Soft and buttery with an extra moist crumb, this is the best yellow cake I’ve ever had. After several rounds of recipe testing, I found the secret to the most delicious yellow birthday cake is a combination of cake flour, extra egg yolks, whipped egg whites, and buttermilk. Cover this cake with my rich and creamy chocolate buttercream for the ultimate celebratory birthday cake!
I originally published this recipe in 2020 and have since made a few small additions to the recipe, including a little extra cake flour and baking soda to help prevent the cakes from sinking and tasting gummy.
If there was one supreme birthday cake to reign over all other birthday cakes, it would be… Piรฑata Cake. But this yellow cake comes in a close second!
One reader, Sharon, commented: “Undeniably the best yellow cake I’ve ever made! Moist and buttery. Just perfect! Thanks for the very well-detailed directions! โ โ โ โ โ “
One reader, Michael, commented: “Cannot say enough great things about this recipe. The cake was beautifully moist and the chocolate buttercream to die for. โ โ โ โ โ “
One reader, Wendy, commented: “This is an amazing recipe. I have been baking cakes for family birthdays for 35 years, and today I made the BEST one ever, following your recipe. Wowโwhat a keeper! Thank you! โ โ โ โ โ “
This is the Best Yellow Cake I’ve Ever Had
After marble cake, zebra cake, yellow sheet cake, white cake, vanilla cake, yellow cupcakes, and all of the other recipes in between, I’ve been trying to perfect this quintessential layer cake for years on end. I’ve tasted cake mixes and restaurant-quality yellow cakes, bakery cakes and professional’s homemade variations, and I can honestly say that this is the best yellow cake I’ve ever had.
Using a careful mix of cake flour, fluffy egg whites, extra egg yolks, and buttermilk, as well as starting with an extra creamy base of butter and sugar, this yellow cake is soft and buttery with an extra moist crumb. If cakes could talk, this one would brag.
I spent the better part of this past winter testing this yellow cake recipe. We can’t achieve perfection for free, so there’s a few careful steps involved and power ingredients that you don’t want to substitute. If baking could withstand shortcuts, I’d take them, but we don’t want to mess around here. Remember, baking is a science.
Power Ingredients
- Cake Flour: Cake flour produces that bakery-style cakey structure. Since itโs so light, the attention remains on the butter. (A stand-out flavor in yellow cake.) All-purpose flour, even when combined with cornstarch to make a cake flour substitute, is simply too heavy for this recipe. Use pure, real cake flour.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: My biggest struggle was finding the perfect amount of baking powder and baking soda. This balanced combination provides plenty of lift. It even inspired me to change/improve the leaveners in yellow sheet cake, too.
- Butter: I tested this recipe with melted butter, just to see if I could enhance the buttery flavor while still maintaining a fluffy crumb, but my efforts were worthless. The cakes were heavy no matter how I played around with the other ingredients. For best results, stick with creamed room temperature butter and sugar.
- Eggs & Extra Egg Yolks: Eggs play a big role in this cake recipe. You need 4 eggs totalโ2 whole eggs plus an additional 2 egg yolks. This equals 4 egg yolks and 2 egg whites. (You will have 2 egg whites leftover. Here are some recipes using only egg whites.) Additional egg yolks add richness, tenderness, and flavor.
- Whipped Egg Whites: There are 2 egg whites in this recipe. Take them a step further to help fluff up the cake’s structure. Afterall, this is a butter and egg yolk heavy cake. Beat the egg whites separately, just as we do in red velvet cake, then fold them in. There’s no other way to land on a velvety rich cake texture.
- Cream of Tartar: Whip the egg whites with cream of tartar. Cream of tartar keeps the air in the egg whites suspended so they hold their shape when mixed into the heavy cake batter and again when baked in the oven. You can skip it if needed and whip the egg whites by themselves, but the cake layers will taste denser.
- Buttermilk: I tried a mix of sour cream and whole milk, but taste testers enjoyed the buttermilk version better. Adding flavor and moisture, buttermilk is used in many baking recipes including this confetti cake. See recipe note about a DIY buttermilk substitute.
Video Tutorial: How to Make Perfect Yellow Cake
Step-by-Step Yellow Cake Photos
Watch the video tutorial above and use these pictures to help guide you, too.
