When you think of the most classic birthday cake ever, what comes to mind? For me, it’s always been what my mom made for my birthdays growing up – yellow cake with chocolate frosting. This from-scratch yellow cake recipe has been ultra tested to create the perfect moist and fluffy texture that is reminiscent of the box mix yellow cake I loved as a kid. It’s naturally yellow with extra egg yolks and tastes incredible with my favorite fudgy chocolate frosting.
UPDATE 2025: I recently re-tested this recipe and made a few changes from the original, which was posted in 2020. Same ingredients and methods for making the batter, just new measurements to ensure the best texture and perfect amount of batter.
One Reader, Ciara, says: “Absolutely love this recipe! It was not overly sweet and the cake was super moist and just perfect! I’m sure I’ll have to make it every year now for my husband‘s birthday.” ★★★★★
Moist & Fluffy Yellow Cake
This yellow cake is the definition of light and fluffy – It is SO incredibly soft! I kept poking it over and over in disbelief because I swear it’s as close to box mix (but from scratch) as you’re gonna get. This recipe pulls all the stops to get the perfect texture and flavor:
- A combination of butter and vegetable oil keeps it fluffy and flexible even when refrigerated.
- Two large eggs + two extra egg yolks gives it that signature yellow color and also adds richness to the crumb.
- Using cake flour keeps the crumb supremely soft. If you don’t have access to store bought cake flour I have instructions on how to make an easy homemade version in the notes of the recipe below.
- Adding sour cream gives it amazing moisture and also creates a rich tangy flavor that is unparalleled.
- Pure vanilla extract lends the ideal flavor.
- Whole milk adds the right amount of protein and fat to bring the batter together and maintains the perfect texture.
Why is it Called a Yellow Cake?
Yellow cakes get their name from the signature yellow color. It’s technically a vanilla cake, but made with whole eggs and often additional egg yolks to make the layers appear more yellow. In contrast, a white cake recipe is a vanilla cake made with only egg whites to keep the color pure white. The egg yolk is where the yellow cake gets its yellow color in a from-scratch recipe, and if you want it to be the most saturated you’ll want to use organic eggs. Look at the color difference between the organic eggs (on the left) and the non-organic eggs (on the right)!
Just keep in mind that regardless of the kind of eggs you use, the from-scratch cake layers will never be as saturated as a box mix unless you add yellow food coloring (an ingredient actually listed on the box mix).
How to Make a Yellow Cake
If you’ve made any of my other vanilla cake recipes before, the process for this one is quite similar. Here’s how the process goes:
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC), then grease and line your cake pans.
Step 2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3. Cream the butter, then beat it together with the sugar and vegetable oil until it’s pale and fluffy.
Step 4. Mix in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla before whipping everything together on high speed for one minute.
Step 5. Add the dry ingredients all at once, mix on low speed until they begin to incorporate, then add in the whole milk in a steady stream while continuing to mix on low speed. Mix until the ingredients are well incorporated, about 15-30 seconds.
Step 6. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans and bake for 28-32 minutes.
Step 7. Let the cake layers cool completely to room temperature before assembling and decorating with chocolate buttercream.
How to Decorate a Classic Birthday Cake
This yellow cake pairs so beautifully with chocolate buttercream, and it’s truly a classic flavor combination. I filled and frosted the cake layers with chocolate buttercream and used a small icing spatula to create rustic texture in the frosting finish. To make it extra celebratory, I added some rainbow sprinkles around the bottom edge of the cake.
I topped the cake with swirls of chocolate buttercream using Wilton Tip 4B, then added more rainbow sprinkles on top.
A birthday cake isn’t complete without some candles, so I finished the look with these cute striped candles from Meri Meri Party. They make my favorite cake candles ever (more styles here).
You can decorate this yellow cake any way you want, so feel free to go simple, over-the-top, or anywhere in between! It also bakes great in a 9×13 baking dish if you’d rather make a sheet cake. Just see the notes of the recipe below for the baking time and oven temp.
Yellow Cake Recipe Video
Here’s a quick video to show you the process of making this yellow cake recipe before you read all about it below:
If you love recipe videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube channel! I’ve got a growing collection of cake recipes, decorating tutorials, and Cake Basics over there. Hit the subscribe button on my page so you never miss a new video.
