This Yellow Cake is moist and incredibly easy to make. Full of flavor with a tasty homemade chocolate frosting, this is the perfect cake for any party!
You guys, this Yellow Cake is fire! It’s moist, dense, and has a fluffy sweet homemade chocolate frosting that isn’t too overbearingly sweet.
And I know how incredibly tasty this is because it’s my Birthday Cake y’all! Today is my birthday, Happy Birthday to me! I wanted to celebrate with you guys with my favorite cake ever!
We all know how much I enjoy baking and it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t share my incredibly delicious birthday cake with you which just happens to be this simple Yellow Cake.
Sometimes it’s fun to go all out on desserts, and other times, I just want something simple yet decadent and this Yellow Cake Recipe checks those last two boxes.
This cake is really perfect for any occasion, birthdays, parties, gatherings, just because you are craving a cake. You know me, there really needs to be no excuse to make a cake ever.
But if you have a special function coming up that you are wanting something simple but still really great on the flavor, this Yellow Cake is it.
Some of our other favorite caker recipes we have on our site include: Marble Cake, Flourless Chocolate Cake and Peanut Butter Cake.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- So flavorful but neither flavor overpowers the other.
- Way better than box cake!
- Uses common baking ingredients and is simple enough even the novice baker can make it.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT BOTTOM):
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Fine sea salt
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Egg yolks
Vanilla extract
Buttermilk
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Powdered sugar
Heavy whipping cream
Sprinkles for garnish, optional
HOW TO MAKE A YELLOW CAKE, STEP BY STEP:
- Preheat the oven 350ยฐF and lightly spray 2 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Add parchment paper to the bottom of the pans and spray the top of the paper with baking spray before setting them aside.
- Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl.
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on, cream the butter, oil, and sugar together for 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in the wet ingredient mixture. Add the egg yolks and mix them in with the vanilla to the mixture.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir it in until well combined.
- Now, add half of the buttermilk to the mixture, stir until well combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and then buttermilk, scraping down the sides as needed to ensure all gets properly mixed. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Use a spatula to smooth out the top of the batter, this will ensure the cakes bake evenly.
- Bake cakes for 22-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely in the pan.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the chocolate frosting. In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, add the butter and whip until it’s smooth.
- Add the cocoa powder to the whipped butter and carefully mix it in until combined. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time to the mixture, mixing the first batch in completely before adding more. The chocolate mixture will be thick.
- Add the salt, vanilla, and 6 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth. If frosting appears too thick add an additional 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Once mixed in, turn the speed up to medium-high and whip for 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides as needed to ensure all gets incorporated.
- To assemble the cake, remove the cakes from the pans and discard the parchment paper.
- Trim the tops of the cake if there is any doming so they are even and flat, making assembly easier.
- Place one of the cakes bottom side down onto your serving dish or cake plate. Add 1 cup of the frosting and smooth it out to the sides.
- Place the other cake, top side down, on to the frosting.
- Take about another cup of frosting and lightly frost the entire cake, making a crumb coat. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to overnight to set.
- Take the rest of the frosting and frost the outside of the cake. Add sprinkles if using. Cut, serve, and enjoy.
WHY DO MY INGREDIENTS NEED TO BE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE?
Using room temp ingredients is key! It creates an emulsion that traps air when mixing and ensures you end up with a velvety smooth fluffy cake.
You don’t want chunks of frosting do you? Well, make sure you use those room temperature ingredients. It also helps make sure nothing curdles as you’re mixing it all together.
WHAT IS THE TASTE AND TEXTURE OF THIS CAKE?
The cake itself is extremely flavorful! The addition of the egg yolks makes it rich in flavor and is an absolute must.
It has a moist crumb and is very satisfying, the perfect birthday cake if I do say so myself!
The chocolate buttercream is truly irresistible. It is not overwhelming, it is very light and fluffy and adds the perfect amount of chocolate to the cake.
You can taste both the cake and frosting at the same time, either does not overpower the other.
CAN I USE ANOTHER FROSTING?
Sure can! Other yummy frostings ideas would be cream cheese, lemon, white chocolate, strawberry, cookies and cream, any of your choice really! The yellow cake is the perfect basic cake to pair with your favorite frosting.
HOW TO STORE:
Keep any leftovers in a cake carrier or covered at room temp for up to 4 days. Want to keep it longer? Store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, and make sure to let it come to room temp before enjoying.
Freeze any leftover slices wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer container where they will keep for up to 3 months if desired.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- This homemade Yellow Cake is best enjoyed at room temp.
- You can freeze the leftover cake, see above on how to do that.
- Make sure to store your cake properly to prolong its shelf life.
- You can swap out the homemade frosting for other choices, see my suggestions above.
- Make sure you use room temperature ingredients, it’s crucial.
- Don’t overbake your cake, you don’t want to dry it out.
- The amount of frosting you make in this recipe is enough to frost the cake, but not enough to do any decorating. If you wish to have enough for more detailed frosting decorations, make 1.5 times the frosting.
Looking to ditch the box mix and make the best Homemade Yellow Cake, this super easy and delicious recipe is just for you! Once you try it, it will be your go-to cake!
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried this YELLOW CAKE or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Yellow Cake
Ingredients
- 2 โ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ยพ cup unsalted butter softened
- ยผ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ยพ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 2 large egg yolks room temp
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ยผ cups buttermilk room temp
For the frosting:
- 1 ยฝ cups unsalted butter softened
- ยพ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6-7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Sprinkles for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350ยฐF and lightly spray 2 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Add parchment paper to the bottom of the pans and spray the top of the paper with baking spray before setting them aside.
- Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl.
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on, cream the butter, oil, and sugar together for 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in the wet ingredient mixture. Add the egg yolks and mix them in with the vanilla to the mixture.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir it in until well combined.
- Now, add half of the buttermilk to the mixture, stir until well combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and then buttermilk, scraping down the sides as needed to ensure all gets properly mixed. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Use a spatula to smooth out the top of the batter, this will ensure the cakes bake evenly.
- Bake cakes for 22-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely in the pan.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the chocolate frosting. In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, add the butter and whip until it's smooth.
- Add the cocoa powder to the whipped butter and carefully mix it in until combined. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time to the mixture, mixing the first batch in completely before adding more. The chocolate mixture will be thick.
- Add the salt, vanilla, and 6 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth. If frosting appears too thick add an additional 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Once mixed in, turn the speed up to medium-high and whip for 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides as needed to ensure all gets incorporated.
- To assemble the cake, remove the cakes from the pans and discard the parchment paper.
- Trim the tops of the cake if there is any doming so they are even and flat, making assembly easier.
- Place one of the cakes bottom side down onto your serving dish or cake plate. Add 1 cup of the frosting and smooth it out to the sides.
- Place the other cake, top side down, on to the frosting.
- Take about another cup of frosting and lightly frost the entire cake, making a crumb coat. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to overnight to set.
- Take the rest of the frosting and frost the outside of the cake. Add sprinkles if using. Cut, serve, and enjoy.
Notes
- This homemade Yellow Cake is best enjoyed at room temp.
- You can freeze the leftover cake, see above on how to do that.
- Make sure to store your cake properly to prolong its shelf life.ย
- You can swap out the homemade frosting for other choices, see my suggestions above.ย
- Make sure you use room temperature ingredients, it's crucial.
- Don't overbake your cake, you don't want to dry it out.ย
- The amount of frosting you make in this recipe is enough to frost the cake, but not enough to do any decorating. If you wish to have enough for more detailed frosting decorations, make 1.5 times the frosting.ย
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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