Make sure the butter and sugar are extra creamy. I recommend 3 full minutes of creaming:
Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar together, then fold them into the cake batter. The cake batter will be thick, but the fluffy egg whites lighten it up.
If your cakes are domed on top, level them after they cool. I use a serrated knife:
Other Size Cakes
This cake batter is best for a 2 layer 9-inch cake (I use and love these 9-inch round cake pans). This recipe yields about 5-6 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need it for different Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions. You can bake this yellow cake in a 9ร13 inch baking pan, but I found it tasted on the heavier side. Instead, I recommend my Yellow Sheet Cake.
And for cupcakes? Here is my favorite yellow cupcakes recipe, which includes directions for mini cupcakes too. Same unbelievable texture as this cake!
Chocolate Frosting for Yellow Birthday Cake
Like my triple chocolate cake, I use my favorite chocolate buttercream. I slightly increase the amount of each ingredient to produce extra frosting. If you prefer a thinner layer of frosting, use the chocolate buttercream recipe. Because there is no leavening occurring, you can use either dutch-process or natural cocoa powder in the buttercream. Heavy cream provides an extra creamy frosting, but milk can be substituted if needed.
This frosting is a little fluffier than the chocolate fudge frosting on the yellow sheet cake. Feel free to swap frostings or use the the vanilla buttercream in my white cake recipe!
Additional Cake Success Tips
Use the following resources to help guarantee cake success:
- How to Freeze Cakes
- How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake
- 10 Cake Baking Tips for Perfect Cakes
- Homemade Cake Flour Substitute
- Soften Butter Quickly (helpful trick!)
Yellow Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
For yellow cake success, follow this recipe closely and don’t make any ingredient substitutions.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (285g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)*
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature*
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar*
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or dutch process)
- 3–5 Tablespoons (45-75ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk), at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional for decoration: sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.) I recommend using nonstick spray for greasing.
- Start the cake batter with the dry ingredients: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for 3 full minutes. The creamed butter and sugar will be extra creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Turn the mixer down to medium-high speed and beat in the 4 egg yolks one at a time, letting each egg yolk fully mix into the batter before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
- Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the buttermilk and beat on low speed until combined. Add 1/3 more of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk and beat on low speed until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. The batter is very thick. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl.
- Whip the egg whites: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until fluffy peaks form, about 3 minutes. See photo and video above for a visual. Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the thick cake batter. Avoid over-mixing as you don’t want to deflate the egg whites.
- Pour/spoon batter evenly into cake pans.
- Bake: Bake for around 27-31 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. After about 18 minutes, tent the cakes with aluminum foil to prevent the tops and sides from over-browning. To test the cakes for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, itโs done. The cakes may look a little spongey on top as a result of the whipped egg whites. (That’s normal!)
- Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the buttercream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectionersโ sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Do not over-whip. Add 1/4 cup more confectionersโ sugar or cocoa powder if frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. (I usually add 1 more.) Taste. Add another pinch of salt if desired.
- Assemble and frost: If cooled cakes are domed on top, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. This is called “leveling” the cakes. Discard or crumble over finished cake (or on ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake turntable, cake stand, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer. (If desired, if the edges seem extra crumbly, apply a crumb coat which is a thin layer of frosting all over the cake. You can see I did this in the video tutorial above. Refrigerate the crumb coated cake for 15 minutes before adding the rest of the frosting.) Spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I always use an icing spatula and/or a bench scraper for the frosting. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired.
- For extra neat slices, refrigerate cake for 30-60 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 8. Wrap the individual baked and cooled cake layers tightly and keep at room temperature for 1 day or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature (if frozen) then continue with step 9. Frosting can also be made 1 day ahead of time. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Bring frosting to room temperature, then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so itโs creamy again. Adding a splash of cream/milk will help thin the frosting out, if needed. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold. See How to Freeze Cakes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Update in 2022: After further testing, this recipe now includes a little extra cake flour and baking soda to help prevent the cakes from sinking and tasting gummy.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is key in this recipe. Do not use any cake flour substitutes.
- Butter: If you only have salted butter, you can use that instead. Reduce the added salt in the cake to 1/4 teaspoon. You can use salted butter in the frosting, too. Taste the frosting before adding the 1/8 teaspoon of salt, then add a pinch if desired. It’s imperative to use room temperature butter in order to properly cream with the sugar and be the proper base for the buttercream.
