A classic Yellow Cake recipe with chocolate frosting is everyone favorite, from the soft and moist cake to the rich and simple frosting.
Want more cake recipes? Try Berry Cake, Coconut Cake, Chocolate Mug Cake, or White Texas Sheet Cake!
Why I love this cake:
- Classic – Everyone needs a good easy yellow cake recipe and it doesn’t get better than this one!
- The Frosting – Only uses a handful of ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes! You can’t beat a homemade yellow cake with chocolate frosting.
- Delicious – We always get so many compliments on this classic recipe, you will never use a box again!
Yellow Cake, White Cake and Vanilla Cake; What’s the difference?
Many people get confused on the difference between a yellow cake, white cake and vanilla cake, so let’s make the distinction! Yellow cakes get their name from the pale yellow hue of the batter and cake, made from whole eggs and real butter. White cake is made with egg whites only, and sometimes use shortening to maintain the white color. Lastly, when someone refers to a Vanilla Cake, they are actually talking about either a white cake or a yellow cake.
How to Make a Yellow Cake:
Make Batter: Cream sugar and butter until smooth. Pour in oil and mix. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and stir. Combine dry ingredients then add in some of the flour mixture, stirring to combine and then some of the buttermilk, ending with the flour mixture until just combined.
Bake: Divide the batter evenly in the pans then bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with few moist crumbs, but not wet batter. Don’t over-bake or the cake will be dry. Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Frosting: Melt butter and allow to cool. Stir in cocoa powder. Use electric mixers or a stand mixer to beat in the powdered sugar, milk ,and vanilla until light and fluffy. I beat the frosting for several minutes.
Frost Cake: Once the cake has cooled completely, frost this easy yellow cake recipe with chocolate frosting.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Store chocolate frosting in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.
To Freeze: The cakes and frosting can be frozen. Allow the cakes to cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to one month. Frost cakes when they are still frozen. Freeze frosting in an airtight container for up to three months.
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Recipe
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Yellow Cake:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
- ¼ 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
Yellow Cake:
- 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.
Chocolate Frosting:
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe May 2019. Updated August 2023.
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Great texture. Even my hubby so commented. Rose beautifully. Delish.
My cake is moist and delicious! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks
My cake is moist and delicious! This recipe is definitely a kerper. Thanks
I used full milk yoghurt instead of milk for the frosting. Everyone loved the cupcakes.
I just ate one of the yellow cupcakes.. it was light airy,and flavorful without icing even. I will use this yellow cake recipe for one wedding flavor tier!!! Thank you
Not sure but you made the same comment on Sept 7th on a yellow cake recipe listed on Tastes better from scratch website. Did you make both? I rely on comments, but I’ve never seen the same comment one day apart on 2 different recipes.
The cake baked fine and was soft but it has hardly any flavor and the chocolate frosting tastes like it’s from a can. I used fresh ingredients and made sure not to overtake the cake. I’ve had decent luck with other recipes here but this wasn’t a winner for me.
Don’t make this recipe in a Bundt pan! Mine fell in the middle!
Made the German chocolate cake last week was one of the best tasting I’ve made. This one tastes great but is a little on the drier side. The German chocolate frosting is a go to for frostings now tho.
It was too sweet for me. Husband and son liked it tho
That was one dry cake, never had one come out like this one. Think too much baking powder and no baking soda in recipe at all……
Very good cake and the icing is delish. This cake will not disappoint.
Love this cake!!!!!! Nice and moist!!!!!!!
Great texture but not loving the flavor of the oil. Would make again with all butter.
I rarely bake because I am trying to avoid sugar, but I found and tried this recipe for a special birthday. I made it with butter (no oil) and as cupcakes. It is a fabulous recipe!
Do you put in fridge after it is done. A lot of buttercream icing tell you to but this one doesn’t mention!! Love your German chocolate, carrot and chocolate mocha cake. That for the copes!
I am gonna try this.
The cake and frosting tasted amazing however , my frosting keeps turning out grainy. What could be the reason for this? Thanks so much!
Grainy frosting can happen for several reasons. Buttercream typically becomes grainy if your butter is too cold or with packed (unsifted) powdered sugar is used. The easiest fix is to let it rest and come to room temperature, remix it, or add a pinch of liquid to the buttercream.
