White cake, vanilla cake, yellow cake — aren’t they all really the same thing? Well, not exactly. They all do usually have vanilla flavoring, but they are as different in appearance and texture as apples and oranges. White cake is a little finer and more delicate than its counterparts because it relies on egg whites only to give it its beautiful lily white appearance. (But don’t worry, you don’t even have to go to the trouble of whipping up those egg whites to stiff peaks or anything!) The egg whites are added to the other wet ingredients in this recipe, and there is little more to do here than mixing that in with the dry ingredients and the butter.

While white cake is a cinch to mix up, the result is a gorgeous snowy and elegant cake and so it’s a natural (and common) choice for a wedding cake. Using a clear vanilla extract will keep your cake even whiter, but really we use whatever kind we have on hand. We love this cake with a classic buttercream, but our favorite way to top it is with the BEST Whipped Cream Frosting. We promise this lovely cake will be a regular in your baking rotation. It’s delicious and pretty as a picture.