This 9×13-inch yellow birthday cake with chocolate frosting is a perennial party favorite. Easy to make from basic ingredients, it’s soft, tender, and perfectly moist. This buttery yellow sheet cake doesn’t require any special assembly, piping tips, or decorating skills. Top it with rich and creamy chocolate fudge frosting, your favorite sprinkles, and don’t forget the birthday candles!
I originally published this recipe in 2019 and have since updated it with new photos and additional success tips.
There are plenty of reasons to bake a layer cake, but sometimes all you need is a simple cake that feeds a crowd, travels well, and is easy to decorate. This classic yellow birthday cake baked in a 9×13-inch pan is exactly that. It’s plush and buttery with a rich vanilla flavor, an incredibly tender crumb, and a thick layer of creamy chocolate fudge frosting on top.
This is the classic birthday cake everyone recognizes and loves. It’s easy enough for beginner bakers, sturdy enough to transport to parties and potlucks, and just as welcome at a weeknight family dinner as it is at a birthday celebration. Add a handful of colorful sprinkles, light the candles, and you’ve got a cake that’s always worthy of a celebration!
If you’re looking for a reliable homemade birthday cake that tastes just as delicious as this yellow layer cake but is easier to make, this recipe deserves a permanent spot in your recipe collection.
Why You’ll Love This Yellow Birthday Cake
Every baker needs a dependable 9×13-inch cake recipe, and this one checks all the boxes. This cake is:
- Soft, fluffy, and extra buttery
- Rich with real vanilla flavor
- Easy enough for beginner bakers
- Perfect for birthdays, parties, and celebrations
- Frosted with a thick layer of silky chocolate fudge frosting
- Simple to decorate with sprinkles, piped borders, or writing icing
It’s the kind of cake that’s nostalgic in the best way—a homemade version of the classic yellow birthday cake many of us grew up eating. You know the super moist cakes that stick to your fork? That’s what this is!
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
After plenty of recipe testing, I landed on a simple combination of basic ingredients that yield a tender and flavorful yellow cake.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour gives this cake its fluffy, delicate crumb. Its lower protein content creates a finer texture than all-purpose flour, making each slice exceptionally tender. If you don’t have cake flour, you can use this DIY cake flour substitute.
- Unsalted Butter: Like vanilla cake, creamed butter and sugar is the base of this yellow sheet cake. There’s simply no other way to achieve the same soft, buttery crumb. Make sure you are using proper room-temperature butter. And if you’re just starting out your baking journey, I have a video tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar.
- Eggs: My layered yellow cake uses whole eggs, plus additional egg yolks. In that recipe, I also whip egg whites into peaks before folding into the cake batter. Layer cakes require a little more finesse because you’re stacking the layers, filling them, and gently pressing them together. I don’t find either addition (extra egg yolks and whipped egg whites) necessary in the 1-layer 9×13-inch pan version.
- Sour Cream: Full-fat sour cream adds necessary moisture, which promises a tender cake crumb. Plain yogurt works as a substitute if needed.
- Whole Milk: Liquid is key in most cakes because it thins out the batter. You can use nondairy or lower-fat milks in a pinch, but the cake’s texture won’t be as rich or moist.
You also need sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and salt.
I use the same ingredients in my yellow cupcakes, too.
The batter comes together quickly with an electric mixer and just a couple of bowls. If you need a recommendation for a 9×13-inch pan, I like this metal 9×13-inch pan or this metal 9×13-inch pan.
Because it’s baked in a 9×13-inch pan, decorating is quick and beginner-friendly—no stacking or crumb coating required.
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Check out this glossy chocolate fudge frosting! It’s the same frosting I use for my piñata cake. (Another cake that’s perfect for a birthday celebration.)
It’s silky, creamy, deeply chocolatey, and spreads beautifully across the cake. The frosting pipes well if you’d like to add a border or decorative swirls, but it’s just as pretty simply spread on with an offset spatula.
A little corn syrup gives this fudge frosting its glossy sheen, but you can leave it out if you’d like.
Finish with plenty of rainbow sprinkles for the ultimate classic birthday cake!
The Many Benefits of Sheet Cakes
I love sheet cakes because they feed a large crowd, bake up fast, and cool pretty quickly. There’s no assembly required or special decorating techniques needed. They’re also easy to transport, so you don’t have the same worries about a layer cake falling over while in transit!
If sheet cakes are your preference too, try this cookies and cream cake, apple cake, zucchini cake, or funfetti sheet cake next.
Yes. Bake the cake up to one day in advance or freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months.
Cake flour produces a softer, finer crumb than all-purpose flour, giving this cake its classic bakery-style texture. If needed, you can use a homemade cake flour substitute, but the crumb won’t be quite as delicate.