Excellent recipe. I followed it exactly. I used whole milk instead of buttermilk. I had to cook my cake a little longer than the recipe suggested and I turned down the heat to 325 during the extra baking period to try to avoid overcooking. It worked.
My cake fell. I’m a great baker this is the first time this has happened. What could have caused this
Hi Valeria, this can happen for a variety of reasons–expired baking soda or powder, overmixing the batter, undermixing the batter, oven and altitude–here’s an article that may help you troubleshoot: https://bakinghow.com/keep-cake-from-falling/
Hey, I’m new to baking and was trying to find a good tasting chocolate icing recipe. This one is some of the best I’ve ever tasted (new to baking not eating lol!) I would highly recommend this to anyone who asks me. That is for the icing part I haven’t yet tried the yellow cake yet!
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Quick tip, when using buttermilk, or any acidic ingredients, baking soda should be used instead of baking powder. The acid will hamper any rise in the cake and the baking soda will neutralize the acid so you can have rise.
But the recipe calls for baking powder even though you’re using buttermilk I’m about to make this cake I hope it turns out all right
Entirely too much flour. Cake is decent in texture and volume but it tastes like flour. Maybe it’s a little too thick and not fluffy enough.
Excellent recipe! I halved it and made cupcakes (it made 16) and also halved the chocolate frosting recipe and it was just the right amount of frosting needed for those 16 cupcakes. Gave one to a friend and she told me it was the best thing she had eaten in a long time!
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday, but like other reviews, mine fell as well. I’m an experienced baker, frequently cooking and baking from scratch and I know mine are not underbaked, I also do not live in a high altitude region. I feel like while delicious, there is definitely room for improvement. I wouldn’t go so far as to say a boxed mix would be better though.
Cake was moist, frosting a nice less sweet compliment to the sweet vanilla cake. It did fall, but I also live in high altitude, so I’m chalking it up to that – experienced baker here. Family rated it decently, but asked that I don’t make it again. They prefer the yellow boxes cake mix to this. For our fam, this time it didn’t taste better from scratch.
Cake and frosting turned out great! I make lots of cakes from scratch and never use box mixes because my mother would come back to haunt me. I found this recipe easier than most scratch recipes and I liked that I didn’t have to sift the ingredients. Did the cake and the cupcakes for my grandson’s school birthday celebration, but next time I will Macon is an 8 inch layers because the frost SO good.
What did I do wrong? The cakes stayed raw and soft in the middle but cooked all around the edges. I tried to keep it in longer by increments of 2 mins at a time but it was starting to get brown in the edges. I followed the recipe to a t. I don’t get it, so many people seem to love this recipe but it just didn’t work for me and had to throw out a lot of money’s worth of ingredients.
Ugh, I suffered the same consequences. Husbands birthday cake and it’s a disaster. So disappointing!
I’ve been looking for the “right” yellow cake recipe and I think I just found it. I did make one change with cake flour (3 cups and 4 tablespoons) but it was very moist. Thank you!
I made this for my husbands birthday on Monday and received many compliments especially on the icing. I believe I over cooked the cake possibly because it was very crumbly when you poked your fork for a piece, it wasn’t moist. Not sure what I would need to fix for this to not happen next time, any suggestions?
Can I use a cup of oil instead of the butter?
Yes, it will just slightly alter the flavor and texture.
I made your German Chocolate cake for my son for his birthday. I got so many compliments. Even from no cake lovers. My granddaughter has requested a white cake and she loves my (your recipes) cakes. If I use your yellow cake recipe and use egg whites and clear vanilla will that be the thing to do? She also wants a banana cream filling between the layers. Do you have any recommendations for this. Much appreciated and thank you for your website.
Hello Lauren,
I made this cake for my boss and she loved it!
I already saved the recipe.
Thank you!
Taste is decent, but cake fell within 30 seconds of removing from oven. Not a normal occurrence for me with scratch recipes.
That is just you. Your just bad at it if it fell apart. Jeez. Unlike you, mine turned out perfect. This is great. Totally disagree with Mr Bad Bake and Takes it Out on Everyone.
I’ve had that happen with scratch recipes. If you got a recipe formulated for a different altitude, you’ll need to play with the leavening ingredient (in this case baking powder) until you find what works for your area.
