There are some days when only a BIG slice of buttery homemade Yellow Cake will do. Preferably, slathered in a generous coat of rich chocolate buttercream, but I’m not picky!
If you’ve been searching for the perfect scratch Yellow Cake recipe, look no further. Today we’re excited to share a perfectly fluffy, moist and flavor-packed scratch Yellow Cake recipe with you.
Just look at this beautiful Yellow Cake!! Ahhhhh….
The BEST Yellow Layer Cake- So versatile!
Everyone needs a go-to homemade yellow layer cake recipe, and this one deserves a place in your recipe file of favorites. It’s our go-to. This recipe is not only delicious, but it’s so versatile!
This moist scratch yellow cake recipe also works perfectly for yellow cupcakes! The cake layers are very moist and soft, but sturdy enough for fondant, and it makes a great base cake recipe for adding extracts and flavorings.
We use this yellow cake recipe in a couple of our favorite cake recipes, including our homemade Marble Cake , our Pineapple Cake, and our scratch Coconut Cake!
The Mixing Method for this Yellow Cake
The mixing method for this recipe is somewhat of a cross between the reverse creaming method of mixing and the traditional method.
As with our other reverse creaming method recipes, the dry ingredients are combined in the beginning, followed by butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
The difference is that the eggs are then added one by one, as with the traditional method. Then, the wet ingredients are added at the end.
The final result is an ultra moist cake with tons of flavor and a finer crumb.
How to Make Yellow Cake from Scratch
You can find the full, printable cake recipe further down in this post- but here is a quick rundown of our steps!
First, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8×2 inch round cake pans. I also like to place a piece of parchment in the bottom of each pan.
Next, add the first five ingredients to a large mixing bowl for your stand mixer. Mix on low speed for at least 30 seconds to combine.
Add the slightly softened unsalted butter to the bowl in slices and mix on low speed just until it looks like coarse sand. This is caused by the dry ingredients being coated by the butter. Don’t over-mix or it will turn into a large dough-like ball.
Next, add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing until blended.
Add the vanilla extract to the 1 cup buttermilk. With the mixer on lowest speed gradually pour into the mixer. Increase the speed to #2 or # 3 (on a KitchenAid mixer). Mix for two minutes. Batter will be fluffy and smooth. If you are using a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer, you will need to mix a bit longer.
Finally, divide the yellow cake batter evenly between your three prepared 8-inch round pans.
Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow the cake layers to cool still in the pans on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning them out.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
This is a simple American buttercream, meaning it is very easy to put together- butter, confectioners sugar, a little salt, vanilla, milk, and in this case, cocoa powder to make it chocolatey. It is delicious and pipes perfectly! Find the full, printable recipe further down in this post.
- First, add the softened unsalted butter and mix on low to medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla and blend into the butter. Add powdered sugar, salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Add most of the milk. Begin mixing at low speed so you won’t have a cloud of powdered sugar in your kitchen.
- Continue to mix adding remaining milk as needed. It may take 5 to 6 minutes to reach the smoothness and consistency you like.
- As you mix, the chocolate frosting will become very smooth. You can add additional milk (1 Tablespoon at a time) if the frosting is too thick or additional powdered sugar if too soft.
What Gives a Yellow Cake it’s Yellow Color?
Yellow layer cakes like this recipe have a lovely light shade of yellow thanks to the eggs and butter. Not only do these ingredients add richness and flavor, they add color as well!
There can be some color variation when comparing some yellow cakes to others– depending on the amount of eggs & butter used, as well as the brand. Some brands of butter have a brighter yellow shade, and some egg yolks are brighter than others also.
However, no matter what brand/variety of eggs or butter, your yellow cake is going to have a deeper color than most white cakes (which often omit the egg yolks), as well as recipes that call for oil or shortening rather than butter.
This yellow cake is wonderful- definitely a keeper!
*5/9/2019: We updated our old Yellow Layer Cake in favor of this new version which incorporates even more butter, as well as buttermilk for a softer crumb and extra boost of moistness! As an added bonus, this new yellow cake yields more batter (about 8 cups vs. 6.5). The final cake stands just over 4 inches. If you are attached to our OLDER Version of Yellow Cake from Scratch- you still can find it here!
What Frostings Pair Well with Yellow Cake?
