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 changes to the recipe, including a little extra cake flour and baking soda to help prevent the cake from sinking and tasting gummy; and replaced some of the butter with oil, for an extra moist crumb.
This Is the Best Yellow Cake I’ve Ever Had
After zebra cake, 9×13-inch yellow cake, white cake, vanilla cake, 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 cakes from a box mix and restaurant-quality yellow cakes, bakery cakes and professionals’ 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 a base of creamed butter and sugar plus a touch of oil, this yellow cake is soft and buttery with an extra moist crumb. If cakes could talk, this one would brag.
Why This Recipe Works
This yellow layer cake has undergone many, many rounds of testing, so you can be sure that there are reasons for each and every step and ingredient.
I don’t recommend making any substitutions for this recipe.
If baking could withstand shortcuts, I’d take them, but we don’t want to mess around here. Remember, baking is a science!
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is almost 30x finer than all-purpose flour. Using it is a surefire way to achieve a delicate, soft-as-a-pillow texture. All-purpose flour, even when combined with cornstarch to make a cake flour substitute, is simply too heavy for this recipe. You need real cake flour for this yellow cake.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: This balanced combination provides the right amount of lift. It even inspired me to change/improve the leaveners in the 9×13-inch yellow cake, too.
- Butter: You can’t have a buttery yellow cake without real butter! The base of this batter starts with creamed room-temperature butter and sugar.
- Oil: This is a more recent addition to this recipe, and it’s in direct response to some reader reviews. (We appreciate your feedback, always!) To prevent this butter and egg–heavy cake from being overly dense or dry, vegetable oil now takes the place of *some* of the butter. The butter is essential for flavor in a yellow cake, but oil adds moisture and keeps the crumb a bit lighter.
- Extra Egg Yolks: Eggs play a big role in today’s recipe. You need 4 eggs total—2 whole eggs plus an additional 2 egg yolks. This equals 4 egg yolks and 2 egg whites. Additional egg yolks add richness, tenderness, and flavor… plus natural yellow color for this yellow cake! You’ll need to separate 4 eggs, and you’ll have 2 egg whites left over (make an egg white omelette, or here are some recipes using only egg whites).
- Whipped Egg Whites: For the 2 egg whites going into the cake, we need to take them a step further to help fluff up the cake’s structure. After all, this is a butter and egg yolk–heavy cake. Whip the egg whites separately, then fold them in.
- Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar, a dry acid, is whipped egg whites’ best friend. It helps with stability, volume, and keeps the air in the egg whites suspended so they hold shape when mixed into the heavy cake batter.
- Buttermilk: I tried a mix of sour cream and whole milk, but taste testers enjoyed the buttermilk version much, much better. Adding flavor and moisture, buttermilk is used in many baking recipes including this confetti cake. See recipe Note about a DIY buttermilk substitute.
Granulated sugar, salt, and pure vanilla extract round out the ingredient list. Feel free to use vanilla bean paste if you have it.
Let’s Make a Perfect Yellow Cake
Whisk together your dry ingredients, as instructed below. Then, make sure the butter and sugar are properly creamed. If you need a refresher, here is my tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar.
Then add in the remaining wet ingredients (except for the egg whites).
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.
Divide the batter between two round cake pans. For this recipe, you need 2 9-inch cake pans. Grease them, line with a parchment round, then grease the parchment round. Bake the cakes, and then cool for 1 hour in the pans set on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Frosting for Yellow Birthday Cake
I use my favorite chocolate buttercream but slightly scaled up. 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 from this white cake recipe!
How to Assemble & Frost a Layer Cake
After your cakes are cool, run a knife around the edges of the cake to help release them from the pans.
If your cakes are domed on top, level them after they cool. I use a serrated knife.
To ensure the layer cake is stable, it’s important to apply a crumb coat. A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting on the exterior of the cake that locks in any loose crumbs and helps stabilize the layers. The edges of today’s cake layers are crumbly, so a crumb cake is especially useful.
