The simple yellow cake is a classic for a reason. Whether you’re building a gorgeous layer cake or making a sheet cake in a 9×13-inch pan, this recipe delivers on the texture and flavor of the classic cake. It’s a go-to for birthdays and beats out cake mixes every time.
This is probably the most-consumed birthday cake in all the land. Its mellow, satisfying flavor suits any palate. Probably derived from an egg-and-butter pound cake in Europe, the yellow cake really caught on in the United States as a celebration cake. With all respect to Duncan and Betty, we mere mortals really can create a cake
from scratch that rivals the box. The action of mixing remains the same, but the ability to use real ingredients means a fresh depth of flavor. Just slicing into it and being greeted by the sunny color means happy days are here.
Yellow Cake Tips
- Check out my cake baking and decorating 101 tutorial for tips on how to make and assemble a beautiful layer cake.
- This recipe calls for extra egg yolks for added richness and they also contribute to the lovely yellow color.
- Moisture is one of the secrets to great cake. Regularly checking the temperature in your oven with a separate oven thermometer can help ensure you have a moist cake that isn’t over baked.
- All the ingredients need to be at room temperature. If the ingredients are too cold, they won’t emulsify or whip up with enough air to create a good rise. But if the fat is too warm, the batter won’t have enough structure to trap the steam in the air bubbles, so it will be dense. The ideal temperature is about 70°F / 20°C. Having said this, I have NEVER taken the actual temperature.
- BUTTER: You will know it’s right if it is soft but still holds its shape when you pick it up. If the butter droops or your fingers melt right into it, it’s too soft. If you can’t easily press your fingers into the butter, it’s too cold. You can warm the butter by microwaving it for a few seconds, then turn and repeat; but don’t overdo this or you will have melted butter. You can also heat a glass bowl and put it over the butter like a dome. Cutting the butter into small pieces will help it to warm faster too. Some people swear by grating butter to warm it, but this strikes me as too much messy work.
- EGGS: You don’t want to add cold eggs to perfectly whipped butter or the butter will seize and you’ll lose the fluffy air you created. If your eggs are not at room temperature when you are ready to mix your cake, warm them (in the shell) by placing in a bowl of hot tap water for about 5 minutes before adding to the recipe; change the water if it cools down too much.
- LIQUID DAIRY: Adding cold milk to a perfect bowl of whipped butter will ruin the emulsion. If the dairy is too cold, heat it for a few seconds in a microwave. Too hot, and you’ll melt the butter; so just go for room temp.
- Decorate the cake with anything from chocolate frosting to your favorite buttercream.
Cake Basics Video Tutorial
Be sure to check out my YouTube videos for tutorials on how to trim and cut cake layers, how to fill your layer cake, how to crumb coat, and how to get smooth buttercream icing.
Homemade Yellow Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 Tbsp / 112g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup / 120ml mild-flavored oil such as vegetable oil
- 2 1/4 cups / 450g granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 5 egg yolks at room temperature
- 2 2 / 3 cups / 320g all-purpose flour
- 2 1 / 2 tsp baking powder 3 /4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup / 120ml whole milk at room temperature
- 1/2 cup / 120g sour cream at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Generously grease three 8-inch / 20cm cake pans (or a 9 by 13-inch / 24 by 36cm cake pan), then line them with greased parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium; add the oil, sugar, and vanilla to the butter; and beat for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is light in color and about double in volume.
- Turn the speed to medium-low and add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, mixing each until incorporated before adding the next. Scrape the bowl after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and sour cream.
- Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and add half of the milk mixture, mixing until combined. Repeat with another one-third flour, the remaining milk mixture, and then finish with the final one-third flour, scraping the bowl and paddle after each addition.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Gently tap the pans on the counter several times to release excess air bubbles.
- Bake until a tester comes out clean, 25 to 30 min- utes (45 minutes for a sheet cake). Let the cakes cool completely before removing from the pans by inverting onto wire racks.
- Remove the parchment paper and place one cake layer on a serving plate.
- Using an offset spatula, spread a 1 ⁄4-inch / 6mm-thick layer of the buttercream over the cake, making sure it goes all the way to the edge. Place the next cake over that and top with another layer of buttercream. Repeat with the last cake. If desired, at this point, you could crumb-coat the cake.
- Decorate the cake with a smooth layer of the remaining buttercream.
- Serve the cake immediately or store at room temperature, covered, for up to 48 hours.
Notes
This recipe makes one 8-inch / 20cm triple-layer cake or one 9 by 13-inch / 24 by 36cm sheet cake.
For the layer cake pictured above I baked the recipe in two 8×3” cake pans. Bake for about 45 minutes, or when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