Now that you have the BEST scratch Yellow Cake, you’re going to some frosting options! The good news is that everything goes with yellow cake, which makes this a great go-to recipe for all sorts of occasions.
There’s really no wrong answer here, whether you’re craving chocolate or something fruity! Here are a few favorites to keep in mind.
Chocolate Buttercream (of course!)
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Yellow Cake from Scratch
This buttery scratch Yellow Cake recipe tastes SO good. It is soft, moist, and oh so delicious!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour
- 2 cups (400g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cup (299g) buttermilk — **if you do not have buttermilk see note below
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Buttercream
- 3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter, softened (do not soften butter in the microwave)
- 8 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar in UK) (920g) more if needed. ** For cupcakes, I like to use 7c. (805g) for a softer frosting
- 1 cup (82g) unsweeteded cocoa (not Dutch processed, measure then sift
- ¾ (180g) milk plus 2 Tablespoons or more if needed to reach the spreading consistency you like
- 2 teaspoons vanilla (12 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt (6g) we like the finer grain of plain popcorn salt, to cut the sweetness
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8x2 inch round cake pans. Place a piece of parchment in the bottom of each pan.
- Put the first 5 ingredients into the bowl of your mixer. Mix on low speed for at least 30 seconds to combine.
- Add the softened butter (cut into pieces) mix on low speed just until it looks like coarse sand. The dry ingredients will be moistened/coated by the butter and will stick to together if you press some between two fingers. Don't over-mix or it will turn into a large dough-like ball.
- Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing until blended.
- Add the vanilla to the 1 ¼ cup buttermilk. With the mixer on lowest speed gradually pour into the mixer. Increase the speed to #2 or # 3 (on a KitchenAid mixer). Mix for 2 minutes. Batter will be fluffy and smooth. If you are using a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer, you will need to mix a bit longer.
- Divide batter evenly between your three prepared (8 inch) pans.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and turn out of pans.
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Add butter and mix on low to medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla and blend into the butter. Add powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Add most of the milk. Begin mixing at low speed so you won't have a cloud of powdered sugar in your kitchen.
- Continue to mix adding remaining milk as needed. It may take 5 to 6 minutes to reach the smoothness and consistency you like. It will take longer if using a hand mixer. As you mix the frosting will become very smooth. You can add additional milk (1 Tablespoon at a time) if the frosting is too thick or additional powdered sugar if too soft.
This is my favorite chocolate frosting! Recipe can easily be doubled or halved. This recipe makes approximately 7 cups of frosting.
Notes
** Buttermilk Substitute: In a measuring cup add 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Fill the cup with milk to the 1 ¼ cup mark, stir and let sit for 5 minutes.
Delicious Yellow Cake- Full Video Tutorial
As mentioned above, we are also sharing our FAVORITE Classic Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe! Don’t even think about canned chocolate frosting. I promise, this creamy chocolate buttercream tastes a million times better and is SO easy to make!
Here’s a link to this chocolatey, flavorful, pipeable frosting: Classic Chocolate Buttercream
Don’t miss our full collection of favorite cake, filling, and frosting recipes in our Recipes Section, and tons of free step by step cake and video tutorials in our Free Cake Tutorials section!
Finally, if you would like to become a member of MyCakeSchool.com, we would love to have you!! Members have access to our entire cake video tutorial library, which includes hundreds of cake video tutorials!
No matter what your cake decorating skill level, there is always something exciting and new to learn! You can find all of the information here: Join MyCakeSchool.com!
Happy Baking!
Can this cake recipe be used for carving and under fondant?
Hi Maxie, It will be fine under fondant. I would only do light carving with this recipe.
Hi Melissa, this recipe can be use to make cupcakes?
Hi Maria, Melissa and I have not made cupcakes with this recipe, but I think it would be fine. We will test it when we get a chance just to make sure the cupcake liners do not pull away from the cupcake.
Can I use this scaled up for a ten inch cake
Hi Sue, I have not doubled this recipe to know for sure but I think it would be fine. To be cautious you could make one recipe per pan….I know that is a lot of trouble
I did the yellow cake for my family and they loved it. It is moist and the texture is great. The client that I made a baby shower cake for loved it too. I was very happy with it. Now, I will try different recipes. Thank you!!
Hi!!
