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Yellow Cake with rich chocolate frosting is the classic birthday cake my girls request every single year, with tender, buttery golden layers and a fluffy cocoa frosting piled on top. I bake it from scratch on *birthday mornings* while everyone is still in pajamas, and the smell alone gets the whole house excited. It is just as crave worthy as our chocolate poke cake.
Buttermilk and a mix of butter and oil are the secret to a homemade yellow cake that stays moist for days.
Yellow Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 28 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 48 minutes plus cooling
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 878kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Buttery vanilla cake with rich, fudgy chocolate frosting
- ✋ Difficulty: Moderate, a fun bake worth the effort like our lemon blueberry coffee cake
Quick Answer
Cream butter, oil, and sugar, then beat in eggs and egg yolks. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk until you have a smooth batter, divide it between two pans, and bake. Cool the layers, whip up a fluffy chocolate frosting, then stack, fill, and frost the cake.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Butter and oil together keep it moist. Butter brings flavor and oil keeps the crumb tender and moist for days, giving you the best of both fats in one cake.
- Extra egg yolks add richness. Two additional yolks beyond the whole eggs give the cake its signature golden color and a soft, rich texture.
- Buttermilk makes a tender crumb. The acidity in buttermilk tenderizes the gluten and reacts with the leavening for a soft, fluffy cake.
- Alternating wet and dry prevents overmixing. Adding the flour and buttermilk in stages keeps the batter smooth without developing too much gluten, which would toughen the cake.
- A crumb coat gives clean, pretty sides. A thin first layer of frosting locks in loose crumbs so the final coat goes on smooth and bakery neat.
- The chocolate frosting balances the sweet cake. A cocoa rich, lightly salted frosting cuts the sweetness of the golden cake for a perfectly balanced bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is the ultimate from scratch birthday cake, golden and moist with fudgy frosting.
- The butter and oil combo keeps it tender for days, so leftovers are just as good.
- That dreamy chocolate frosting is a cousin of our reader favorite chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Key Ingredients
Simple baking staples build this classic. Here is what each one does.
- Butter and oil: butter for flavor and oil for moisture, the combo that keeps this cake tender for days.
- Eggs and egg yolks: the extra yolks give the cake its golden color and rich, soft crumb.
- Buttermilk: tenderizes the crumb and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness.
- Cocoa powder: the deep chocolate base of the fluffy frosting.
- Powdered sugar and heavy cream: whip into a silky frosting, much like the one on our chocolate earthquake cake.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this cake your own with a few easy ideas.
- Bake it as cupcakes instead, filling liners two thirds full and baking for about 18 minutes.
- Swap the chocolate frosting for vanilla buttercream for a true classic birthday look.
- Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the frosting to deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Make it a sheet cake by baking the batter in a nine by thirteen pan, like our chocolate poke cake.
- Press toasted nuts or extra sprinkles around the sides for a fun finish.
How to Make Yellow Cake
- Cream the base. Beat the butter, oil, and sugar until light, then mix in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time until fully combined.
- Make the batter. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, stirring until just combined into a smooth batter.
- Bake the layers. Divide the batter between two parchment lined pans and bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Whip the frosting. Beat the butter, then mix in the cocoa, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream until smooth and fluffy.
- Stack and fill. Level the cooled cakes, place one on a plate, and spread a generous layer of frosting before adding the second layer.
- Frost the cake. Add a thin crumb coat, then frost the outside smoothly. Finish with sprinkles, slice, and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temp butter, eggs, and buttermilk blend into a smoother batter and a more even crumb.
- Do not overbake. Pull the cakes the moment a toothpick comes out clean to keep them moist and tender.
- Cool the layers completely before frosting, or the frosting will melt and slide right off.
- Always do a crumb coat. That thin first layer traps loose crumbs so the final coat looks clean and professional.
- Turn leftovers into cake balls by crumbling and mixing with frosting, like our lemon raspberry cake balls.
- Store at room temperature under a cake dome so the cake stays soft and the frosting stays fluffy.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This cake is the centerpiece of any celebration. Serve thick slices with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a few cake balls on the side for a dessert spread that wows.
