Best Yellow Cake Recipe

The absolute Best Yellow Cake Recipe that’s so moist & delicious. Just like the classic yellow cake grandma made. Perfect for birthdays, parties & more.

Ditch the box. This is the Best Yellow Cake Recipe ever! So rich & moist, especially when paired with a classic chocolate buttercream frosting. I promise you will LOVE IT!

We have several birthdays that we celebrate over the summer months. So in the spring, I start taking orders so everyone can pick the flavor cake they would like.

No one wants to duplicate what someone else has already picked & they always want to change it up from what they had the previous year. One request was for this yellow cake.

You see, my mother used to make cakes professionally when I was a little girl. Then, later on, she changed careers & just did cakes for friends & family on the side.

Now, these were no ordinary cakes, mind you. I’m talking bakery-style, 5-tier, multi-layer cakes that could rival anything you’ll find on the internet. She was amazing!

Yellow Cake Recipe

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When I got the request for a yellow cake, I pulled out mom’s book of recipes & got started. I knew she would have exactly the right recipe for a moist & delicious yellow cake. We frosted it with a classic chocolate buttercream frosting to keep with tradition.

Do you like your yellow cake with chocolate frosting? Or do you have another flavor you pair with it instead?

Here are some commonly asked questions

What does yellow cake taste like?

Yellow cake uses whole eggs, much like a pound cake. A yellow cake will have a richer, more buttery, old-fashioned pound cake flavor.

The yellow cake typically will also be denser than what you would find in a traditional white cake recipe. This makes it great for layers & gives a traditional bakery texture.

What’s the difference between White, Yellow, and Vanilla Cake?

What makes these three cake flavors different is the type of eggs, fat, & the amount of vanilla they call for. Some require egg whites, while others use whole eggs. Some need butter, while others call for oil.

Traditional white cake is made with egg whites only while the yellow cake is made with whole eggs. Because of this, the yellow cake has a richer taste & the white cake has a lighter flavor & texture.

Now, vanilla cake is a bit different. It can be made with whatever combination of eggs & fat the baker prefers, so as long as the vanilla flavor is heavy & prevalent.

What ice cream do you recommend pairing with this recipe?

We really love pairing this cake with a chocolate fudge ice cream. It enhances the chocolate frosting, without competing with the great flavor of the yellow cake.

Why is my yellow cake dry?

There are many reasons that your yellow cake can turn out dry & even worse, crumbly. One of the most common problems is adding too much flour. This can cause a cake to become dry.

Be sure that when you are measuring dry ingredients, gently spoon the flour into a measuring cup for dry ingredients & level off with a butter knife. Of course, sometimes adding too little shortening or liquid can also cause dryness.

How to make yellow cake from scratch?

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Heavily coat 2- 9″ round baking pans with a non-stick spray like Baker’s Joy. Set aside.
3. Combine flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a mixing bowl & whisk to sift. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter & granulated sugar using the paddle attachment.
5. Combine eggs & yolks into a measuring cup.
6. Pour in eggs, oil & vanilla into butter mixture & continue to beat.
7. Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture & mix until just combined.
8. Pour in 1/2 the buttermilk, mix.
9. Repeat the process again with the remaining flour & buttermilk, scraping down the sides of the bowl between mixing.
10. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
11. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick test is clean.
12. Cool in pans at least 10 minutes.
13. Run a knife around the edges to loosen from the pan.
14. Invert the cakes onto a wire rack & continue to cool.
15. After about 20 minutes of cooling, wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap to help the cakes retain their moisture. (especially if you live in a dry climate)
16. Chill the cakes in the refrigerator or freezer prior to decorating to make spreading the frosting easier.
17. Frost with chocolate buttercream frosting.
18. Store in an airtight container.

Best Yellow Cake Recipe

Can I freeze yellow cake?

Absolutely. Make sure to wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap & then in aluminum foil. Mark each cake with the date & place in the freezer. Use the cake within 2-3 months.