I just tried this recipe tonight. I used 1 batch of the batter in (2) 8 inch pans with the bake easy strips around the pan from Wilton. One of my cakes sunk after I took it out to let it cool. Any ideas?
I just made these as cupcakes. They are moist and tender they do not dome. I filled them 1/2 but next time Inwould do 3/4 because they do not rise that much. Thanks for a great recipe. I really do like the reverse cream method so glad you have it
Hi,
It is very unusual to use grabulated sugar ib the uk in cakes- we normally use caster. Is usa grabulated less chunky than ours or is there a reason to use such thick grains? Xxx
Hi Shali, Our granulated sugar in the US is finer than that in the UK and is fine for baking (though it is not as fine as caster sugar). When using our recipes you should use your caster sugar.
Hi
Are you able to let me know the pricing of the subscription in Australian Dollars
Thanks
Kind Regards
Sharon
Hi Sharon, I did a Google search and $30. US is 41.11 Australian dollars. When you are joining our site through PayPal, it will give you the cost in your Australian dollars before you press the Pay Button.
hi…..what kind of frosting will go well with this cake…..thanks….love all your videos and recipes to the core
Hi Manita, Some of my favorites are chocolate, caramel, coconut, ganache and many others. You can’t go wrong, yellow cakes goes well with many flavors of frosting.
Will this cake hold up under fondant and also in tiered cake ?
Hi,
Tried this yellow cake recipe, used all purpose flour (adding and removing flour for corn starch as you stated), the cake was moist and so good. Added coconut cream cheese icing, my family loved it. I will be using the reverse creaming method again. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Hi Saundra, We are happy you liked the recipe. Thank you so much for posting your thoughts on the cake!!
Thank you for the prompt response. The yellow cake was very moist,delicious, and tasty.
Thank you, Wally, we are so happy you like it!!
I have been trying to find this recipe for months now!!! LoL. I used it once and LOVED it, and then lost it.
So happy to have found you again!! <3
Hi Nancy, I’m so glad that you found your way back to our site & this recipe! ;0 ) Happy to hear that you loved it! xoxo
This recipe is so so so good!!! My new go to vanilla cake recipe. I absolutely love it! Thank you!!
oohhh… I made this cake and froze it last weekend. It baked up beautifully! Nice, full layers and no dome…which is the negative…there will be only a tiny bit of scraps for tasting when I finish it tomorrow night:) I have this secret fear that my cakes will be overbaked.
Hi Dene- So happy that you made the cake!! xoxo
Hi can I substitute cake flour with bleached all purpose flour? Or even if I use bleached I still need to do the corn starch part
HI Mariam, Yes, you will still need to remove 2 Tablespoons of the bleached all purpose flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch for each cup of flour in the recipe.
I’d like to make this into funfetti, do you think it would work ok to just add the “jimmies” right to this recipe?
Hi Jacqueline, Yes, adding jimmies will be fine.
I love Chocolate frosting! Melissa, do you have a Chocolate Whipped frosting? Love your tutorials!!!
Thanks Paula, the closest thing that we have would be a whipped ganache. We need to do a quick little tutorial on this but if you check out our easy ganache drip recipe, you’ll see that another option is to chill & then whip it into a frosting. It’s really good (and simple). Here’s a link:
https://www.mycakeschool.com/recipes/ganache-drip-recipe/
I just wanted to say I have recently tested about 8 from scratch, essentially vanilla/yellow cake recipes, and this one was by far the best. And one of the last I tested so I am glad I did not give up! And the instructions were spot on regarding time to let things beat and so forth.
Thanks!
Hi Erin, You have made our day!! I am so happy you like the recipe, and thank you for posting a review of the cake!!
I live in the UK and I have never heard of cakeflour, please could explain this to me.
Do I use the paddle or whisk for the cake?
Hi Mel, Use the paddle attachment.
I have this cake in the oven as we speak! I followed your instructions for the most part but I sifted all my dry ingredients together since my cake flour seemed somewhat lumpy. And I put all of the batter in a 11×15 pan. If it turns out well I will make it into a layer cake on Friday for a friend’s birthday. Stay tuned!!
Hi Heidi, Did you double the recipe, a 11×15 pan will need 11 cups of cake batter. Hope all goes well.
hi, can i add dessicated coconut to the yellow cake recipe. im addicted to it. If possible how much quantity.
