Yellow Cake Recipe

I think a perfect yellow cake with rich creamy chocolate frosting might just be the perfect birthday cake. You get a nice balance of vanilla and chocolate and something about the color combination makes me feel nostalgic for childhood birthdays, candles and presents.

Yellow Cake Recipe

A fluffy, tender, moist, melt in your mouth yellow cake covered in the best chocolate buttercream imaginable.

Prep: 25min

Total: 55min

Yield: 12

Serving Size: 1 slice

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 slice, calories 674 kcal, Carbohydrate 84 g, Protein 6 g, Fat 36 g, Saturated Fat 23 g, Cholesterol 147 mg, Sodium 239 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 61 g

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour ( 270g)
• 1/4 cup corn starch ( 35g)
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar (250g)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature, 113g)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil (60mL)
• 3 eggs (room temperature, large)
• 2 yolks
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract (15mL)
• 1 cup buttermilk (240mL)
• 1 ¼ cup unsalted butter ( 1 cup room temp, ¼ cup melted)
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ½ tsp salt (You can add less if you’re salt-sensitive)
• 1/2 cup milk (divided)
• 1 lb powdered sugar (450g)
• ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate

Instruction:

1. Allow to layers cool in pans for a few minutes then invert into a wire rack to cool completely.
2. Pour in the melted butter cocoa mixture, mix to combine then scrape the bowl down and mix again. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low. Pour in the melted and cooled chocolate ganache then drizzle in about 1/4 cup of milk. Scrape the bowl down and mix until smooth. Your frosting should be silky, soft and luscious.
3. Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the first layer, add the next layer on top and repeat until the cake Is built. Cover the cake with buttercream then use a spatula to swirl the buttercream around for a rustic effect.

Basic Yellow Cake

Everyone needs a fluffy yellow cake from scratch in their recipe collection—and it doesn’t get much easier than this one. It’s light, fluffy and simply delicious. This no-fail homemade yellow cake recipe is quick to prepare and easy to make. With a few steps and basic pantry ingredients, you can have it in the oven in just 20 minutes. This yellow cake with chocolate frosting is a tasty way to make any occasion extra special.

Prep: 20min

Total: 1h55min

Yield: 15

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 460 , Carbohydrate 61 g, Cholesterol 80 mg, Fat 4 , Fiber 2 g, Protein 5 g, Saturated Fat 13 g, servingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 270 mg, Sugar 43 g, Trans Fat 1/2 g

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk

Instruction:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour 13×9-inch pan. In medium bowl, stir flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
2. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar and 3/4 cup softened butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and eggs until well blended. Alternately add flour mixture and 1 1/4 cups milk, beating well and scraping bowl after each addition. Pour batter evenly into pan.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Cool 10 minutes.
5. In large bowl, beat remaining Frosting ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until creamy. Gradually beat in melted chocolate until well blended. Immediately spread on cake.

Yellow Cake

For yellow cake success, follow this recipe closely and don’t make any ingredient substitutions.

Prep: 30min

Total: 4h

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/2 cups (285g) cake flour (spoon & leveled)*
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks; 230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature*
• 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
• 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar*
• 1.25 cups (2.5 sticks or 290g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
• 3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or dutch process)
• 3-5 Tablespoons (45-75ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk), at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• optional for decoration: sprinkles

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.) I recommend using nonstick spray for greasing.
2. Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for 3 full minutes. The creamed butter and sugar will be extra creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Turn the mixer down to medium-high speed and beat in the 4 egg yolks one at a time, letting each egg yolk fully mix into the batter before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
4. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the buttermilk and beat on low speed until combined. Add 1/3 more of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk and beat on low speed until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. The batter is very thick. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl.
5. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until fluffy peaks form, about 3 minutes. See photo and video above for a visual. Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the thick cake batter. Avoid over-mixing as you don’t want to deflate the egg whites.
6. Pour/spoon batter evenly into cake pans.
7. Bake for around 27-31 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. After about 18 minutes, tent the cakes with aluminum foil to prevent the tops and sides from over-browning. To test the cakes for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. The cakes may look a little spongey on top as a result of the whipped egg whites. (That’s normal!)
8. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
9. With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Do not over-whip. Add 1/4 cup more confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder if frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. (I usually add 1 more.) Taste. Add another pinch of salt if desired.
10. If cooled cakes are domed on top, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. This is called “leveling” the cakes. Discard or crumble over finished cake (or on ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer. (If desired, if the edges seem extra crumbly, apply a crumb coat which is a thin layer of frosting all over the cake. You can see I did this in the video tutorial above. Refrigerate the crumb coated cake for 15 minutes before adding the rest of the frosting.) Spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I always use an icing spatula and/or a bench scraper for the frosting. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired.
11. For extra neat slices, refrigerate cake for 30-60 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
12. Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Yellow Cake

FAQ

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Is butter yellow cake the same as yellow cake?