- Eggs: You need 4 egg yolks and 2 egg whites in this cake batter. It’s easiest to separate eggs when they’re cold. The eggs must be at room temperature to whip properly, so after you separate the eggs, cover the 4 yolks and 2 whites and set aside for at least 20 minutes before starting.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute by measuring 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring glass. Add enough milk (whole milk is bestโlower fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich) in the same measuring glass to reach 1 cup. Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The soured milk will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in your recipe.
- Cream of Tartar: This is an imperative ingredient that promises the egg whites will whip into lofty, fluffy peaks and hold their shape when mixed into the heavy cake batter and baked in the oven. You can skip it if needed and whip the egg whites by themselves, but the cakes will taste denser.
- Amount of Cake Batter: This recipe yields about 5-6 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need it for different Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions. This recipe is too large for 2 8-inch cake pans.
- 9ร13 Inch Pan: You can bake this cake in a 9ร13-inch baking pan, but I found it tasted on the heavier side. Instead, I recommend my Yellow Sheet Cake which uses mostly the same ingredients.
- 3 Layer Cake: You can also prepare this cake as a 3 layer cake. Divide batter between three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans in step 1 and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The frosting recipe written will be enough for thin layers of frosting, but you can double my chocolate buttercream recipe (simply double each ingredient) if you want a lot of frosting.
- Yellow Cupcakes:ย Here is my favoriteย yellow cupcakes recipe, which includes directions for mini cupcakes too. Same unbelievable texture as this cake! If you need more than 1 dozen yellow cupcakes, use this yellow cake recipe for between 2-3 dozen and follow the same baking instructions as my yellow cupcakes.
For the sheet cake version, here is my yellow sheet cake recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I have a recipe for pineapple upside down bundt cake that uses a yellow cake box mix. I’m always looking for ways to make my cakes moist. I’d like to try substituting your recipe for mine for the cake part. Can this recipe be used in a bundt pan? My concern would be baking thoroughly because the cake would be thicker.
Hi Rex! We havenโt tested this recipe in a Bundt pan. It yields about 5 cups of batter as written, so you can adjust it to fit your specific pan if you wish to try it. We’re unsure of the exact bake time you would need. Let us know if you give it a try! You may also love our pineapple upside down cake recipe.
I found the cake a bit dry and used a different recipe for the buttercream icing based on the comments.
This is a delicious & moist cake. I made it for my daughterโs birthday and followed the recipe exactly. Both the cake & the frosting were really, really good! I will definitely be saving this recipe and making it again.
Made this cake and LOVED it. The cake was moist, light, and delicious. The frosting was sweet for my taste, though: it overpowers the cake a bit. Iโll try a less sweet version next time! Definitely a recipe worth revisiting.
This looks great! I see you can make it the night before. Can you make the cake 2 nights before and refrigerate?
Hi Ellie, we’d recommend storing the assembled cake in a cake carrier so it’s covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. See our Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions if you’d like to make the layers and frosting ahead of time and assemble before serving so it’s fresh!
I made this cake and it came out absolutely wonderful.
Will make it again.
Your tutorials are so helpful.
What other frosting besides buttercream would you suggest ?
Hi Surati, we’re so glad you enjoy this cake! If you’re looking for a less sweet frosting, either this whipped frosting or Swiss meringue buttercream would be great choices. Or, here are all of our frosting recipes to browse through.
This recipe is amazing !!! it is so good and tasted like a sugar cookie almost. I doubled the icing because I did a top and bottom border on my cake. I took it to a church gathering and it was gone before I could even get myself a piece:):)
I made this recipe yesterday for my husbands birthday. Flavor was great, I was impressed with the buttercream flavorโฆ But I need some help figuring out what went wrong with my cake batterโฆ I used appropriate flour & techniquesโฆ cake seemed fineโฆ when I went to ice it a big chunk off the top layer came off the edge so I had to be very very gentle and careful while icingโฆ Finally after crumb coat and final frosting it looked greatโฆ went to cut it and it completely fell apart on bottom layer. Very crumblyโฆ. I also noticed the baking time had to be increased quite a bitโฆ It was nowhere near done at 31 minutesโฆ. Any tips? This makes me a bit hesitant to attempt other cake recipes from this site
Hi Natalie, thank you so much for the feedback on this yellow cake. I plan to add notes to this recipe soon with a few new photos. Lately weโve been making it with 3/4 cup butter (1.5 sticks; 170g) and 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil. All directions stay the same. After creaming butter and sugar together, beat in the oil. Continue with the egg yolks as written above. This yields a MUCH moister cake with a crumb that stays in place. Let me know if you try it.