Hi Erikah, I’m not sure, I’ve never used desiccated coconut. I know that it has less moisture than the usual shredded coconut, but not sure how it would effect this recipe. Let us know what you think if you give it a try!
Hi. I live in Denver where it is hard to get a yellow cake to turn out well. Would you have any adjustments for high altitude for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Kate, We have never had the challenge of baking at high altitude but I found this link with suggestions that might be helpful for you, https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/02/how-to-bake-at-high-altitude/.
Thank you so much! I will check it out and see if I can make your beautiful cake.
Wonderful, let me know how it goes.
How many layers of cake do you think can be stacked with this cake? i recently made a 4 layer yellow cake (each layer about 2″), but the recipe I used was so spongy that the very bottom layer started “sinking” taking on all the weight. as a result the buttercream covering the cake was cracking at the bottom. I haven’t had any trouble with 3 layer cakes, but I needed this particular design to be 4 layers. Do you think this recipe will hold up?
Hi Susan, Typically you will need support for every 4 inches of cake. So you will need to stack 2 cake tiers as usual, with a cake board and dowels/bubble tea straws in between. Instead of a typical tiered cake, the tiers are the same size. When the cake is frosted it will look like one tall cake. This is referred to a as a double barrel cake. Melissa has a video on this that you might like to watch, here is a link https://www.mycakeschool.com/video-tutorials/how-to-make-a-double-barrel-cake-part-1-video-tutorial/. One thing that Melissa did not show in the video is…..when the dowels are put into the bottom tier and the top is frosted, you might want to top the frosting with a circle of parchment before placing the cake board on top of the dowels/bubble tea straws. This will prevent the frosting from sticking to the cake board and pulling off when cutting the bottom tier for serving. You want the guest to have a bit of frosting on the top of their slice of cake. Hope that was clear. Also, are you familiar with the reverse creaming method? This recipe uses that method of mixing. Melissa has a video on this if you would like to watch it, just enter reverse creaming method in the search bar.
Can I make this with a hand mixer ? If so, what should I do different? Thanks
Hi Mell, Yes, you can use a hand mixer, you will need to increase all the mixing times slightly. You might prefer baking this cake using the conventional mixing method you usually use. If you decide to, I suggest rewriting into that method because it is easy to leave out an ingredient.
Can I use this recipe for 9×13 cake or do I need to double the recipe. Can’t wait to make this. Thanka
Hi I was wondering if you could use buttermilk in replace of milk? Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Hi Nicole, yes, you can.
Hi there! i’ve tried several scratch vanilla recipes and they all end up tasting like cornbread. Does this recipe gone the same result? Thanks!
Hi Ann, we don’t think it taste like cornbread. I hope you will give it a try.
This cake was delicious! It turned out perfect! I had to make cake flour out of all purpose flour (first time I’ve done that) and it turned out delicious. I made the classic chocolate buttercream to go with it and I couldn’t be happier.
Hi Chelsea, That is wonderful, I am so happy you like the two recipes! Your cake looks delicious!! Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts.
Does the baking time need to be adjusted if I use 9″ cake pan?
Hi. I am considering using this yellow cake recipe as a 1/2 sheet cake after reading the reviews- Do you think this will turn out ok? Thanks!!
Hello,
Is there any problem with freezing the unfrosted cake for a few days? Should I wrap it in anything such as Saran wrap or just put in in a plastic air tight container? Thanking you in advance for your reply.
Hi Mara, Freezing the cake layers while still warm is a good thing, it will make your cake more moist. We almost always freeze all of our layers even if only for a few hours. If properly wrapped, cake layers can be frozen for 2 months. We individually wrap each layer in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. If putting in a plastic container instead of aluminum foil, I would double wrap in plastic wrap.
How do you measure your flour?
Hi Lauren, I almost always use a scale and weigh the flour. If I am measuring, I lightly spoon the flour into the cup then level off with the back of a knife.
Hi Melissa,
I made the yellow cake today just as you instructed. They look and smell amazing. I have a question about storing them. You said you can freeze them for up to a few months. Should I wait until the cakes are completely cool then wrap them in plastic wrap/foil paper? I will be decorating them on Thursday (12/14) for a party on Saturday (12/16), so I want to ensure they are as moist and fresh as can be by Saturday. Any info/tips you can provide is much appreciated!