If you plan on putting your cakes in the deep freezer, add an additional layer of protection by placing the plastic & foil wrapped cakes in a zip-top bag. Use the cakes within 6 months.

How long can you freeze a cake??

As I mentioned above, this will depend on what type of freezer you are using. Freezing cake helps it retain the moisture once baked.

However, cakes will tend to dry out after two months of freezing & you can expect the flavor to change after four months. But if properly wrapped & stored, this can be extended by a few weeks. Once you’re ready to frost your cake, simply take it out of the freezer and let it thaw for about 40 minutes.

Can you freeze cake with icing?

Yes, you can do this. The trick is to place the frosted cake, in the freezer to freeze & harden before wrapping it. Once the cake is firm, then remove & cover with plastic wrap & return to the freezer.

Try to wrap loosely around any decorative icing so it doesn’t get damaged. Even frozen frosting can still be smashed if pressed too hard.

What frosting is best with yellow cake?

We like to use chocolate frosting because it is the most traditional pairing with a yellow cake (which I have not shared here before – but it’s coming soon).

However, you can make this super delicious, chocolate espresso frosting that I know you will love. I also really love this chocolate cream cheese frosting, champagne frosting, and homemade cake batter frosting with this cake.

Can I freeze the leftover cake?

You absolutely can freeze leftover pieces of cake from any of your special occasions & save them to enjoy at a later time. Now, as we mentioned before, most people freeze cakes as a whole, either frosted or unfrosted.

However, there are times when you would want to freeze an individual slice. You can freeze individual pieces as long as you tightly wrap each piece in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil to help prevent freezer burn.

Is golden butter cake the same as yellow cake?

Well, this is where it greats really interesting because there are so many different types of cake & many fall into different categories based on either ingredients or how they are prepared. Any recipe for a cake that begins “cream butter and sugar” is a butter cake.

So technically, this yellow cake could be considered a golden butter cake. After creaming those ingredients, you then add eggs to aerate the batter a bit, flour (and sometimes other liquids) & then the remaining ingredients.

So cake flavors that would fall within the butter cake family include chocolate, white, yellow & marble. As we discussed above, white & yellow cakes coloring will depend on if they have whole eggs, or extra egg yolks in them (yellow cake) or egg whites only for white cake.

What if I don’t have buttermilk?

Please do not omit the buttermilk or use regular milk instead. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can place 1 tbsp of white vinegar in your measuring cup & fill the remaining portion (up to the 8-ounce mark) with regular milk. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before using in place of buttermilk.

Because I don’t use buttermilk very often, I like to keep powered buttermilk on hand so I can mix some whenever I need it. It is so much easier & tastes so much better.

Why do I have to use cake flour?

Yes, using both kinds of flour in this cake helps get the texture & density just perfect. Cake flour is typically used for a lighter & airier type sponge cake. All-purpose flour is going to create a denser cake. So if you use only all-purpose in this recipe the texture might not be what you are looking for.

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Homemade Yellow Cake Ingredients

• all-purpose flour
• cake flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• table salt
• granulated sugar
• butter – softened
• vegetable oil
• eggs
• egg yolks
• vanilla extract
• buttermilk

Other Homemade Cake Recipes to Try

Here are some more of our favorite homemade cake recipes.

• World’s Best Chocolate Cake
• Vanilla Bundt Cake
• Strawberry Cake
• Homemade Funfetti Cake
• Best White Cake Recipe
• Chocolate Raspberry Cake
• Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
• Zebra Cake

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Products I love when making this homemade yellow cake recipe…

This Best Yellow Cake Recipe is so easy and delicious – and you probably already have many of these items on hand like I do!

OR If you’ve never made homemade yellow cake before, you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love the how easy this makes your mornings. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this cake recipe.

• mixer
• spatulas

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If you love this homemade Yellow Cake Recipe recipe, you’re going to love these other dessert recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

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