Absolutely. Vanilla buttercream, classic chocolate buttercream, strawberry buttercream, or whipped chocolate ganache would all pair beautifully with this cake.
Insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is finished baking.
Yellow Birthday Cake Tools
9×13-inch Baking Pan with Lid
Measuring Cups & Spoons
9×13-Inch Yellow Birthday Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This 9×13-inch yellow birthday cake is soft, buttery, and topped with rich chocolate fudge frosting. Made from basic ingredients and easy to decorate, it’s the perfect homemade cake for birthdays, parties, and celebrations.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (266g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 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 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup (160g) sour cream, at room temperature*
- 1 cup (240g/ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 and 1/2 cups (540g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup (62g) natural unsweetened or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup*
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional: rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 3 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sour cream.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the milk and beat on low speed until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and milk and beat on low speed until combined. Do not over-mix this batter. The batter will be smooth, velvety, and slightly thick. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake for 32–38 minutes or until the top is very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through baking and, if you notice the top and edges quickly browning, tent the cake with aluminum foil.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan placed on a wire rack. As the cake finishes cooling, make the frosting.
- Make the frosting: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until pale, smooth, and creamy, about 3 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, sift the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa together. Add the sugar/cocoa mixture to the butter, then beat on low speed until the sugar is mostly incorporated, about 20 seconds. Stop the mixer, then add the milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. If the frosting is too thick, beat in an extra splash of milk.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and top with sprinkles, if desired. Slice and serve.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cake can be made 1 day in advance, covered tightly at room temperature, and then frosted right before serving. 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 it’s creamy again. Adding a splash of milk will help thin the frosting out, if needed. Frosted or unfrosted cake can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Metal Baking Pan or this 9×13-inch Metal Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Fine Mesh Strainer | Icing Spatula
- Cake Flour: Cake flour produces an extra light cake, and I strongly recommend it here. In a pinch, you can try this cake flour substitute.
- Sour Cream: Full-fat sour cream lends the best flavor. You can substitute plain yogurt in a pinch. I suggest a full-fat variety.
- Milk: For a rich and moist cake, I highly recommend whole milk. You can use lower-fat or nondairy milk in a pinch, but the cake won’t taste as rich or moist. You can use buttermilk instead, too. I recommend whole milk or even half-and-half in the frosting, but lower-fat or nondairy milk works in a pinch.
- Corn Syrup: A little corn syrup makes the frosting uniquely glossy and shiny. You can leave it out if you’d like.
- Yellow Cupcakes: You can use this cake batter to make about 20 cupcakes. I also have a yellow cupcakes recipe that produces the same buttery, moist texture and flavor. If using this cake batter, follow the same baking instructions as the yellow cupcakes.
- Yellow Layer Cake: Here is my yellow layer cake recipe.
- Update in 2026: We updated this recipe with 2 small changes for more effective leavening and to produce a moister crumb. To make it as written originally, increase baking powder to 2 and 1/2 teaspoons and decrease sour cream to 1/2 cup (120g).
Reader Comments and Reviews
Could I put this batter into a bund pan? If so, how long would it take to cook?
Hi Tara, this batter will fit into a Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time. Same oven temperature.
We craved somthing sweet but not chocolate . I had no dairy. I used mayo instead of sour cream and water in place of milk. I mixed in a can of Cherry pie filling. Perfect! I had to bake it a little longer but it was worth it
Hi! I made the icing and it was grainy tasting. I sifted everything and whipped the icing for the time listed and was wondering if you had any thoughts? It almost tasted like I used regular sugar instead of powdered sugar. Any thoughts would be great. Thank you!
Hi Brenda, sometimes certain brands of confectioners’ sugar can be more grainy than others. Feel free to whip it for a bit longer than listed if needed, and even try adding another splash of milk to help smooth it out. Hope these tips help for next time!
Hi! Thank you for the recipe, I’m excited to make it! I would like to make a smaller cake – would I be ok halving this and using an 8×8”pan? Or would you suggest halving your two layer yellow cake recipe instead?
I was also thinking of trying your cream cheese chocolate frosting. Would a half recipe (2.5 cups, I think) be enough for just the top of an 8×8” pan? (Basically a mini sheet cake.) Thanks so much!
Hi Danielle! You can halve this recipe, though it may be slightly thinner. Half of our cream cheese frosting should be plenty for an 8×8 cake. We would love to hear how it goes.
Hey Sally, love your recipes! You are my go-to! I have a question about scaling this cake. I was originally going to make this in a 9×13 pan for a birthday party this weekend. However, the number of guests has now doubled! So, I’m going to make it in a 12x17x2. But I still want it to be tall and single layer, like the smaller size. I’m not skilled enough to make a 2 layer cake and this is not the time to practice.
