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This classic yellow cake recipe is a must for every baker. This recipe makes a perfect layer cake or use it for cupcakes. The cake has great flavor and texture.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Better than a Box. This yellow cake from scratch may be a little more work than using a cake mix but it is so much better! This homemade version is richer and so much more flavorful. It is totally worth the effort.
Ingredients Needed
- Flour. You can use unbleached all purpose flour or cake flour. Cake flour will give you a slightly more tender crumb.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk. I usually have 2 percent or whole milk on hand. You could also use buttermilk if you have it on hand but I usually use regular milk.
- Vanilla extract
- Butter I use salted butter, if using unsalted butter, add in an additional 1/4 tsp of salt.
- Sugar
- Eggs
Tips from Leigh Anne
- Add Sprinkles! If you are not an expert cake decorator (neither am I) I have learned that sprinkles are the solution. I generally keep it pretty simple when it comes to cake decorating and I have discovered that sprinkles cover up a multitude of sins! The only thing I don’t like about sprinkles is the ability they have to hide in every nook and corner of your kitchen!!
- Naked Cake. Who ever invented the concept of the naked cake was brilliant. The idea is that you only use a thin layer of frosting on the sides of your cake and it’s ok if the cake or crumbs show through.
- Pan Size. You can make this yellow cake using two 8-inch pans or two 9-inch cake rounds. You can also used three 6-inch round pans. If you prefer to use a 9 x 13 inch pan, the cake will bake for 35-45 minutes. You can also use this recipe to make cupcakes. It should make 24 cupcakes.
But this post isn’t really about decorating cakes, it’s about baking a cake from scratch and this is a good one.
How to Make a Yellow Cake
- Spray pans with non stick cooking spray. I also flour the pans and cut a circle of wax paper and put it in the bottom of the pan and spray the paper after adding it. This will make your cake super easy to remove from the pan.
- In the large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk them gently for even distribution
- In a small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until it is light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes
- Add the eggs gradually, mixing well after each addition, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl often
- Lower the mixing speed to medium-low and add the dry ingredients to the butter in 3 parts, alternating with 2 parts of the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Mix just until it is evenly incorporated, This is a thick, fluffy batter, resembling whipped cream.
Tip from Leigh Anne
- There should not be any lumps or dry pockets of flour remaining. If the batter has a curdled appearance it has not been mixed enough
- Divide your batter evenly between your cake pans. A kitchen scale can help make sure you get them even.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. The cake is done with it begins to pull away from the sides and a tooth pick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then gently run a sharp knife around the edge and invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Let it cool completely on the rack.
- After the cake has cooled completely it is ready to frost. I trim off the top of my cake layers if they need it so that I have an even, flat, cake layer.
Best Buttercream Frosting for a Yellow Cake
You can find my favorite buttercream frosting recipe here.
How to Frost a Layer Cake
- Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake stand and add a layer of buttercream frosting, layer of cake, repeat.
- Next, apply a thin layer of frosting onto the sides and the top, allowing the yellow cake layers to show through the frosting. I like the look of a “naked” cake. Use a cake scrapper to get a nice even layer of frosting.
- Frost the top and then added my sprinkles. I put the sprinkles into the palm of my hand and pressed them into the cake. It’s a messy job! I didn’t care that some of the sprinkles fell down onto the sides of the yellow cake, I liked the random look of it. And yes, I had sprinkles all over my floor.
Do I Need to Refrigerate Cake?
Technically no, but I do like to keep my yellow cake in the fridge because it stays fresher longer. Cake also freezes really well. You can freeze the entire cake whole but if I am dealing with leftovers, I cut the remaining cake into slices and wrap the individual slices in plastic wrap several times and put them in an airtight container into the freezer. You can have homemade cake whenever you want!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you cut a layer cake?
Follow the directions in this post for the best way to slice a layer cake.
How do I make chocolate buttercream frosting?
If you prefer chocolate frosting on your yellow cake, use my buttercream frosting recipe found here and add 1/2 – 3/4 cup of cocoa powder.
What does yellow cake taste like?
It really doesn’t taste a lot different than white cake except it is richer in flavor and because of the egg yolks, the color is more yellow.
Some of my other favorite cakes:
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Yellow Cake
The perfect classic yellow cake recipe is tender and rich in flavor. It makes a perfect birthday cake or a cake for any occasion.
Prep:20 minutes
Cook:30 minutes
Total:50 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups butter slightly softened
- 2 3/4 cups sugar
- 5 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour cake pans. Use 3 6" pans or 2 8" pans.
- Line the bottoms with rounds of baking parchment then dust them lightly with flour
- With baking spray, put the parchment liner in after you spray the pan
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk them gently for even distribution
- In a separate bowl combine the milk and vanilla
- Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until it is light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes
- Add the eggs gradually, mixing well after each addition, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl often
- Lower the mixing speed to medium-low and add the flour mixture to the butter in 3 parts, alternating with 2 parts of the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour
- Mix just until it is evenly incorporated, This is a thick, fluffy batter, resembling whipped cream
- There should not be any lumps or dry pockets of flour remaining. If the batter has a curdled appearance it has not been mixed enough
- Increase the speed to medium and mix for another minute or until it is thick and fluffy.
- Divide the batter equally between the prepared cake pans. Weighing the batter into the pans is the most accurate way to do this. This ensures that both layers are uniform in size, and finish baking at the same time
- Smooth the batter so it fills the pans evenly,
- Bake them for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is almost ready to pull away from the side of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the layers carefully from front to back after 20 minutes, for even baking.
- Cool the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack that has been sprayed with cooking spray and lift off the pans
- Cool them on the rack completely
To assemble the cake:
- Place one layer, top side down, on a flat serving plate
- Cut several 4-inch-wide strips of parchment or waxed paper to slide under the edge of the layer, to keep the plate clean
- Using a thin metal spatula, spread the top of this cake round with a ½-inch thick layer of frosting.
- Place the second layer top side up on the first, aligning the layers evenly
- Spread a generous layer of frosting around the sides of the cake, rotating the plate as you work so you’re not reaching around the cake to frost the other side
- Try not to let any loose crumbs get caught in the frosting
- Starting in the center of the cake, cover the top with a generous layer of frosting, taking it all the way to the edge and merging it with the frosting on the sides. Add sprinkles if wanted.
- Store the cake at room temperature, preferably under a cake dome, for up to 3 days or refrigerate.
Tips & Notes:
- You can make this yellow cake using two 8-inch pans or two 9-inch cake rounds. You can also used three 6-inch round pans. If you prefer to use a 9 x 13 inch pan, the cake will bake for 35-45 minutes. You can also use this recipe to make cupcakes. It should make 24 cupcakes.
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Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 520kcal (26%) Carbohydrates: 72g (24%) Protein: 7g (14%) Fat: 24g (37%) Saturated Fat: 14g (88%) Cholesterol: 125mg (42%) Sodium: 318mg (14%) Potassium: 206mg (6%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 48g (53%) Vitamin A: 779IU (16%) Calcium: 99mg (10%) Iron: 2mg (11%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Originally posted March 3, 2010
Dawn says
I have to admit that I am not a cake snob. I really like most any cake, even Costco cake. Homemade cake is the best, especially if it is dense. Looks yummy!
Leigh Anne says
Joan, I did sift the flour but I must admit I usually don’t I sifted it and then measured!