one batch as a 9×13 sheet at 325°F for 35–45 minutes to yield roughly 45–50 slices per pan.