Cause you pulled it too soon.. if you touch the top of a cake and it leaves and impression it’s not done. If it springs back it’s ready to pull..
You should really change your review… There’s nothing wrong with this recipe. And certainly doesn’t deserve a 2 star review because you messed up
OMG!! BEST HOMEMADE YELLOW CAKE RECIPE EVER!! You will not be disappointed.
Yellow Chocolate Cake is Definitely Wonderful
This is my go-to recipe for yellow cake. Turns out perfectly every time! I am wondering how long to bake it in a 13 x 9 pan. Would there also be a temperature adjustment? Thank you
Wow and wow!!!! I baked this cake but I added 1 can of cherry pie filling and it turned out amazing. My husband compared it to a cake his mother use to bake for his birthday when he was a boy. He actually shedded a tear while he was eating it. Thank you for sharing this recipe and helping me to give my husband the best birthday present ever…. childhood memories.
The cake was moist and delicious , but i noticed in some slices a tart taste. I have used this recipe twice and I noticed it the second time as well. Is it the buttermilk that is giving it the tart taste?
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s delicious!! When I made it the first time, the edges were overdone. The next time I made it, I decreased the temp to 325 and baked for an extra 10 minutes – came out perfect!! Thinking about substituting lemon extract for the vanilla next time for something different.
Every year, I try another yellow cake/chocolate frosting recipe for my husbands birthday. I have always been slightly disappointed until I came across this one. The cake was very moist and fluffy, like many of Lauren’s cake recipes, this will be a hit!
Very disappointed in this recipe. This is the first time I used parchment paper rather than either spraying or greasing the entire cake pan. Not a good idea at all. Perhaps you need to recommend spraying the entire cake pan. The cake was so soft and it stuck to the sides of the pan and it is destroyed. the cake itself tastes ok if you want all crumbs. The cake is almost like angel; food. I need to now bake another cake form my tried and true recipes for my son’s birthday which we will be celebrating in a few hours. Also the frosting recipe is if you only want to thinly have frosting. I will never use this recipe again.
My fiance turned 43 yesterday and I made this cake for her. This was my FIRST made from scratch cake ever. I made both the cakes and the frosting Saturday, I froze the cakes and refrigerated the frosting. We ate the cake 3 days later. (last night) This was THE best yellow cake I’ve had. This was a hit in the household. Still was moist. I will never buy another box cake again. The frosting was even better than store bought. Listen guys/gals, this takes some time to make and some effort but it was well worth it. When I do this next time, I’ll make sure to have more time to allow butter and eggs come to room temperature. I also noticed at 350 degrees…I still had to leave it in the oven for an extra 10 minutes to get the middle of the cakes done. I’m proud of myself and thanks to whoever came up with this recipe.
Great I used it for pineapple upside down cupcakes turned out adorable!!!!
You know that scene in hocus pocus when they first split open Billy’s mouth and dust/moths fly out? That’s kind of what happened when I eat this cake. Looking back over the recipe I didn’t leave anything out. Not sure what went wrong, but I assume it must be something I did as this recipe has good ratings. I did try to use King Arthur pastry flour, which is finer ground. Perhaps that threw off proportions?
Wondering what adjustments to the cooking temperature and time if I use a convection oven?
I haven’t tested this cake in a convection oven–but I’m sure there’s a good resource online for converting.
This was my very first from scratch cake too. It took about an hour to bake. Once it was done I enjoyed the texture of the cake it was just too sweet. I will try it again with 2cups of sugar not 2 2/3 cups.
Veey moist but not dense cake, myfamily loved it, will definitely make again
Wellll I followed the recipe- but added a little extra liquid just cause it was a very thick batter. Couldn’t readily spread it in the pan. I look at the recipe- I followed the steps and it was an epic fail. Maybe an elevation or humidity thing- I live in a high desert??? I bake all the time but needed a new recipe cause someone moved my book and I couldn’t find my go to- terribly disappointed.
I also am higher altitude Denvcr area, can you give me altitude adjust ments before I try? Thanks! Judy
The frosting was awesome, but the cake wasn’t desirable at all. I cooked it as the time said, but the cake turned out very dry. And no I didn’t overcook it because it was barely a light tan in color. Love the icing though 😍😍.