If you need more guidance and some handy visuals, here’s my how to assemble a layer cake video.
After you stack the 2 layers with frosting in between, cover the top and sides of the 2-layer cake with a very thin layer of frosting (about 1 cup). If desired, run a bench scraper around the cake to help smooth out the frosting.
Refrigerate the uncovered cake for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour to “set” the crumb coat. Then cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
Yellow Cake Success Tips
- Use Room-Temperature Ingredients: Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. When ingredients are the same temperature, they bind together more readily than if you had some cold and some warmer ingredients. Separating eggs is easier when the eggs are cold, so separate them first, then let them come to room temperature before you begin.
- Prep Your Pans: Grease and line your cake pans with parchment paper rounds, to help the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. If you need recommendations for round cake pans, I really like Fat Daddio’s pans and these Wilton cake pans.
- Apply a Crumb Coat: The edges of this cake can be a bit crumbly, so taking the time to do a crumb coat is extra important!
Other Size Yellow 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.
Other Sizes:
- 9×13-Inch Cake: You can bake this yellow cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan (bake time will be a bit longer), but I found it tasted on the heavier side. Instead, I recommend my recipe for yellow sheet cake.
- Cupcakes: Here is my favorite yellow cupcakes recipe, which includes directions for mini cupcakes too. Same unbelievable texture as this cake!
- 6-Inch Layer Cake: The yellow cupcakes recipe also makes the right amount of batter for a 3-layer 6-inch cake.
Yellow Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
After years of recipe testing, this is the best yellow cake I’ve ever had. Soft, buttery, and incredibly moist, it’s made with cake flour, whipped egg whites, extra egg yolks, and buttermilk for the ultimate homemade birthday cake. See above for different pan options. For best 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
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature*
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (75g/80ml) vegetable oil
- 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240g/ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar*
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (339g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons (76g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
- 4–6 Tablespoons (60–90g/ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk), at room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- optional for decoration: sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). 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.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. 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 until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the oil and beat for 1 minute until combined. Beat in the egg yolks until incorporated, then beat in the vanilla extract.
- 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 will be very thick. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. Set aside.
- In another large bowl 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, medium-stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter. Work slowly and gently, as you don’t want to deflate the egg whites. Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake for 27–31 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides, remove the cakes from the pans, peel off the parchment, and place on the rack to finish cooling. The edges of the cakes can be crumbly; this is normal. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 4 Tablespoons of 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 (30g) more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or 1–2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. Taste. Add another pinch of salt if desired.
- Assemble and frost: (For additional help with this step, see this how to assemble a layer cake video & post.) First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place one cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Spread about 3/4–1 cup (180–240g) of frosting in an even layer on top. Top with the second cake layer and spread about 1 cup (240g) of buttercream in a very thin layer over the top and sides to make the crumb coat. If desired, run a bench scraper around the cake to help smooth out the frosting on the sides. Refrigerate the cake until the crumb coat has set, about 20 minutes. Finish by spreading the top and sides with the remaining buttercream. Decorate the cake with sprinkles, if desired. For extra neat slices, refrigerate the 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. If the cake has been stored in the refrigerator, let the cake sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to soften up again before serving.
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 it’s creamy again. Adding a splash of cream or 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 before serving. 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 2026: The original recipe called for 1 cup (226g) of butter and no oil. We reduced the butter and added a little oil to lighten the crumb and help prevent the cake from becoming overly dense.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is key in this recipe. Do not use any cake flour substitutes.
- Eggs: You need 4 egg yolks and 2 egg whites in this cake batter, which means you’ll start with 4 whole eggs and have 2 egg whites leftover for another use. 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 yolks and egg whites separately and let them sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before beginning the recipe.
- 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 best—lower-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 important ingredient that helps the egg whites whip into lofty, fluffy peaks and hold their shape when folded into the heavy cake batter. You can skip it if needed and whip the egg whites by themselves, but the cake will be a little 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 two 8-inch round cake pans.