Hi Sonia, We like to wrap while the cake layers are still warm because it will help in having a moist cake. If your cakes have cooled to room temperature, that is fine they will still be very good. On the day you are going to decorate, remove from the freezer and leave wrapped. When condensation forms on the aluminum foil you can unwrap and allow the layers to continue to thaw. You can decorate your cake while it is partially frozen UNLESS you plan to let the buttercream crust for soothing with a paper towel. The buttercream will takes hours to crust if the cake layers are not fully thawed, so keep that in mind. I’m sure all will go well for you.
This was a truly fabulous cake. The crumb was spectacular. I made it for my aunt for her birthday, thinking I wouldn’t even have a slice because I’m not a fan of yellow cake or buttercream icing. But this one had the delicacy of a white cake and the balance of powdered sugar to butter on the icing was perfect. Thx so much.
Hi Arielle, You have made our day, so happy you like the recipe! Thanks so much for posting your review of the cake!
I am looking at your recipe for your yellow cake and would like to use a 9×13 pan or two 9 inch pans to bake it in. Do I have two double the recipe for the 9×13 since this one only makes 6 1/2 cups and you said a normal 9×13 needs 10 cups. Have you ever made a recipe and a half? Also what is a rose nail, I have never heard of that. Verna
Hi Verna, You could bake in 9 inch pans but the layers would not be as tall and you would need to reduce the baking time. Here are 2 links to Cake Batter Amounts, one is Wilton’s and the other Karen kitchen, I think you will find them helpful:
http://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
http://www.fromkarenskitchen.com/tips/party_cake_batter_amounts_baking_times_2inch_pan.php
Wilton suggest 10 cups for a 9×13 pan and Karen’s Kitchen 7 cups for a 9×13 pan
Just wanted the world to know this cake is DELICIOUS!!!! I made it in December, and received so many compliments!!! Many thanks to My Cake School for providing such amazing recipes, clear instructions and for replying to my questions so quickly. Cannot wait to try another one of your recipes!
Hi Sonia, Thank you so much for your nice compliment, it makes our day! We are thrilled that you like the recipe, thank you for posting your thoughts.
Hi BeBe,
This cake looks wonderful and I would like to make it for my birthday but I only have a hand mixer could you please give the conventional mixing method for this cake. And does the time or temperature need to adjusted for the conventional method?
In regards to the above conventional mixing recipe…when do you add the eggs?
Hi John, thanks for pointing that out, I’ve just added to the instructions above. The eggs come right after mixing the butter & sugar.
Do you have to change anything to make it into cupcakes?
Hello! Can I use the exact measurements if I make a half sheet cake? Thank you in advance!
Made this for my husbands birthday and it was PERFECT! Thank you!
Hi Rachael, Thank you for posting a picture, your cake is lovely!! I’m happy that you like the recipe!
It may be. I’m still getting used to my stand mixer. I’m going to try it again but keep it around 4 max instead of 6 (it has 12 settings). Does it matter what attachment I use? I used the paddle and I’m wondering if maybe the whisk would be a better choice.
Hi Heather, You are right to use the paddle attachment. You used the reverse creaming method with the chocolate cake so you are familiar with it but if you would like to watch Melissa’s video on the method here is a link
https://www.mycakeschool.com/?s=reverse+creaming+method
Let me know how it goes on your next try
Hi Melissa. I’ve made your chocolate cake recently by the reversed method, froze it while still warm and the result was a delicious and moist cake. This was my first attempt at the reverse method of cake making and I’m truly converted.
With regards to your Yellow Cake, in the UK we aren’t familiar with a yellow cake would our equivalent be a vanilla cake?
Hi Velda, We are so happy that you like the chocolate cake recipe. As for the yellow cake, it is called a yellow cake because of the whole eggs in the recipe giving it a yellow tint. Your vanilla cake could definitely be very similar.
BeBe,
Thank you so much!!
Have a great holiday weekend,
Tracey
I love your recipes. They turn out awesome, delicious and very moist. I’m just wondering why my yellow cake don’t look yellow like in the picture. I follow the recipe exactly.
Hi Rena, the photo may have a slightly more yellow appearance just from the lighting..but the yellow in a yellow cake comes from the butter and whole eggs in the recipe. You may have noticed that some brands of butter are a deeper shade of yellow than others. This also plays a role in how yellow the cake appears.