For a birthday brunch, pair it with our baked cake donuts and a pot of coffee. Add candles and you have an instant party.
Craving cake but short on time? A single serving vanilla mug cake scratches the itch, but this layer cake is worth the extra effort for a crowd.
Yellow Cake FAQs
Yellow Cake uses whole eggs and extra yolks, which give it a golden color and rich, buttery flavor. White cake uses only egg whites for a paler color and a lighter, more delicate crumb.
Yes. Fill cupcake liners about two thirds full and bake at 350 degrees for around 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. This batter makes roughly 24 cupcakes.
Dry cake usually comes from overbaking or measuring too much flour. Spoon and level your flour, and pull the cakes the second a toothpick comes out clean for a moist crumb.
Absolutely. Bake the layers up to two days ahead, wrap them well, and store at room temperature. You can also freeze the wrapped layers for up to two months and frost when ready.
Keep the frosted cake at room temperature under a dome for up to three days, or refrigerate for up to five. Bring chilled slices to room temperature before serving so the cake is soft.
Definitely. This fluffy chocolate frosting is fantastic on chocolate cake, cupcakes, or even graham crackers. The recipe makes enough to generously fill and frost a two layer cake.
For another from scratch crowd pleaser, try our chocolate poke cake next.
Our classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting is a birthday staple.
Come December, our molasses rich gingerbread cake takes over the dessert table.
When you want cake without committing to a full layer cake, our glazed mini bundt cakes are the answer.
This cake is exactly where my whipped chocolate buttercream frosting belongs.
For the party trick version of a layer cake, my candy filled pinata cake never fails to get gasps.
For a holiday version of a classic layer of flavor, my eggnog cake bakes the nog right in.
For a happy hour twist on the classic cupcake, my margarita cupcakes deliver.
My peach upside down cake turns a simple batter into a show stopping dessert.
For a nostalgic soda spin on chocolate cake, try dr pepper cupcakes next.
When you want cake without the layer cake commitment, my lemon lime cake bakes in a single loaf pan.
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 & 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 & 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 2 large egg yolks room temp
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/4 cups buttermilk room temp
FOR THE FROSTING
- 1 & 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6-7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- sprinkles for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350°F. Lightly spray 2 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Place parchment paper in the bottom of the pans. Spray the top of the paper with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 & 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter, oil, and sugar for 3 minutes.3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 & 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in. Add the egg yolks and mix them in with the vanilla.3 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add half of the dry ingredients and stir it in until combined.
- Next, add half of the buttermilk, stir until combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, scraping down the sides as needed.1 & 1/4 cups buttermilk
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Take a spatula and smooth out the top, this will ensure the cakes bake evenly.
- Bake for 22-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- While the cakes are cooling, 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.1 & 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- Add the cocoa powder and carefully 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.3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 6 cups powdered sugar
- Add the salt, vanilla, and 6 tablespoons of the heavy cream. Mix until smooth. If it appears too thick add an additional 1 tablespoon 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.1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 6-7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- To assemble the cake, take the cakes out of the pan and discard the parchment paper.
- Trim the tops of the cake if there is any doming so they are even and flat.
- Place one of the cakes bottom side down onto your serving dish or cake plate. Add 1 cup of the frosting and smooth it out to the sides.
- Place the other cake, top side down, on to the frosting.
- Take about another cup of frosting and lightly frost the entire cake, making a crumb coat. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to overnight to set.
- Take the remaining frosting and frost the outside of the cake. Add sprinkles if using. Cut and serve.sprinkles for garnish
Notes
- Always use room temperature eggs and buttermilk for a smoother batter.
- Spray the parchment paper with baking spray to easily remove the cake from the pans.
- Sift the dry ingredients to avoid lumps in the cake batter.
- Use an electric mixer for a well-mixed, airy batter.
- If you’re using a hand mixer, mix at medium speed to incorporate air into the batter.
- For an even more special touch, use your favorite sprinkles for garnish.
Nutrition
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moist, good texture and flavor. baked up light and high. great for layeririchardsonng and frostilovellang