Best yellow cake I’ve ever had hands down. My only note is that I couldn’t find buttermilk in the store and I know there was a technique provided to make artificial buttermilk, but I didn’t have lemon juice on hand. So I used a cup of Siggi’s plain yogurt that I had in the fridge and the result was absolutely incredible! I dunno if this helps anyone else out, but I just thought I’d share!
I make this cake for my restaurant at least once each week. It is fantastic! Very moist, keeps for several days, one of our best sellers.
I’ve made this cake three times and once it came out beautifully. That one time it was VERY good. Just not sure it’s worth the crossed fingers and uncertainty. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing though.
Can this recipe be reduced to make two 6″ layers?
Hi Gabrielle, You can use our post on Cake Pan Sizes and Conversions to calculate exactly how much batter you would need. OR for a 3 layer, 6-inch yellow cake, we recommend using the batter from our yellow cupcakes. Same great taste and it yields the perfect amount of batter for that smaller cake!
I’m a pro chef, and made this recipe as a request. It was *OK* but not nearly as moist as I had hoped. I LOVE Sally’s Baking Addiction, but this is the first time I’ve gotta’ give a recipe a solid “meh.”
Hi made this recipe tonight and it came out perfect! The cake was so light and fluffy. The flavor of the cake was great too! I’m sold. Thank you:)
Tip: I made sure that my egg whites were whipped really well and continued to check my peaks. Also when folding in the egg whites, I really took my time folded in carefully and only did about 12 or 13 folds. This might help.
Planning to make this cake for my Husbands birthday. Can I add orange zest and almond extract to recipe?
I can’t see why not! Almond extract has a strong flavor, so I wouldn’t add more than 1 teaspoon.
I have tried many yellow cake recipes searching for the most moist, I had high hopes because every other Sally’s Baking recipe has been a winner…this cake was close, but still not as moist as I hoped for. I plan to make again but will try to add two table spoons of oil or yogurt to make it extra moist. Has anyone had luck with additions to increase moisture?
Kate, yes! I plan to add notes to this recipe soon with a few new photos. Lately we’ve been making it with 3/4 cup butter (1.5 sticks; 170g) and 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil. All directions stay the same. After creaming butter and sugar together, beat in the oil. Continue with the egg yolks as written above.
I followed the recipe EXACTLY and I agree with the other reviewers who said it came out dense and gummy. I made this for a birthday party, but will pick a cake up from the grocery store instead of serving this one.
Followed instructions exactly and baked for 31 minutes. It was tasty but came out a little dry. What could be the reason?
Hi Nick! Your cake could simply be over-baked. All ovens are different, we always recommend keeping an eye on your cakes. Also make sure you’re properly measuring your flour (spoon and level instead of scooping). Thank you so much for giving this cake a try!
So disappointed. Like others here, followed the recipe exactly, used a scale, appropriate equipment, fresh ingredients, but the cakes’ interiors totally sunk. And the quest continues ….
Hi Dux, A cake that sinks in the middle is often under-baked. If it still seems a bit raw in the center next time bake it for a minute or two longer.
I had the same result as several others. Didnt rise much. Not light and airy, and I consider myself a pretty skilled baker. Wonโt be doing this one again.
This is my first cake from scratch I’ve ever attempted. I followed the recipe to the T. I didnt have any round 9 in cake pans. So I put it in my 9X13. Baked for 25 minutes. Uncovered at 350 degrees. Tested with a toothpick which came out clean. This cake came out amazing. Frosted with my own chocolate butter flavored crisco icing. Definitely will be making this again.
Can this recipe be doubled to serve more guests? If so, does anything change?
Hi Kathleen, We suggest making two batches instead of doubling to ensure the best texture of the cake.