Hi! Melissa, Thankyou!!! for giving us my cake school. Please! I need help with doubling the recipe.
I have 13 1/2 x 10 3/4 x 3 inch deep pan. Planning to double the yellow cake recipe, should I just go ahead and double all the ingredients or do I need to adjust leavening agents accordingly. If so, can you please! tell how many tsp. baking powder to use.
Thankyou!
Hi Swati, You should double all the ingredients. Do you have experience with baking in 3 inch deep pans? Some bakers have trouble with deep pans because the outside of the cake becomes over baked because it bakes more quickly than the center of the cake. It is often best to lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees. Adding bake even strips to the pans also helps with more even baking.
Thankyou! for replying immediately. This is my first time baking with 3inch deep pan, I appreciate your advice and will follow them. I don’t have even baking strips but I’ll bake at 325 degree. Can one or two flower nails placing in the center as heating core will help with even baking of the cake?
Hi Swati, Yes, using 2 flower nails in the center will be helpful. Below is a link to a youtube video of making your own bake even strips, if you want to give it a try. Also, I am not sure how much longer you will need to bake your cake with the temperature reduced to 325. Don’t check too early with a toothpick in the center or it could cause the cake to sink in the middle. I hope all goes well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eU6UpHH3-s
Can we use pineapple juice I need place of the milk???
Do they make like a pineapple flavoring I can add instead of using vanilla extract?
Thank you so much for replying so quickly
Can I use a hand held mixer?
Perfect cake.. I loved baking it..
Can we use this cross method of adding eggs then the rest of the wet with the other recipes that use reverse creaming?
Hope You Had A Good Mother’s Day, I Loveeee!!!! All Your Recipes They Never Fail Me. This Recipe is the Only Yellow Cake Recipe Anyone Would Need!!!. Is This Cake Sturdy Enough To Stack and The Buttermilk And The Eggs Using Them Straight Out Of The Fridge Or Should They Be A Room Temp? And Last What Piping Tips (shell- Number?) around the bottom is it pipe twice with the shell piping tip. Hope I didn’t Ask Too Many Questions.
How Much Batter Do You Think I Need For A Ten Inch Pan, 3 Layers?
Hi Lei, I think it should work with other reverse creaming recipes. Over time we will be trying it with our recipes and posting results.
Hi Carol, We do have our eggs at room temperature. We often forget to put them out early so as we begin the recipe, we place the eggs in a bowl of very warm water ( not so hot as to cook them) and leave them there about 5 minutes. Melissa used a Wilton tip 21 to pipe a double row around the base of the cake — staggering the second row. As for your question on batter amount for a 10 inch pan — Doubling the Yellow Cake recipe will give you 16 cups batter. Wilton cake batter amount charts suggest 6 cups per pan to give you a 2 inch tall layer. Since you probably do not want a 6 inch tall completed cake (taller after filling and frosting. I think you could divide the 16 cups batter between the 3 pans and be just fine. I would prepare the pans and line the bottom of the pans with a wax paper circle, if using parchment paper, grease it. Below are links to Karen’s Kitchen and Wilton charts that I think you will find helpful.
http://www.fromkarenskitchen.com/tips/party_cake_batter_amounts_baking_times_2inch_pan.php
http://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
What kind of cake flour do you use in the Yellow cake? I want to try this next time my son-in-law comes to visit. He would love it! Thank-you. Ms. Frances.
Hi Frances, We use Swans Down cake flour. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Thank You, This Will Help A Lot!!!!!!
This is Carol Again, What About The Buttermilk Is That At Room Temp. Or Straight Out Of the Fridge???
Thank You
Hi Carol, I put the buttermilk into a measuring cup when I preheat the oven and begin assembling the ingredients, so a bit of the chill is off by the time I begin making the cake, but it is not fully at room temperature.
Can you substitute all purpose flour for the cake flour?
Thanks
Hi Sandy, If you do not have cake flour you can make it with this substitution: for each cup of flour in the recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of the AP flour and replace with 2Tablespoons of cornstarch. This recipe has 3 cups cake flour — measure out 3 cups all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons of the flour and replace with 6 Tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour in the UK) whisk to blend.
Thanks!
Can this be baked in a 9″x 13″ pan, or in two 9″ round layers? I don’t typically need or want to make a 3-layer cake, unless it’s a grand occasion (holiday, anniversary, birthday, etc.)