This was my first time ever making anything from scratch and using this recipe, it came out perfectly. My husband was amazed and asked me to make another one since he ate most of the first cake and now wants to share it with the rest of the family. Thanks for this very simple and easy to follow recipe !
this recipe was horrible and did not work. waste of time! I had to put my cakes in for an HOUR before they were cooked all the way, and the frosting was unbearably sweet. >:((((
Hi Jessica, I’m sorry to hear this. Something definitely wasn’t made correctly (or maybe you should calibrate temperature to see if it’s accuraate) because this type of cake should cook in half that time.
This cake is the absolute best…..so moist and light!
These are great recipes. I’ve used them several times. I am the cake baker in the family and these easy recipes are in frequent rotation! Thank you!
Hi! So I’ve been looking for a good yellow cake recipe, and I’ve tried many including yours and they all have a cornbread like taste. It’s still moist but has a cornbread tint. I’m wondering if you had a similar problem or if I’m doing something really wrong. I don’t think it’s over mixing the batter though. Please help!!!
The frosting I made for this as recipe stated is runny. I frosted the cake it ran down sides, I put the cake in the refrigerator to make it solid then refrosted and that ran. I’m not understanding why that would happen.
Try using softened butter instead of melted and cut the milk down to 1/4 cup or less. Add a little at a time until your desired consistency.
We followed this recipe step-by-step. This cake and frosting is AMAZING. Even my daughter, who does not eat chocolate, devoured this cake. Can’t wait to make this again.
Lauren, this tastes exactly like the yellow cake with chocolate frosting that I’ve fondly remembered my mother making when I was a child (and I’m 62 years old). I’ve looked all over and tried many recipes, and this is the ultimate yellow cake. It was easy, delicious, and almost idiot-proof. Please disregard the few negative comments; the directions could not have been followed.
It’s great with a glass of cold milk!
FYI, this isn’t a “this is a great recipe, but I did the following things to make it completely different” type comment. This recipe is perfect.
FYI #2; I live alone, so what I do is: I make the cake and have one slice, put it in a cake safe, put THAT in the refrigerator, then take it out the next day and slice it. Then I put each of those slices in a quart-size freezer bag and put all those freezer bags in the freezer (placed so they don’t get crushed). When I want a slice, I take it out, remove it from the bag, put it on a small plate, and microwave. I’ve forgotten how long it takes to microwave, but not long, 20-40 seconds? (Depends on the microwave as well.) It tastes like it’s fresh out of the oven.
I love all of your recipes. I’m making your slow cooker pot roast while my son is home for Christmas.
THANK YOU!
This cake tastes like eating a sugar cookie, while good in theory it can be a little too much with the frosting. I would reduce the sugar to 1 cup or maybe 1 and a half if I was use a whipped cream frosting and fruit if I made it again.
Good consistency, took about 40 min to cook.
Very delicious! I didn’t follow the frosting recipe but the cake was great! Thank you!
This cake was horrible. I followed exact instructions and the cake did not cook in the middle and as a result it was over cooked on the sides.
Followed the recipe to a T. Not impressed. I will not be making this again. Has a strong flour taste to it. The icing is gritty.
Is there any reason this recipe can’t be doubled?
Do you sift the flour
Most flour from the store is pre-sifted so you don’t need to!
How would I adjust cooking time for 8” pans?
Cooking time will be about the same.
Can you bake this in a rectangular sheet pan? If so, what size?
You could bake it in a 9×13 pan at 350 and check it around 22 minutes.
I live in the Denver CO metro area and it took 28 minutes to bake in a 9×13 buttered/floured pan
I forgot to include this in my prior comment….
I followed your instructions other than cutting the sugar down to 1 1/4 cup (as many comments recommended & my family preference) plus used salted butter instead of unsalted (eliminated the salt to compensate as per your recommendation) and it turned out perfect. I should probably also mention that I dropped the pan onto the counter a few times to eliminate air bubbles and even the batter.
Because of my altitude it took 28 minutes versus 22 in a 9×13 butter/floured pan.
