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Our soft and moist Yellow Cake recipe is topped with a simple homemade chocolate frosting. There is a reason why this is a classic, and I promise it tastes better than anything you can get from a box!
Yellow Cake That'll Make You Ditch the Box Forever
Everyone loves a classic yellow cake and it's just too easy and delicious to not make from scratch (especially paired with a homemade chocolate frosting)! This cake is soft, and moist, and uses basic ingredients, plus you know the ingredients are high quality, rather than all the processed junk put into cake mixes. Once you try it, you will never use a box mix again!
I have so many delicious cake recipes for you to try, like Chocolate Cake, Biscoff Cake, Cannoli Cake, Lemon Cake, Chocolate Mousse Cake, or Berry Cake!
Yellow Cake vs White Cake vs Vanilla Cake:
Yellow Cake can often get confused for white cake or vanilla cake. White cake is different because it's made with egg whites only, and sometimes even shortening to keep that white color. Yellow cake gets their name from the pale yellow color from whole eggs and real butter. When someone refers to vanilla cake, it can either be yellow cake or white cake.
How to make a Yellow Cake:
Make Cake Batter: With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream sugar and butter then mix in oil. Add eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing after each one. Stir in vanilla. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl then alternate adding some flour mixture, then some buttermilk, back and forth until both are added, ending with the flour mixture. Only mix until just combined.
Bake: Separate the batter into two cake pans and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25-35 minutes. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs when inserted into the center of the cake. Don't over-bake it or it will be dry. Let it cool for a few minutes then flip onto a wire cooling rack.
Chocolate Frosting: Combine melted butter and cocoa powder. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, mix in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until light and fluffy. It usually takes several minutes of beating the frosting.
Frost and Assemble Cake: Once the cake has cooled completely, place one of the cake rounds on your serving tray then spread a layer of chocolate frosting on top. Place the second cake round on top then frost this easy yellow cake recipe with chocolate frosting on the top and sides. Enjoy!
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The chocolate frosting can me made in advance. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Let it come to room temperature before frosting the cake.
To Freeze: Let the cakes cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to one month. Unwrap cakes and frost when frozen then bring to room temperature to serve. The frosting can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Cake Recipes:
- German Chocolate Cake
- Peanut Butter Mug Cake
- Tres Leches Cake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- Dark Chocolate Cake
- Berry Cake
- Nothing Bundt Cake
- Coconut Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Orange Olive Oil Cake
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
- Stand Mixer , optional
Ingredients
Yellow Cake:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, (170g), at room temperature
- ¼ cup oil, (50g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar, (400g)
- 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, (333g)
- 1 cup buttermilk, (227g), at room temperature
Chocolate Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, (113g), melted
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (57g)
- 3 cups powdered sugar, (360g)
- 1/3 cup milk, (83g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Yellow Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line two 8 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix sugar and butter for 3 minutes. Add oil and mix 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, then stir in cocoa powder. Mix in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla then mix for a few minutes, until frosting is light and fluffy. Once the cake has cooled completely, frost with chocolate frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe May 2019. Updated August 2023 and March 2025.
The cake is delicious, light and moist! I used three 8” cake pans and they all rose to the top of the pan. I made one and a half recipes for the icing so that I would have enough icing for the extra layer (and I like a lot of icing!). This is a great recipe! 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.
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.