If I double the batch, I know it will fit appropriately in the pan, but how will it affect the baking time and temperature?! Can it be done?!
Hi Eva, while the baking temperature will be the same, we’re unsure of the exact bake time. Keep a close eye on the cake and use a toothpick to test for doneness. (A note that we also recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling, to ensure the batter is not over or under mixed! With the larger pan, be sure to only fill 2/3 way and use any leftover batter for a few cupcakes. Enjoy!)
I removed a few tablespoons of all purpose flour and added in cornstarch because I didn’t have cake flour
This cake came out incredible. The frosting is so delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thanks for the recipe Sally. My cake did not come out as I hoped. The center did not rise; the center ; the cake need more time to cook (1/4 sheet glass). I used cake flour, my butter and eggs sat out for a long time. I sifted the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Any suggestions would be great.
So sorry to hear the cake didn’t turn out well! The first things to check are how you’re measuring your flour–weighing or using cups? And if your baking powder or baking soda are no longer fresh–that can cause the cake to not rise.
This cake blew me away! I used vegan butter for the cake as I didn’t have enough regular butter for both cake and frosting, and it was still incredible. So fluffy, buttery, perfectly rich and light at the same time. Will be bookmarking it for future!
Going to be honest, I didn’t make the cake, I just used the frosting recipe to frost my son’s birthday cake. This is the BEST chocolate frosting I’ve ever eaten. Despite all the powdered sugar, I didn’t find it too sweet; it’s just perfectly rich and fudgy. I was eating the leftovers with a spoon… oops! Going to be a go-to frosting for me. Thanks!
Hello! First off all your recipes are amazing. I pretty much only use your recipes. Okay now for my question! In the picture it looks like you are using glass is the time and temp for glass for metal?
Hi Fatemeh, Yes we used a glass pan here and the time is for a glass pan. If using metal the temperature will remain the same but if it’s a dark metal pan your bake time may be just a few minutes shorter so keep your eye on it.
The cake flour I used was Presto which has baking powder and salt in it. My question is do you still add more as your directions say. I felt confused by that. I did add the baking soda and only one teaspoon of baking powder. My cake looks lovely and smells great except it sank in the middle. I did use the 12×15 pan and spooned my flour as directed. I’m sure I messed up the flour. I have used many of your cake recipies and I never had a problem.
can i make the cake, frost it, and refrigerate the day before consumption? I have to make a cake, but won’t have any time to frost it on the day we’re eating it.
Absolutely!
The cake is cooling and smells amazing! I made the frosting and it looks like the butter is separating from the chocolate and kind of grainy. Did I over mix it? I put it in the refrigerator and will frost the cake tomorrow, and I’m hoping a quick mix in the morning will bring it back together. It tastes great though! Thanks!
Hi. Can we make two of these in 9×13 pans and layer them?
Hi Saima, that should work just fine. We do recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling, though. Enjoy!
Hi Sally,
I found your page after a friend made your cookies and cream sheet cake for a big Eid celebration- I was in awe at how tasty it was! I would like to make this cake for my son’s birthday. Is it possible to bake this in a round cake tin, rather than a glass dish?
Hi Zehra, we’re so glad this yellow cake was a hit! For a yellow cake baked in a round pan, we recommend following our yellow layer cake recipe.
Hello Sally, can I use this recipe to make a layered cake? I personally like this recipe. Especially the updated version of the cupcakes. Plus, I like how this recipe uses whole eggs compared to others, it is just egg yolks.
Hi Gabie! That should work just fine, but our Best Yellow Cake recipe is just slightly heavier and would be sturdier for layering.
We love this recipe so much! It is our grandson and my favorite combination cake and frosting combination. This recipe always turns out perfect. We are making it today for the extra cake at his birthday party for the 3rd year in a row. It’s always a big hit.
How thick do you think the half sheet cake single layer will turn out to be if used the same amount of ingredients that you suggested above?
Hi Pat, You can see pictures of this cake baked in a 12×17 inch half sheet pan above (the photo of the cake on the round wooden plates). It’s thinner than if using a 9×13 inch pan – around an inch high before frosting.
HI! I often use your recipes and absolutely love them!! When I baked this cake, a small piece of my centre kept being raw after more baking time. The rest of the cake was absolutely delicious thought! Any ideas as to what went wrong? Thank you!!
Hi Nikki! We’ve run into this issue before if the batter isn’t properly mixed and there’s a bit of unmixed butter at the bottom of the bowl that ends up on top of the cake when you pour it out. Manually whisking (gently!) the batter after it’s combined is a great way to prevent this from happening!