My family was impressed with your cake recipe! (I did use an old family cream cheese buttercream frosting recipe instead tho)
Hi Lauren,
I was just wondering, is that really 2/3rds a cup of cocoa powder? It looks to be much more than that. Did you use dry measuring cup or that for liquids.because it really seems alot
Yes, I use 2/3 cocoa powder for the frosting; measured in a dry measuring cup.
Thanks, appreciate the really quick reply – will be making it for my dads birthday, hope it turns out well
Do you have to use buttermilk can you substitute just regular milk?
Yes you can. You can also use a really simple buttermilk substitute.
Just baking powder No baking soda
Pretty flavoring delicious cake!!
Best yellow cake taste in my life thanks for the sharing
If I’m going to frost my cake a day in advance, do I need to store cake and frosting in the fridge?
You don’t have to, but I do (covered really well).
I would, just so that it will last longer, as cake has dairy and whatnot, it will spoil. Also keeping the cake in the fridge before frosting will ensure that you will be able to frost it better without it crumbling. But do cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Dry cake is awful, and the fridge will take moisture out of your cake quickly. Refridgerate wrapped, after cooling down to room temperature first.
This is one of best yellow cakes I have ever made. It’s straight forward and turns out light and so flavorful. I use less sugar in my recipes, so made this with 1.5 C versus the 2 C. I will use even less sugar next time as it was still overly sweet. I also made my own buttermilk mixture with 1/2 plain yogurt and filled the rest of the C with whole milk. Since the flavor and texture is so good, I’ll do this combo again. I had homemade ganache in the frig so pulled that out to add a spoonful when we sliced it.
I made this for my dad’s birthday and it was was a big hit! The frosting was so good too! I was literally licking the bowl clean. Great job!
WIll be making this for my dads birthday next week as well. Glad to see many confirming comments, know itll turn out well.
Made this recipe last night for my husband’s birthday & it came out great!! The recipe & instructions are very easy to follow. The cake is perfect – so moist & melts in your mouth. It’s definitely now on my favorites list. Love the make-your-own buttermilk tip…I may never buy it again lol. The parchment paper trick is a game changer! Thank you!!!
I used the frosting portion of the recipe to put on top of my yellow cake that I had made using a different recipe. The frosting was to DIE FOR! It was so creamy and spreadable. I added about a 1/4 cup of extra confectioner’s sugar because the frosting was a bit too dark and bitter.
Cake was amazing. I used homemade buttercream icing, but the base was amazing. I’ve been searching for a yellow cake recipe and this one thus far is the best! Definitely making again.
What an easy recipe ! I am so happy I took the time to read through and make my first cake and icing from scratch. No more boxed cake for my family ! Absolutely DELICIOUS !
Just made this recipe and it yielded 7 mini loaves. I added 1/4 cup more milk to the icing and EVERYTHING is perfect!
Can this be made in to a 3 layer cake? Would I keep recipe then same and just divide over three pans and reduce cook time?
Yes, you could do that. You could also bake in two pans and (once cooled and semi-frozen), butterfly cut one of the cakes in half.
This is now my all-time favorite and go to cake. It is easy and delicious. Not too sweet, so perfect. The icing is amazing and gets even better the longer it sits out to harden on the cake. Highly recommend!
Can I make this in a bundt pan?
Yes, that should be fine, but will take a bit longer to cook!
Fantastic Recipe! My dad loves yellow cake with chocolate icing, and this recipe is by far his favorite version!
I only added 1 1/2 teaspoons instead of 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract but otherwise.. best yellow cake recipe ever!!! And I have tried at least 20 looking for the perfect one. My search is now over!! Thank you!!
I I just made this recipe today, I prefer cake flour in my cakes, so I substituted 3 cups cake flour for the 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. I have to say this is THE yellow cake recipe I have been looking for. The balance between the flour, sugar, butter/oil seems perfect to me. This cake is absolutely wonderful and I am very grateful you have made it available. The only problem I see is the ability to resist having a second slice!
Hi Lauren, I tried your Chocolate cake with Chocolate Mousse and since then your website is my go-to site for all things cake 🙂 Quick question: I want to bake the yellow cake and cover it with fondant. Can you give me some tips on how to maintain the cake fresh while in the fridge after crumb coat?
Thanks much!
