WASC cake is truly a unique and delicious cake flavor. While a lot of people make this type of cake using boxed cake mix, I like to make it from scratch.

My WASC cake recipe is a play on my 5-star vanilla layer cake recipe with a few special ingredients.

The result is a super white, moist, and delicious cake. It’s perfect for weddings, special occasions, or even engagement cakes!

I used this cake recipe to make my bachelorette cake, and have used it for anniversary cakes as well.

This cake has a hint of almond, which always reminds me of wedding cake. Whenever I eat it, I feel like it’s a special occasion.

What Is WASC Cake?

WASC stands for white almond sour cream cake. While that may sound like a strange combination of flavors, I promise it is delicious!

Traditional WASC cake uses white boxed cake mix as a base, and then adds in a ton of additional ingredients.

Most notably, it calls for sour cream and almond extract. These two ingredients are the real flavor power houses in this recipe.

Sour cream is so fun to bake with, and it adds a ton of moisture to cake recipes.

Why I Make My WASC Cake Recipe From Scratch

By the time you add in the 8 additional ingredients traditional WASC cake recipes call for, you’re basically making a cake from scratch anyways.

I have nothing against doctored cake recipes, but I really do find it easier to just throw a little sugar and flour into a bowl myself and save some money!!

I also never have boxed cake mix in my pantry, so it would mean an extra trip to the grocery store.

My vanilla cake recipe uses buttermilk, which adds a great tang to the recipe. However, it’s a bit much when paired with almond extract.

I use sour cream in place of buttermilk, which adds all the moisture, plus it makes the batter lighter in color.

It’s amazing watching the color of the batter change as you mix in the sour cream.

It also has a milder taste, which allows the hint of almond to shine through in each bite.

WASC Cake Frosting

This cake is frosted with an almond buttercream that is absolutely delicious! It has the perfect amount of almond flavor to compliment the flavor of this cake.

The buttercream is made with my American buttercream recipe as a base and adds almond extract to give this frosting an incredible flavor.

Substitutions and Swaps in this White Almond Sour Cream Cake Recipe

While I love making this WASC cake following the recipe below, I know you might not have all of the ingredients on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

• All-Purpose Flour – This recipe works best with all-purpose flour, but you can use cake flour or a gluten free flour blend if needed.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the salted butter and omit the salt in this recipe. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Egg Whites – You can also use 5 large eggs or if you have an egg allergy you can use an egg replacer like this. However, it will slightly change the color and texture of these cake layers.
• Sour cream – You can also use full fat yogurt, buttermilk, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Heavy Cream – You can also use whipping cream or coconut cream.
• Almond Extract – This is an absolute must in this recipe! Be sure to use a good quality almond extract to give this cake the best possible flavor.

Trimming These WASC Cake Layers

As a full disclaimer, I trimmed these cake layers using a serrated knife.

This removes caramelization and leaves you with completely perfect, white cake layers.

I have a mini, 24-inch gas oven (the perks of living in Manhattan), so my cake pans barely fit in my oven. This means my cake pans are right against the sides of my oven.

Even though I shift the pans halfway through the baking process, I still have uneven browning and rising when I make cake layers.

If you have a full sized, electric oven (which I think a majority of you do), you should have minimal caramelization. However, the types of pans you use can also impact this!

I like to use the Fat Daddio brand pans, which I order on Amazon.

They’re made with anodized aluminum, which helps the layers bake evenly. Be sure to avoid using dark colored cake pans, which can cause your layers to brown more.

You can also use Wilton baking strips to help prevent browning, and ensure your layers bake flat.

These don’t help me much because of my unique oven situation, but I’ve heard they work wonders from other bakers!

Making This WASC Cake in Different Sizes

This recipe can also be used to make different sized cakes. You can also half or double the ingredients to make a half or double batch!

If you want to make a 6″ WASC cake, I recommend using my small batch WASC cake recipe. It makes 3, perfect little 6″ cake layers.

One batch of batter can be also be used to make one 9×13-inch sheet cake. Bake it at 325 F for 45-55 minutes and use flower nails or heating cores to help the cake bake evenly.

You can also use this recipe to make a Bundt cake! Bake time can vary based on the size and type of pan you use, and can take anywhere from 45-75 minutes.

I recommend using a toothpick to test for doneness and checking on it every 5-10 minutes once it’s been in the oven for 45 minutes.

If you want to make cupcakes with this recipe, use my WASC cupcake recipe! It’s a modified version of this recipe that tastes just as delicious and makes a dozen cupcakes.

Tips for Making the Best WASC Cake Recipe

• Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
• Bang your cake pans on the counter before putting them in the oven. This brings any big air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
• Level and trim the caramelization the cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack. Make sure they’re fully cooled!
• Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to frost them.
• Rotate your pans halfway through to help them bake evenly.

Making This WASC Layer Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again. This cake can last in the fridge for up to a week.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer up to a month. If you freeze the cake, transfer it to the fridge the night before you plan to eat it.

This will help it gradually thaw and minimize any temperature shock. Remove the cake from the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan to cut into it.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try my WASC cake recipe I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating below and comment below.

Tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so I can see your amazing creations!

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