Homemade Yellow Cake

Name: Homemade Yellow Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened to room temperature; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar; 3 large eggs, room temperature; 2 large egg yolks, room temperature; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature; 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature; 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 4 cups powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 4-5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream; sprinkles for garnish, optional

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Sometimes you just want to go the extra mile and make something from scratch. Making your own Homemade Yellow Cake is easier than you might think and it is so delicious!

A CLASSIC AND DELICIOUS HOMEMADE CAKE

Freshly baked yellow cake is a treat that never gets old. It’s sweet, moist, and perfect for any occasion or just to satisfy a craving. If you’ve followed me for any period of time, you know I love boxed cake mixes. They are so versatile and yummy. But sometimes you just get in the mood to make something from scratch, right? Or maybe you want to make that birthday cake just a bit more special. Plus it’s really not that hard to make! I’ll show you how to bake up your own homemade cake in no time!

A serving utensil holding a slice of homemade yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Is yellow cake the same as vanilla cake?

No, yellow cake and vanilla cake are two different types of cakes. Yellow cake is a type of cake made from butter, eggs, flour, sugar, and vanilla extract. It gets its distinctive yellow color from the eggs. Vanilla cake is another popular type of cake made with similar ingredients but often without the additional egg yolks. Instead, it often gets its flavor from the addition of pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

What makes yellow cake a yellow cake?

Yellow cake is a type of traditional, sweet cake that gets its distinctive yellow color from the eggs used in the recipe. The combination of eggs and vanilla extract help make the iconic yellow tint that we recognize in yellow cakes.

How do you keep a yellow cake moist?

A yellow cake is best kept moist when it is kept covered with plastic wrap or an airtight container after it has cooled completely. By sealing the cake in a container, you are essentially trapping the moisture inside so it doesn’t evaporate quickly and dry out the cake. If you don’t have any airtight containers, you can also use aluminum foil to cover the cakes. You should also avoid refrigerating your yellow cakes as this can dry them out since cold temperatures cause moisture to escape. The buttermilk in this recipe is also key to a moist cake.

What flavor is yellow cake?

It’s a buttery vanilla flavor and gets its yellow color from the use of additional egg yolks.

Why do ingredients need to be room temperature?

When baking a cake, it’s important to use room temperature ingredients for the best results. Room temperature ingredients mix together more easily than cold ingredients, and that helps you get an even consistency in your batter. Additionally, room temperature butter will also help to create a light, airy texture for cakes. Cold butter can make your cakes too dense and heavy. This ensures that your cake is baked evenly throughout without any uncooked or burnt portions.

Can I substitute buttermilk with milk?

No. I know it’s tempting to not want to go to the store to just grab buttermilk but it really makes this cake so moist. The cake does not taste like buttermilk, I promise. Buttermilk is the best for cakes and keeping them moist. The only substitute that would work would be heavy cream.

Why do you say to use a 9x13x3-inch baking dish?

Having higher sides on your baking dish will allow plenty of room for this homemade cake to rise and to also accommodate a thicker frosting. You can, of course, use a baking dish with shorter sides. You may just have some frosting leftover since it may not all fit with the shorter baking dish.

How to store leftovers?

Leftover cake can be stored in a cake container or wrapped well in plastic. Keep it at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep it longer by freezing for up to 3 months.

A slice of homemade yellow cake with homemade chocolate frosting.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

all-purpose flour – you could technically use self-rising flour here – just remove the additional baking powder in this recipe as it is already in self rising flour.
baking powder – the baking powder does most of the the leavening in the recipe, make sure yours is fresh. Most recipes do not turn out because the baking powder was not fresh or expired.
baking soda – the baking soda also adds a bit of leavening but it also adds tenderness to the cake so it’s an essential ingredient (again, make sure yours is fresh).
salted butter – you could use unsalted butter, just add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the recipe. It also needs to be room temperature (not melted!) – this is important for proper fluffiness and tenderness in cake recipes.
large eggs and egg yolks – these also need to be room temperature for the same reason as the butter. It traps air into the batter when room temperature and creates a nice fluffy cake.
vanilla extract – you can switch up the extract for different flavors if you like.
buttermilk – do not substitute or your cake will not be as moist – trust me on this! Your cake will not taste like buttermilk though. The only acceptable substitute would be heavy cream.
unsweetened cocoa powder – this most popular cocoa powder is usually Hersheys – just make sure it is unsweetened.
heavy whipping cream – for the creamiest frosting – you want heavy cream. You could technically use milk here but I think you’ll find the best tasting frostings are made with heavy cream.

Flour, baking powder, baking soda, vegetable oil, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk, cocoa powder, heavy whipping cream, and powdered sugar.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE YELLOW CAKE

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x13x3 baking dish with baking spray and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a bowl with an electric hand mixer), cream the butter, oil, and sugar for 3 minutes until fluffy.

A mixing bowl with butter, oil, and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in. Add the egg yolks and mix them in with the vanilla.

Add half of the dry ingredients and stir it in until combined.

Half of the dry ingredient mixture on top of the wet ingredients for yellow cake.

Next, add half of the buttermilk, and stir until combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, scraping down the sides as needed.

Buttermilk being poured in the cake batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top.

Baking dish with yellow cake mix batter from scratch.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you see the cake is browning too much, cover it loosely with foil.

Let cool completely. Once the cake is cool, make the frosting. In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer add the butter and whip until smooth.

Add the cocoa powder and slowly mix it in until combined.

Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing the first batch in completely before adding more. The mixture will be thick.

Chocolate frosting with powdered sugar on top waiting to be mixed in.

Add the salt, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons of heavy cream. Mix until smooth. If it appears too thick, add an additional 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Once mixed in, turn the speed up to medium-high and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides as needed.