Thanks for supporting the site :). I always freeze my cakes to keep them fresh. I freeze before frosting and often before serving (making it a few days/weeks ahead of time). Allow them 2-3 hours to thaw before eating.
Very close in taste to a yellow cake made in Home Ec. Delicious! Baked to a nice height in a 9×13 pan (reduces temp 25 degrees). Stayed moist for days. Frosting recipe is great too – have used it on another cake too. Thanks for the memories!
Holy moly this is an awesome cake! I don’t even like yellow cake but needed something to eat strawberries with. This is amazing. You must try it. I made it exactly as written but did use a 9×13 pan. Perfect!
I wanted to make cupcakes for me and 3 other people but now I’m inviting almost my entire neighborhood to my house because I have 24 cupcakes and a one layer cake.
This cake is such a great, solid basic. I have made this three times now, twice as a cake, once as cupcakes. For 9″ rounds I did have to cook 30 min. Mini cupcakes – 12 min. Choc buttercream frosting is a new family fave, easy and quick, spreads well and pipes well after a few minutes in the fridge.
This cake was good but not as good as the Hershey cake. The difference was that this cake was a little more dry compared to the Hershey’s. The flavor was good though!
can i halve the recipe to make just one cake?
Very simple. Loved the results, very moist. Best thing it wasn’t overly sweet which really surprised me in a good way. Great recipe.
Cake is good n all but bake time is way off
If you want the entire center of your cake to slide through your cooling rack, follow the recipe
This recipe is very good a deff. recommend it!!! I personally didn’t like the frosting.
After leaving the cake in for a additional 10 minutes it came out perfect. That is the only alteration that I made.
I agree I poked it with a toothpick and it was really wet so i added an extra 25 mins.
This is an excellent yellow cake. I agree with other reviewers- 25 minutes isn’t long enough in the oven. I’ve made this cake twice now and it’s perfect for me at about 28-30 minutes. Enjoy!
Maybe 2 entire cups of sugar was too much. Wayyyyy too sweet
I totally agree! This was waaaay too much sugar for a cupcake especially with a sweet sweet frosting. And the cook times were way off. Mine also came out greasy. That has never happened to a cupcake I made before. So disappointed.
Came out perfect Thanks soo much!
Made this cake for the first time tonight, it was delicious. Possibly the best cake I’ve ever tasted.
This was an epic failure. The middle was squishy and the rest of it was dry.
I made this cake yesterday and it turned out fantastic! Just the right amount of moist with a touch of crunch at the outside edge. The frosting was the perfect amount for the cake with great spreading consistency and superb taste. Both my kids and my husband had seconds and thirds.
I made this yesterday and follow directions exactly however cooking time was not right for my oven. Tastes very good but a little dry because had to bake longer …. middle was still liquidy. Will try it again but bake at 335 and see how that works.
I followed the recipe exactly as written, divided into 2 9″ round cake pans, after 25 minutes the cakes were still liquid in the middle. They smell amazing, so I’m hoping they taste great, but the cook time is definitely not accurate for me.
So I discovered that too
I put it back in for 10 minutes and they were perfect
Me too!!!! 10 minutes more..they are cooling but they look perfect! It’s my daughter’s bday tomorrow and she asked for yellow cake with chocolate frosting! I’m so glad I found this recipe!!!! 😊
Two filled cake pans baking at the same time most definitely require more time in the oven . I usually bake @ 350 for 35 minutes and after that, test w/ a toothpick. Sides pulling away is also a sign that your cake is done.
Great luck!
I was kinda disappointed when I made this cake. Something about it just tasted wrong. I will finish the cake I made, but I am never trying this again.
My first time baking cake and it came out so moist and delicious. I don’t normally like eating cake but this is one awesome cake. Easy to make too.
Excellent yellow cake recipe! Thank you, Lauren! It was easy to throw together, and I ended up with a deliciously moist, soft cake. I made half of the recipe and split it into 3 4” cake pans. Each small cake took about 20 minutes to bake. I paired it with a lemon French buttercream and raspberry jam. Delicious!
To the reviewers who complained about a dry cake—this cake did not look cooked in the center when it was finished. I used an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature (205-210 F) to make sure the cakes were done. Sure enough, the cakes were cooked perfectly, just pale in the middle.