Hi, was wondering if I’m going to freeze the cake should I leave it in the pan to freeze? Or will it come out easily so I can wrap it and freeze? TIA!
Hi Marion, we recommend taking cakes out of their pans to freeze — you can learn more about our best practices for freezing cakes in this post. It shows round cakes, but it works for sheet cakes, too! Hope you enjoy the cake.
Can I make this cake in a 10 x 15”
cake pan and how long should I bake it?
Hi Abby! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Hi Sally, I’ve been looking for a birthday cake recipe to feed 40-50 people, and it looks like the half-sheet pan recipe here is perfect. If I make two layers, will this work? Also, I need a chocolate frosting recipe that doesn’t have to be refrigerated. I’m making the cake two days prior to the event. Will the chocolate frosting recipe here work? If not, can you please recommend another of your chocolate frosting recipes that will? Thank you.
Hi Ben, this cake should work as a two layer cake. After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, we would refrigerate it. But, use your best judgment and whatever you are comfortable with – it may be just fine as long as its stored in a cool environment. We don’t have any shelf stable frosting recipes at this time.
I’ve. been looking for a good yellow cake recipe for over 10 years and haven’t had any luck at all – they’ve always been too dense. This cake is exactly what I’ve been searching for! It’s tender, fluffy and SO delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks! Can I substitute heavy cream or 2% milk for the whole milk?
Hi Jen, you could use 2% milk in the cake, although it will not be as rich as moist as using whole milk. Same goes for the frosting. We don’t recommend heavy cream.
How many cupcakes will the frosting cover? If piped on.
Hi Jen! We’re unsure exactly how many cupcakes this frosting recipe will pipe, but it’s similar to our chocolate buttercream recipe, which frosts 12-16 cupcakes.
Can I add sprinkles to this to make it funfetti cake? And could I make two of these and stack them? Thanks!
Hi JJ, you can add sprinkles to the batter. It should be sturdy enough for 4 layers, though you may want to use supports. You may also love our funfetti layer cake recipe.
The perfect yellow cake. Light and fluffy. Just divine. I added the chocolate frosting but it’s great on its own.
I think I’ve commented on this recipe before but had to again. I used this cake recipe as the cake base for your pineapple upside down cake and doubled the topping from that recipe since this is a larger pan size. It took about 55-ish minutes to bake but it rose perfectly here in Denver and the only alteration I made for the altitude was to add 2 tbsp of flour. I love, love this recipe! I like the yellow cake base better than the white cake base in your regular pineapple upside down cake and I like that this makes a bigger cake. It was almost too moist, I probably should have only 1.5x the topping instead of doubled so I’ll try that next time. It was a hit for Easter and I’ll be looking for an excuse to make it again, maybe next time I’ll do it as a regular yellow cake per the recipe with the chocolate frosting!
I have tried making Cooks Illustrated yellow cake twice and failed. I tried making Bravehearts Angel food cake and failed. Both stress it must be bleached cake flour. Bleached cake flour does not exist in Canada. I would love to try this yellow cake recipe. Sally, you have such great advice. Will this fail with unbleached cake flour!
Hi Jody, this recipe was developed and tested with unbleached cake flour. Let me know if you try it!
Thanks Sally! I wound up using your yellow layer cake recipe (only because wi had started warming this ingredients). I followed your instructions to the letter, my butter was 65F. I probably only had to whip my egg whites one minute.
The layers came out beautifully. They are cooling but all signs point to success!
I did not rent with foil as I wanted to watch carefully (being my first time baking the recipe) and at 18 minutes the tops still looked a bit dewy and I did not want it to stick. That said, the colour does not bother me at all.
I can’t wait to frost it!
Thanks again <3
Sally, thank you so much for posting this recipe. I made it yesterday & it was really superb! The cake was prepared as directed, except w/AP flour & corn starch as I don’t have cake flour. This seemed to do the trick! I baked it in a 9×13 pyrex baking dish at 325 for 35 minutes. For the Icing, I stopped at 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar & figured I’d add more if needed. It turned out really great and was the perfect consistency using 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar. I don’t think it could take much more sugar than that. Also, I was a little short on milk & substituted heavy cream & strong black coffee-absolute deliciousness! This is my new go-to recipe for a vanilla sheet cake, thank you so much!
I’ve made this cake in a 9×13 glass pan more times than i can remember and it never fails me. Today i made it for my mothers birthday ( along with her favorite pineapple upside down cake) and i topped it with an ermine buttercream. It was a hit. Soft and fluffy and moist. Perfect. Thank you!