Thank you. :)
Hi Elizabeth, Yes, you can bake the recipe in either a 9×13 or two 9 inch pans. This recipe makes 7 cups of batter which is what you will need for a 9×13. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 min.
Five cups of batter are suggested for one 9″ round cake pan. You could divide the batter between the two pans, your layers would just be a bit shorter…..bake at 350 degrees and keep an eye on them, check at 25 minutes. Hope you will enjoy the recipe
Hi! What would the temperature of the oven be for cupcakes?
Hi Stephanie, Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes
Hi, so you have a recipe for berry filling and strawberry frosting? It’s for my daughters 5 birthday. Thanks for all you hints and scratch recipes :) Tami
Hi Tamara, Here is a link to our Strawberry Buttercream
https://www.mycakeschool.com/recipes/strawberry-buttercream-frosting/
We use this as a filling between our cake layers along with thinly sliced strawberries.
If you would like strawberry cake layers, we have a Strawberry Cake in our recipe section.
After this I will never go back to boxed it smells heavenly also thanks
Help
So I don’t know what I did wrong? I followed the recipe for the yellow cake and even watched the video. The batter looked fine just like in the video. I baked it at 325 in 3- 8″ pans. I took a lot longer than it said. Probably close to 50 minutes. They raised up to the top of the pan but then fell. they still taste good but didnt look like yours at all. All my ingredients were at room temperature also. Any ideas?
Would it work to make this cake and frost it with the chocolate buttercream frosting a day ahead? If so, should I refrigerate it?
Hi Mary Ann, It would be fine to complete your cake a day ahead of serving. We think cakes frosted in buttercream without perishable fillings can be unrefrigerated but are best eaten by the 3rd day. If the cake is in a hot climate, the time could be shorter. You can also refrigerate the cake under an airtight cover, but be sure to remove from the refrigerator several hours before serving so it can warm to room temperature. If the cake is not kept airtight in the refrigerator, it can dry out.
Hi. How can I make this into a coconut cake? I saw that this is an updated version of a previous yellow cake recipe and it has more vanilla. How much vanilla and coconut extract should I use. Also? I do like using buttermilk (vs coconut milk)
Hi Sam, Keep the vanilla the same and add 1 teaspoon coconut extract
Hi. Is the temp 325 (in recipe) or 350 (comments)? I plan on using 9 in pans.
Hi Sam, We updated the recipe to have more batter. The original recipe baked at 350 degrees in 2 pans, so I think you read an early comment from the original recipe. The recipe now bakes at 325 and uses 3 eight inch pans. Hope you will enjoy the cake.
Hi BeBe! So, as per your latest comment should I bake it in a 9×13 pan at 325 degrees as well? Or 350?
Hi Daphne, For the 9×13 pan you can keep at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes (check at 25 minutes). I have not baked this in a 9×13 so keep an eye on it. At 25 minutes if it is getting to dark on top, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Is this paddle or whisk attachment?
Hi Lynsey, You should use the paddle attachment for the cake and frosting. Hope you will enjoy the recipe.
I have been baking for years but must say the simplicity of this batter amazing. The crumb is perfect and the cake is so flavorful. I don’t always need 3 layers but bake as directed and freeze one if I don’t need it. My husband appreciates this because when I have 2 in the freezer he knows he gets an extra cake. Thank you so much!
Hi EM, I love reading your nice comments about the recipe and I am happy you and your husband have enjoyed the cake. Thank you so much for posting.
Hi Bebe…
I made your yellow cake instead of the other one I commented on and it turned out terrific… I made Carmel frosting for it at the request of my daughter in law… Ithis is my new go to recipe… thank you so much… I used two 9” pans
Hi Sandy, Wonderful!! Thanks so much for letting me know that all went well. Your cakes look great! Caramel and yellow cake is a nice combination, seems as if everyone is ready for fall flavors.
Do you know if this could make three 9 inch pans or is it best to do 2 9 inch? Unfortunately, I only have 1 8 inch pan
Hi Blair, If you don’t have three 8 inch pans, use two 9 inch round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. This is based on pans that are 2 inches deep. The cakes will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Hi. I was hoping to make this recipe today but I only have 2 8” pans and I have 3 9” x 2” pans. I know the recipe can be made in 2 9” pans but I wanted to make 3 layers. Can the recipe be increased or should I just bake the two 8”, wash the pan and then bake the 3rd layer.