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
Yellow Cake
- 2 Cups (210g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 Tbsp (45ml) vegetable oil
- 1 1/3 Cups (267g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/3 Cup (80g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 Cup (180ml) whole milk, room temperature
Chocolate Buttercream
- 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 Cups (720g) powdered sugar
- 1 Cup (90g) unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch-processed
- 6 Tbsp (90ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Garnish (Optional)
- 1/2 Cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Make the Yellow Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of each pan.
- In a medium bowl, add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer and large bowl), beat the butter on high speed until it's creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable oil and sugar, then continue to mix on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, mixing on low speed for 10-15 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add the vanilla and sour cream and turn the mixer to high speed for one minute. The batter may look curdled at this point but don't worry – it will come together in the next step!
- Turn the mixer off and add the dry ingredients all at once. Mix on low speed until the ingredients just start to combine, then add the milk in a steady stream and continue mixing until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps (without over-mixing). The batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter on high speed until creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and add half of the powdered sugar, half of the cocoa powder, and half of the milk. Mix on low speed until combined, then add the rest of the powdered sugar, the rest of the cocoa powder, the rest of the milk, the vanilla extract, and the salt. Continue mixing on low speed until combined and smooth, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
Assembly
- Once the yellow cake layers are completely cooled, level them to your desired height. Add a swipe of chocolate buttercream onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Fill and stack the cake with chocolate buttercream, then crumb coat the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 15-20 minutes to let the crumb coat firm up before frosting the cake with the rest of the chocolate buttercream.
- To create the design pictured, use a small spatula to create a rustic textured finish on the sides of the cake, then added rainbow sprinkles around the bottom edge. I piped swirls of chocolate buttercream with Wilton Tip 4B, then added more rainbow sprinkles on top.
Notes
- The yellow cake layers can be baked, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left out at room temperature up to two days ahead of decorating. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to two months before thawing and frosting.
- The chocolate buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and rewhip with your stand mixer to bring back to frosting consistency.
Let me know if you make this yellow cake recipe in the comments below! And feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Hi Whitney, about how tall does this cake end up being? I’m trying to decide on a cake box and I want it to have enough depth. thank you in advance.
Hi Kwaevyonn, if you’re planning on making a triple layer 6-inch cake like the one pictured, it ends up being about 5 to 5.5 inches tall depending on the amount of filling/frosting you use. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much Whitney!
Hi Whitney, just finished making the layers, tasted some of the scraps after leveling them and they are AMAZING! I plan to make the icing and decorate tomorrow and serve on Tuesday. I put the layers in the freezer and will take them out tomorrow to decorate and then leave in the fridge decorated for a day, do you think thats okay?
Yay, Laura! So happy you love this recipe as much as I do! That timeline sounds totally perfect, the cake should be perfectly fresh for Tuesday.
Hi Whitney, I have loved your blog for years! Every recipe I’ve made has been a huge hit. I’m making this cake for my nephew’s birthday party and want to get the sprinkles around the bottom. What is the best way to go about doing this without messing up the cake?
Hi Kaitlin! Thanks so much for the kind words, I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 To get the sprinkles around the bottom of the cake, I add them while the frosting is still semi-wet, so right after frosting the cake smooth. I cup a handful of sprinkles in the palm of my hand and gently press them to the sides of the cake. I like to place a baking sheet underneath the cake turntable to catch any sprinkles that tumble down. I’m actually working on a video tutorial on this topic but until it’s live, you can see the technique at 1:39 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXehjriom60&t=3s
So, I screwed this recipe up last week–specifically with the cake flour. I tried to make my own, but missed the bit about sifting 6 times (oops). BUT, my sisters LOVED the cake. They’ve been raving about it ever since. They said it was like a dense pound cake but not too sweet, and the buttercream frosting was the perfect balance. Basically, even though I f-ed it up, 5 stars! Thank you Whitney!! This weekend, I plan on baking the correct version 🙂
Yay, Grace!! So happy it worked out even without sifting the DIY cake flour! Excited for you to make this again and happy it was a hit regardless 🙂
Do u have to use cake flour?
