This classic yellow cake recipe delivers pure homemade comfort in just 55 minutes. With its tender crumb and rich, buttery flavor, it’s the perfect foundation for any celebration or weekend baking project.
The straightforward prep takes only 25 minutes, yielding a perfectly moist cake that strikes an ideal balance of sweetness. Whether you’re a novice baker or seasoned pro, this foolproof recipe creates consistent, bakery-worthy results every time.
Ingredients for Perfect Yellow Cake
- Butter: 3/4 cup unsalted, room temperature for smooth blending
- Oil: 1/4 cup for extra moisture
- Sugar: 2 cups granulated for ideal sweetness
- Eggs: 3 large whole eggs plus 2 yolks, room temperature for better incorporation
- Vanilla Extract: 1 Tablespoon for rich flavor
- Dry Mix: 2 2/3 cups flour, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt
- Buttermilk: 1 cup at room temperature for tenderness
Chocolate Frosting Ingredients
- Butter: 1/2 cup melted
- Cocoa Powder: 2/3 cup unsweetened
- Powdered Sugar: 3 cups for smooth consistency
- Milk: 1/3 cup
- Vanilla: 1 teaspoon
Baking Instructions
- Preparation: Heat oven to 350°F, prepare two 8 or 9-inch pans with parchment and cooking spray
- Base Mix: Beat sugar and butter for 3 minutes until fluffy, then blend in oil
- Egg Addition: Add eggs and yolks one at a time, mix in vanilla
- Combine Dry & Wet: Alternate flour mixture and buttermilk, ending with flour
- Baking: Divide batter evenly, bake 25-35 minutes until toothpick comes out with few crumbs
- Cooling: Let cakes cool completely on wire rack
Frosting Instructions
- Base Mix: Combine melted butter with cocoa powder
- Final Blend: Mix in powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until light and fluffy
- Assembly: Frost completely cooled cake layers
Storage Tips
Your yellow cake will stay fresh and delicious for up to 4 days when stored properly! Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature. If you’ve already added the chocolate frosting, pop it in the fridge – this helps the frosting stay firm and prevents it from getting too soft.
Just let the cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to get that perfect texture back.
Baking Success Tips
The secret to an extra-moist yellow cake is in the details! Make sure your butter, eggs, and buttermilk are at room temperature before starting – this helps everything mix together smoothly.
When you’re adding the flour mixture and buttermilk, mix just until they’re combined. Too much mixing can make your cake tough instead of tender. And keep an eye on that baking time! A few moist crumbs on your toothpick means it’s done – if it comes out completely clean, the cake might be a bit too dry.
Simple Variations
Want to mix things up? You can turn this classic yellow cake into something new! Try adding 1/2 cup of sprinkles to make it funfetti, or swap the chocolate frosting for vanilla buttercream.
For a fun twist, split each layer and add strawberry jam between them. You can even bake this batter in a 9×13 inch pan for about 35-40 minutes if you prefer a sheet cake.
Serving Suggestions
This cake shines at any celebration! Serve it slightly cool for the best texture. A scoop of vanilla ice cream makes it extra special, or try a drizzle of caramel sauce on top.
Want to dress it up? Add some chocolate shavings or fresh berries around the edge of the plate. For kids’ parties, a handful of colorful sprinkles on top always brings smiles!
Yellow Cake
Equipment
- 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Yellow Cake:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
For the Chocolate Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix sugar and butter for a 3 minutes. Add oil and mix well again.
- Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix.
- Stir together baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour in a medium bowl. Alternate adding in some of the flour mixture, stirring to combine and then some of the buttermilk, ending with the flour mixture, stirring until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly in the pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with few moist crumbs. Don’t over-bake or the cake will be dry.
- Invert cakes onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Melt butter and stir in cocoa powder. Mix in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and mix for a few minutes, until frosting is light and fluffy.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, frost with chocolate frosting.