Also, does the cake flour get sifted before putting in the mixing bowl with the other dry ingredients?
Hi Lee, The cake flour is not sifted. When whisking the dry ingredients to blend them together, you will be incorporating air into the mixture. As for using three 8×2 inch round pans, you could increase the recipe by 1/2 if you like but you will have a little more batter than you need (up to 3 cups batter for an 8 inch round pan. I think I would bake 2 layers, let the layers cool 5 minutes then turn out. No need to wash the pan, just wipe out with a paper towel. Let it cool down a bit, grease and flour and bake the 3rd layer. I think this recipe makes 7 to 7 1/2 cups batter so put only 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups batter in each pan if you use the recipe as written. Hope you will enjoy the cake
I am planning to make the sheet cake dump truck for my grandson’s birthday and was wondering if i can use this recipe for a 9X13 pan. Same baking instructions?
Hi Laurie, I have not bake it in a 9×13 pan, but it will be fine to do so. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes, keep an eye on it. It will be done when a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
Hi! I love your site! Question, please. Before I found this recipe, I was looking at several different ones. This exact recipe is on another site, but doesn’t have baking soda…only the baking powder. I’m not terribly good at the science of baking, but I’m trying to learn. Why would the recipe be the same, but without the baking soda. What would leaving the baking soda out do to the cake? Thank you!
Hi SaintsBaker, Using buttermilk in a recipe will help to give you a tender cake. The buttermilk is acidic and baking soda will help to neutralize the acidity. The other recipe you saw may have used more baking powder than usual to cover this. I hope you will enjoy the recipe, it is one of our favorites.
can you use sour cream instead of buttermilk
Hi David, I have not tried this substitution but read that you could add 3 to 4 Tablespoons milk into a 1 cup measuring cup then fill with sour cream to the 1 cup mark.
Hello! I love all of your cakes so I was excited to try this one and replace my original yellow cake that was not your recipe. I made it tonight and the cakes sunk in the middle, not sure why? Do you have any suggestions
I’m so excited to make this for my first marble cake this weekend! I plan on using 6in pans, should I cut the recipe in half? Thank you!
Hi Jenny, This recipe makes approximately 6 1/2 to7 cups batter. We usually use three 6×2 inch pound pans. A 6 inch pan holds 2 cups of batter so I would use the whole recipe. If you should have leftover batter, you could use for a few cupcakes.
I made this cake for a family dinner. It was a touch on the dry side. I’ll try again, but will add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. I hope that works. If it does, I will keep recipe as my go to for vanilla cake. It made 3 nice size layers that didn’t go flat.
Can the yellow cake from scratch be made in a 9 x 13 inch pan ? If so what temperature and how much time ?
I made this Cake on the weekend came out just find I add 1/2 teaspoons of almond extra in the mix taste great! I Just Love your recipe
Hi Sandra, That does sound good. Thank you for posting and for your nice comment on the recipe!
can i use milk instead of butter milk?
Hi Dejanee, Did you notice the substitution for buttermilk, if you did not have any? It is under Notes at the end of the recipe. If you prefer to milk, change the baking powder to 3 teaspoons and leave out the baking soda. I hope you will enjoy the recipe.
How can I make this yellow cake a marble cake TY
Hi Linda, Use the following method to make a marble cake.
1. In a medium sized bowl, mix 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder with 3 to 4 Tablespoons very hot water. Stir until smooth and blended. Set aside.
2. Put 11/2 cups yellow cake batter into the bowl with the cocoa powder mixture. Stir until blended, this is now your chocolate batter.
3. To your 3 prepared cake pans divide the remaining yellow batter among the 3 pans. Dollop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter onto the top of the batter in the pans. Using an offset spatula or the back of a teaspoon, swirl the chocolate into the vanilla batter. Press the chocolate batter into the yellow as you make your swirls.
Hi, how much is the cake flour weight in grams? I usually use a scale but you didn’t mention how many grams for cake flour. Thanks
Hi R Tee, The cake flour is listed as 342 grams. I hope you will enjoy the cake.
Taste wise what is preferred over this yellow cake and the Yellow Birthday Cake on this site? Or what is the difference?