I made half recipe for a single layer cake. I agree with earlier post – less sugar – but overall good cake recipe for all abilities. I overbaked it about 2 mins but still good flavor. Next time – I’ll add more vanilla and less sugar.
This was the best Yellow Cake recipe! Great flavor, moist and easy to bake.
This recipe has potential… my cake did not come out as yellow, and I’m uncertain as to why? I would love any tips. Absolutely delicious frosting!
Can I turn these into cupcakes?
Yes, check them around 22 minutes.
Easy to make. I made cupcakes. The frosting was enough for all 22 cupcakes. I had paper liners and used 1/4 cup batter for each. Considering we’re in the middle of shelter in place I was only a little short on the confectioners sugar. The cake part is fluffy and tasty. I used coconut oil and butter. Also used yogurt not buttermilk. I substituted 1/4 the sugar with Swerve. I mixed the batter by hand, frosting with a hand held. I was a little short on the unsweetened cocoa powder and added a little dark chocolate for hot cocoa that I had. Stay safe!
How long did you cook your cupcakes for?
I would say about 12-15 minutes is probably sufficient. So around half of the cooking time for 9in rounds. I made cupcakes as well. Turned out really well. But every oven is different. Just keep an eye on them and test after 12 minutes, baking for a couple minutes longer at a time until done.
I frequently make homemade cakes and this recipe is truly my favorite! My kids loved it more than I expected and I now have to make another one because it disappeared so quickly. Glad I found it. Thanks.
It took much longer than 25 mins to cook, (my oven temp is accurate) I like the old Tried & True method of greasing the pan. I thought the batter could use a little less sugar. Just my opinion.
My first Cake Ever and it was great. Home semi pro bread maker but never made a cake in my life.
It was good but not any better than a store bought box of yellow cake mix. Disappointing for a made from scratch cake but still good. I wouldn’t use this recipe again personally.
The cake and icing were good not great. I followed the recipe carefully and am an experienced baker, my cake did not turn out as yellow in color and flavor as the one pictured here and the icing was good tasting but was hard to make it stick to the cake.
Experieced baker, but your cake didnt turn out right? Makes sense.
“Your neighborhood friend” yet you see the need to make immature, mean and inaccurate comments? Makes sense.
Unfortunately you can’t control the colour…only the farmer can do that 🙂 it comes from egg yolks and butter and that comes down to what the chickens and cows eat.
Crumb coat your thoroughly cooled cake, let “dry” or cool in fridge, then proceed with icing and your frosting will stick.
Just made this cake for my husbands 50th birthday yesterday (since we are isolating due to Covid-19) and didn’t want to order one. It was just okay. Not bad. But not great either. I’m am an experienced baker and have won contests for pies and cakes. This cake was not particularly flavorful, and was very dry and crumbly. Not melt-in-your-mouth moist. Maybe it needs more butter or egg? Nothing to rave about. The chocolate frosting was also just okay. I had to add more vanilla and a couple more tablespoons of cocoa powder (to taste) to make it really rich and delicious, and thank goodness I did bc the frosting overcompensated for the bland cake.
The frosting did have a good consistency and adhered nicely to the cake, spread evenly, and also piped well. Held shape and didn’t melt. There was not enough frosting in the recipe for the cake we made, so I would recommend doing 1.5 times the amount or even doubling the recipe if you like a nice 1/4-1/2 inch layer of frosting on/in your cake. And this dry cake really needed more.
Will prob not make again, or would try to add more egg or butter to make this moist.
The Cake was very good! I followed the frosting recipe and it turned out lumpy. But overall it was okay.
I made this cake following each step and cautions for my husband birthday, it was the best cake I’ve ever made! It is so spongy, moist, when we cut the cake you can the cake bounce back, yeah it was that fluffy! And taste delicious!
Making this for my sons birthday as part of an ice cream cake (I’m flying by the seat of my pants on this) I’m glad to see I’m not the only one that had to bake longer, took 35 minutes. Smells good and the batter was good so hopefully it will work out. I wanted to make something with what I had in the house already rather than brave the grocery store again!
Made for my husband’s birthday today. Not from a box. Blew him away.
I wasn’t going to the store to buy a mix…
Love it!
