Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream: Tender and moist yellow cake layers with chocolate buttercream.
Classic Yellow Cake
Is there anything more classic than a yellow cake with chocolate frosting? I continue to hear that it’s a favorite for so many people, especially the box mix. And while I said goodbye to box mixes years ago, I’ll admit, there’s something pretty alluring about the flavor and texture of a yellow cake mix: rich butter and vanilla extracts in a moist and fluffy cake… you just can’t go wrong (except for the fact that it’s not homemade).
I’ve tried a couple of yellow cake recipes in the past but was never impressed enough to save them. It was time to create my own recipe.
What is Yellow Cake?
Yellow cake is a classic type of vanilla-flavored cake characterized by its rich, golden-yellow color and tender, moist texture. The yellow hue comes from the use of whole eggs and butter, which also impart a rich, buttery flavor. This cake is a popular choice for birthdays and celebrations due to its versatility and ability to pair well with a variety of frostings, such as chocolate, vanilla, or buttercream. Yellow cake is typically made from scratch using simple ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla extract, resulting in a deliciously homey and comforting dessert.
What Makes a Moist Yellow Cake?
To create a tender and moist yellow cake, I use a combination of butter, oil, eggs, egg yolks, and sour cream. Of course there’s sugar, flour and a few other ingredients, but the ones I first listed help to create the moisture thanks to all the fat added. Fat creates and retains moisture in our cakes, so don’t skimp and grab the low fat sour cream. Get the good stuff!
How to Make a Moist Yellow Cake
Let’s make sure you create the most delicious yellow cake layers! Check out my step-by-step video tutorial below:
How to Decorate a Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
I love pairing these yellow cake layers with my silky, smooth chocolate buttercream. Here’s a step-by-step picture tutorial to walk you through the process:
I hope you enjoy this classic yellow cake with chocolate buttercream!
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Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup (72.6 g) canola oil
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 5 whole eggs, room temperature
- 2 eggs yolks, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) clear vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) butter extract
For the Buttercream
- 8 oz. (150 g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
- 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray, add parchment and another coat of spray. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, canola oil, and sugar on high until fluffy and smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time to the bowl and beat on medium until well incorporated. The mixture should look smooth and fluffy. This will take another minute or two. Stir in the extracts.
- Turn the mixer on low and add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Then add half of the sour cream and blend well, followed by another ⅓ of the flour mixture, the second half of the sour cream and lastly, add the remaining flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Make sure not to over bake.
- Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks.
- Once completely cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer or refrigerator to chill before frosting.
For the Buttercream
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream and then pour it over the chocolate to melt. Stir until the mixture is smooth and silky. If needed heat the mixture for another 20 to 30 seconds and stir until the chips are melted. Set aside.
- In a bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, combine beat the butter on medium-high until light and fluffy.
- Turn the mixer to medium-low and gradually add the melted chocolate ganache. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat again for about one minute.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Stir by hand to push out air pockets.
Assembly
- After leveling each cake layer, place the first cake layer (top side/crumbly side up) on a cake board that has a little frosting on it (which acts like glue to hold the cake in place).
- Spread about 1 cup of the frosting over the cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top and add another cup of frosting. Make sure to get eye level with the cake to check that your frosting is spread evenly across each cake layer.
- When you get the final cake layer, place it top side down on the second layer of frosting. Spread a thin coat of frosting around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Continue to frost and decorate the cake with the remaining frosting.
Hello! Just wanted to let you know – you don’t ever say to include the last half of the sour cream. I assume it’s after the 2nd half of the flour mixture.
I actually just add all of the sour cream between the two flour additions.
I was hoping you can help me out. I’ve attempted this cake a few times and it keeps falling and I fallow your recipe to a tee. Any suggestions?
Help!!! I’ve attempted this cake a few times, fallowing the recipe perfectly, and it keeps falling. I’m mixing everything on low after step 3, everything is room temp… I cant figure out what I’m doing wrong. I also live not to far from you so altitude shouldn’t be a problem.
You may want to check the internal temperature of your oven to make sure it’s reading inside what the outside tells you. I’m actually using the yellow cake as a base for a new cake and I took out half cup of sugar and added 3 tablespoons flour and it’s rising beautifully. Sugar often weighs cakes down, so it may have been too much originally on my part.
Thank you so much! I fallowed your advice and checked the temp of my oven and it was 15 degrees off! I also changed the sugar and flour amounts and the cakes turned out beautiful. Thanks again!
Hi Courtney! I saw this comment about adding flour and taking out sugar. I’m wondering if you changed this recipe to take that into account, or if I should try adding 3 Tbsp. flour and taking out 1/2 c. sugar for a total of 3 c. + 3 Tbsp. flour and 1 1/4 c. sugar. Thanks for your help. You and your cakes are beautiful!
Can u know exactly how many grams of butter u used in the cake recipe, please !
226 grams of butter
Hi! This is the prettiest cake! For the frosting dollops on the top of the cake what tip are you using?
It’s the Wilton 1M
is this batter supposed to be so thick?!? Really hope this turns out good!!
Yes it is.
I am making this for Mother’s Day! Would I be okay to bake the layers Saturday and freeze, and then frost on Sunday with room temp frosting?
Yes, absolutely. I do that all the time. Just take the cake layers out of the freezer about an hour before you frost so they aren’t completely frozen but they’re still chilled and easy to work with.
I am looking for a yellow cake with tall fluffy layers & this one looks perfect. I read a comment about the layers not rising & you suggested amending the ingredients. Do you recommend this as a permanent amendment to the original recipe? Don’t want to waste my time making another thin layer cake.
I think you need to try it the way it’s written first and see if you have any problems with it. You shouldn’t, unless you’re at much higher altitude than me (I’m in Salt Lake).
This cake tasted fine but it wasn’t very yellow in color and it was quite dense. My taste testers said it was more like a pound cake. It was not fluffy at all. I am moving on in my search for a great yellow cake!
I’m sorry to hear that. It’s definitely not supposed to be a dense cake. It’s supposed to be light and fluffy. Maybe you packed in too much flour into your measuring cup or your oven temperature is off and it didn’t bake correctly? Just some variables that create a dense cake.
Hi, can I know which sprinkles did you use- brand n the exact name please. Thanks .
These are just the mixed sprinkles from the grocery store 🙂
Hello Courtney,
Does this cake hold well under fondant?
Thank you.
I haven’t tried. I’m sorry.
Is this cake moist? could I add pudding packet to this recipe?
This cake is totally moist on it’s own. No pudding needed.
Hi Courtney. If I wanted to make enough batter for three 6″ pans instead of three 8″ pans, would you suggest making 2/3 of the recipe? Thanks!
Yes, that will work great.
I’m looking to make a pretty tall stacked cake, probably four-six 8inch layers and four 6inch layers stacked. Do you think this recipe would be too light to stack that much, or would it hold (with proper support of dowels, etc)?
I think it’s ok for a tall one tier cake, but I wouldn’t use it for the base of a multi tier cake
Thanks for the recipe! Is there a substitute for the butter extract that I could use? Thank you!
You can just leave it out.