Hi Jacki! Cake flour is what gives this cake a light, fluffy crumb, so I do highly recommend it. I have a recipe for DIY cake flour that you can make using all purpose flour though, so if you need an alternative this is a better route to go than straight all-purpose flour (or any other kind of flour): https://sugarandsparrow.com/homemade-cake-flour-recipe/
Just in love with what I am seeing here
Hi Whitney, this came out so well! Is it 350F Fan assisted or conventional? I used the conventional setting and at 350 it took close to an hour to bake. It could just be my oven but thought I would check as I plan to make this very often! Thanks!
Hi Shre! I use a conventional oven at 350F. You should consider getting an internal oven thermometer to see what your actual oven temp is. Unless you were baking in a really large pan, it should only take about 35 minutes to bake these cake layers. So happy that they came out well regardless though!
Hello – all the other wet ingredients are at room temperature, except the eggs. Is that correct?
Also – this recipe will make 12 standard sized cupcakes?
Thanks!
Lauren
Ooh good catch, Lauren! The eggs are supposed to be room temp along with the other wet ingredients. I’ll update that in the recipe. This will make about 24 cupcakes!
I have made this cake a few times this year and it is fantastic. I have made it for birthdays and receive such positive feedback. I also love making it. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Yay, Anna! I love that this recipe has become a go-to for you! So happy to hear it’s been a hit and thank you for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Hi Whitney,
I was looking for a yellow cake recipe and didn’t want to use a box cake mix. I looked online and tried two different recipes they were short and dense. Then I came across yours it did not disappoint. It was moist, fluffy and delicious .I baked it in the morning it was gone by early afternoon. I have a request to make another one tomorrow. That was the best Yellow Cake I’ve ever had. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Yay, Liz!! I’m so happy you love this recipe as much as I do and that you’ll be making it again. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Hi so I made this cake but it was.pretty dense (not fluffy) and I went over the recipe but not sure what I did wrong. How do you make the cake more fluffy and light air ?
Hi Moomal! Sorry the cake didn’t turn out as fluffy for you as it does for me. If it’s coming out dense, it usually means that the batter is overmixed or the ingredients weren’t entirely room temperature, but it’s hard to say for sure.
Hello, I would like to know for how many people is this cake?
Hi Christina! This cake size serves 12-15 people
Hi!! I cannot find 6 inch pans ANYWHERE! I’ve checked Michael’s, Walmart, Target, or Amazon! Do you have a recommendation for where to get them?
Hi Sydney! I’m finding a ton of 6 inch cake pan options on Amazon. These are the brand I use (available April 25th) https://amzn.to/2VORuXI or this other set of four has really great reviews: https://amzn.to/2XTZ4D3
JOANN also has them in stock: https://www.joann.com/wilton-6inx2in-performance-round-pan/4722088.html#q=6%2Binch%2Bcake%2Bpans&start=1
Hi
The 265 grams of flour to be used in this recipe, is that before you sift the flour or after you sift the flour.
Hi Jackie! For the flour, sift it and then measure it out. Or do what I do: put a bowl on a kitchen scale, zero out the scale, and sift the flour into the bowl until the scale reads 265g 🙂
Hi! What ingredients that I can substitute to replace the sourcream? Because there’s no sourcream in my country. Thank u 😀
Hi Shakira! The best substitutes for the sour cream in this recipe are full fat greek yogurt or Crème Fraîche, but you could also omit the sour cream completely and use buttermilk in place of the whole milk. You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar into a measuring cup, then add whole milk over the top and fill to the 1 cup mark and give it a few stirs. It’ll transform into buttermilk in about 15 minutes but be sure to bring it to room temp before using it in the recipe.
Hi there.. I love your blog 🙂 i have 2 questions
1) can i use cake flour substitute for this? The adding cornstarch kind?
2) there’s no cake flour in my baking supplies shop but they do sell low protein flour, is that the same? Or if not, will that still work?
Tqsomuch:):)
Hi Suraya! You can certainly substitute DIY cake flour in this recipe. I’ve never heard of “low protein flour” but after Googling it, it seems to be the same thing as cake flour so I’d say go for it! If you go with low protein flour you should be able to use it as-is without adding any cornstarch.