I made this cake twice, for me the flavor was delicious when I made it. The temp oven was not correct . Instead of 350 I did 315 degrees on convection oven. The baking time took 1 hour and 4 minutes. The results were way better!
Sometimes you have to adjust the temp, good job
I made this as directed. I made sure all ingredients were at room temp. The cake was moist and delicious! The chocolate frosting was amazing! Thank you for sharing!!
Hi there! We really liked this cake! Some raders have commented on flavor, be sure to use high quality vanilla and real butter for the best flavor! Thanks for all you do!
It came out okay. I used yogurt instead of buttermilk. The flavor is alright, but my two 8″ pans took a lot more time than 25 mins, closer to 50. Unfortunately, I got a thick crust on the bottom and side of the cakes that are dry. My one error: letting the complete batter mix a little too long instead of stopping it as soon as it was combined. I might try again w buttermilk.
Easy to make, I used salted butter and read the notes afterwards. My cake was a little salty. Very moist cake, baked 35 minutes. I will make it again.
Not a very good cake unfortunately, tasted kind of pancake-like
Made this exactly per the recipe – not alterations or substitutions. Used 2 nine inch pans.
The icing is fabulous, but the cake is a different story. Like many others said, it took 45-50 minutes to bake. I have no clue why, but it is so dry that it is inedible. It looks very fluffy and yummy, but oh goodness, there is no flavor and we are basically choking on the dryness.
I have never made a yellow cake form scratch so I have a crazy question: How do I use 3 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks? Am I using two eggs ass a whole, then using three separate egg yolks? Also, is there a video for this recipe?
Sorry I don’t have a video yet. You will need 5 eggs total. 3 of them you will use the whole egg, and the other two just the egg yolk and discard the egg white.
You just separate the yolks from the egg whites that leaves the yolks only. Hope this helps
Hi Lauren,
I’m looking for a homemade yellow cake that tastes similar to Duncan Hines box cake mix without the yukky ingredients. Just wondering if you knew if this cake tastes anything like that? It looks wonderful, I’m planning to make it for my daughters birthday. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting is her favorite. Thanks in advance for your help.
Carol
The flavor of this cake is exceptional. I baked this for my husband’s birthday and he LOVED it.
No flavor cake!! Followed recipe to the tee and what a disappointment! Made for a birthday and was so sad it was not good. Do not waste your time
Great!
This is one great frosting recipe!
I’ve only made the cake portion so far. The crumbs from the pan taste so good! However mine took an hour or more to bake. Baking it for my daughter’s 2nd birthday tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe.
I was told this was the best cake anyone had ever had that ate it, I used a different frosting recipe, but the cake was the key!
Outstanding recipe, exactly as written. My husband is an extremely picky eater and he LOVES this cake. ☆☆☆☆☆
Fantastic cake!
Your recipe says to “stir” in the flour mixture as you add the buttermilk, which is what I did. The original recipe says “mix.” Will stirring make a difference? It’s taking this cake at least 45/55 minutes to bake. I made it for Thanksgiving but “mixed” the batter and it didn’t take this long.
I used olive oil because I didn’t have any canola and it turned out fabulous!
My husband made this for my birthday and it was fantastic!
He sounds like a winner! I’m so happy you liked it.
I was wondering if I could steep something in the buttermilk to add additional flavor. Has anyone tested this?
What type of oil is best to use?
Canola or vegetable will work best.
I made cupcakes and the batter didn’t come out as yellow as I expected. Any tips?
Can you use cake flour
You could, it will just change the texture slightly.
Delicious and easy recipe. Thanks for all the helpful tips and photos. I thought the homemade frosting was particularly delicious and the cake came out moist and perfect.
This cake how now been in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and still has some raw batter in the middle. In the printable recipe the directions say use 8 or 9 inch pans. I used (2) 8-inch pans and then realized when they were in the oven that there is too much batter for 8-inch pans. I have them loosely covered with foil to stop from over-browning while they continue to bake because I don’t want to have to throw these in the trash. Please fix the printable recipe to say only 9-inch pans.
How do I adapt this recipe for high altitude?
Add an extra spoonful of flour 🙂
Can I use regular milk in place of butter milk? I don’t have the vinegar or lemon juice required to make a substitute for buttermilk