This yellow cake recipe is a classic favorite for special celebrations! It’s fluffy, moist and tender then topped with a rich chocolate frosting.
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Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
There is so much to love about yellow cake with chocolate frosting! The smooth and sweet chocolate buttercream frosting is the perfect thing to add on top. The rich chocolate flavors balance out the sweet and moist cake beneath.
It’s as easy to make as chocolate cake, strawberry cake or vanilla cake. After making this classic recipe, you might be inspired to make chocolate cupcakes from scratch.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Classic yellow cake: This sweet dessert is made with whole eggs, not just egg whites. I use an extra egg yolk that adds additional moisture, color and flavor.
- Better than boxed, made from scratch. This is the best yellow cake recipe because it’s easy to make with real ingredients and a moist and fluffy crumb!
- Perfect texture and versatile uses. The cake flour and baking ingredients are perfectly balanced. Top with frosting, make into cupcakes or use for cake balls!
Recipe Ingredients
A yellow cake recipe from scratch is fun and satisfying to bake! The end result is perfect for any gathering, but I especially like it for birthday parties.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter. In order to balance the flavors, use unsalted butter and add the salt separately. I use butter instead of oil not only for rich flavor but color too.
- Egg Yolks: They should be at room temperature before you add them to the batter. Save the egg whites as they will be folded in later.
- Flour: Cake flour is finer and makes the cake more delicate and spongy, but all-purpose flour works too.
- Buttermilk: This is slightly acidic and contains more water than milk, so it will make your cake moist and tender. If you don’t have any, here’s how to make buttermilk with ingredients you probably have.
- Chocolate frosting: Yellow cake with chocolate frosting is popular but you can use vanilla buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting or strawberry cream cheese frosting.
How to Make Yellow Cake
Rest assured, this easy yellow cake recipe is straightforward and uncomplicated. If you can make the boxed mix, you can make this too.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed. When it’s pale and fluffy, add the egg yolks and vanilla.
- Mix the dry ingredients together. In a smaller bowl, mix the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter. In ⅓ increments, mix the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture. Add buttermilk in between each set.
- Whip the egg whites. Add the egg whites to a stand mixers bowl. Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar with the whisk attachment. Keep whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Add cake batter to pans. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Then, pour the batter into your prepared cake pans.
- Bake the cake. Keep baking until a toothpick comes out clean.
Making The Frosting
- Mix cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt. Use a large bowl and stir until they are mixed together really well.
- Add wet ingredients. Mix in the water and vanilla and scrape the sides of the bowl as you do.
- Add more butter and sugar. Beat in the butter and the rest of the powdered sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until it is pale and fluffy.
- Decorate the cake. After it is chilled, decorate the cake however you want.
Tips for the Best Yellow Cake
- The type of vanilla matters. Use a really good vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, since this cake relies heavily on its flavor.
- You don’t have to freeze the cake. Freezing cake layers makes it easy to frost without losing a lot of the crumb, but isn’t necessary if time doesn’t allow it.
- Cake flour: While you can use all-purpose flour, it’s easy to make cake flour at home. For every cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 Tablespoons and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. Remember to measure flour correctly!
- Pan type: Instead of round cake pans, bake the cake in a bundt pan or a square baking pan.
- Single layer: If you don’t have time to make a layered cake, make cake in a 9×13 pan, add frosting on top and enjoy!
Storage
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days then move to the refrigerator for longer storage up to a week.
More classic cake recipes to love include strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, and strawberry sheet cake!
More Delicious Cake Recipes
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Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
This yellow cake recipe is a classic favorite for special celebrations! It's fluffy, moist and tender then topped with a rich chocolate frosting.
Video
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups (350 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks , at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260 grams) cake flour , or 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cups (215 grams) buttermilk , at room temperature
- 2 large egg whites , at room temperature
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup natural cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar , divided
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup hot water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
Instructions
Cake
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line bottom of 2 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray only the parchment with nonstick cooking spray. Do not spray the sides of the pans.
- Cream. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Mix in 2 large egg yolks and 1 Tablespoon vanilla until combined.
- Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups cake flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Combine. Gradually mix in 1/3 flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating with 1 cup buttermilk until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl between additions.
- Whip egg whites. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip 2 large egg whites and 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar on medium speed until can hold a stiff peak.
- Fold in egg whites. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until just incorporated. Pour batter into pans.
- Bake. Bake 32 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes in the pans before transferring the cakes to a rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Frosting
- Combine frosting ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix in 1/4 cup hot water and 2 teaspoon vanilla on medium speed, scraping the bowl if necessary.
- Add butter. Beat in 1 cup softened butter and remaining 2 cups powdered sugar on medium-high speed 1 to 2 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. If frosting is too stiff, beat in 1 teaspoon water until it's spreadable.
Assemble the Cake
- Assemble cake layers. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about 1 cup frosting, enough to make a 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick layer. Place the second cake bottom-side up over the frosted layer. Chill 30 minutes.
- Spread frosting. Using an offset spatula or rubber spatula, spread enough frosting to create a crumb coat around the entire cake. Chill 30 minutes.
- Decorate and serve. Decorate the cake with the remaining frosting any way you like.
Notes
Vanilla: Use a really good vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, since this cake relies heavily on its flavor.
Variations: This batter is enough to make:
- 1 9×13-inch baking dish (bake 45 to 50 minutes)
- 24 cupcakes (bake 30 to 35 minutes)
- 3 8-inch round cake pans (25 to 30 minutes)
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 1110kcal | Carbohydrates: 156g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 435mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 105g | Vitamin A: 1589IU | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Birthdays, Cake + Cupcakes, Desserts
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I’ve baked many cakes. This was the 1st where the center sunk
Sorry to hear that Lacie! The egg whites must really be whipped to a stiff peak as indicated in the recipe or there is a chance that the cake could fall.
Made this last night for my dads birthday and he loved it! It was so moist and tasty, never buying store cake mix again.
So glad your family enjoyed the yellow cake! :)