- 9×13-Inch Pan: You can bake this batter in a 9×13-inch baking pan (bake time will be longer, around 30–35 minutes), but we recommend this similar recipe for yellow sheet cake, which uses mostly the same ingredients.
- 3-Layer Cake: You can also prepare this cake as a 3-layer cake. Divide the batter between three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans 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; you can double my chocolate buttercream recipe (simply double each ingredient) if you want a lot of frosting.
- Yellow Cupcakes: Here is my favorite 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I am getting ready to bake this for the 1st time this weekend. My question is can it be easily made into 3 layers opposed to 2? If so, is it best to use 3, 9″ pans, or bake in 1 pan and slice 2x? Thank you
Well this was a total fail for me. I followed the instructions to a T…had even read a lot of the comments before hand. It all came together well. Then I put it in the oven to bake and next thing I know, I look through the oven glass and the cake had totally collapsed in the middle. I’ve never had that happen to me before, so I’m not sure what caused it, but it was a waste of good ingredients, so I’ll move on to another recipe next time.
I made this cake and it was a little dry. I did not over cook it. What can I do?
Hi Jeff, make sure to use proper room temperature butter and other room temperature ingredients. Make sure you spoon and level the cake flour, too!
Hi Sally and team!
I am all set to bake this cake for my son’s birthday tomorrow! I just noticed as I was placing my ingredients on the counter to come to room temp that my husband picked up 1% Buttermilk (light). Is this a deal breaker? Should I run out to grab 3.5%? Thanks a million!!!
Hi Genelle! Light buttermilk will be perfect in this cake – hope your son loves it 🙂
Thank you so much!!! It was perfect!!
Hi Sally and team,
Typically your recipes say that buttermilk should be at room temperature. This recipe doesn’t specify a temperature preference. Is that an oversight or will any temperature do for the buttermilk in this one?
Thanks! (I am a super loyal and huge fan by the way!)
Jessica
Hi Jessica! Thank you so much for saying hello and following along. Yes, the buttermilk should be at room temperature like the other cold ingredients. Thank you for noticing that!
Thank you so much! I am starstruck honestly 🙂 You have taken me from a toll house cookie only baker to a serious home baker. I owe you so much! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
This was really good, thank you for the recipe…..
I also have a question though… Out of all your cakes which one would you think to be the studerest for multiple layers (More then 4) and a lot of fondant??
Thank you!
Hi Brooklyn, yellow cake is pretty sturdy and so is the recipe we used for our homemade wedding cake. The more layers you add (along with fondant) makes it a bit harder for cakes to stand evenly, so you may want to use cake dowels like we do in the wedding cake post. Hope this helps!
Hi Sally! I love this cake! In fact, first cake that I made and it was a success! Thank you so much for the recipe. One question though, can I reduce the amount of sugar? Will it affect the cake aside from its sweetness level?
Hi Naz, we’re so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! You can try reducing the sugar slightly, but keep in mind that it will also impact the taste, texture, and structure of the cake. If you do want to try reducing it, we recommend starting small and then adjusting for future batches.
Sally, great instructions but after mixing everything the batter is still eggy. Should I add more flour?
Hi Dezhan, With 4 egg yolks and 2 egg whites this is an egg heavy batter – but the baked cake shouldn’t taste eggy. We don’t recommend adding extra flour as that will lead to a heavy and dry cake. How did your cake turn out after it was baked?
I tried another recipe for a yellow cake for my husband’s cake and it was a disaster. So dry it was inedible. I decided to try another recipe and I’m so glad I did. It was perfect!! I even subbed coconut milk in because of a milk allergy and it was amazing! Saved this recipe to make again.
Hi Sally,
Thank you for posting this recipe. I’d like to make this for a number cake (30cm x 25cm x 6cm). Will this recipe yield a dense cake? Or should I use your sheet cake recipe instead?
Hi Michelle! We don’t have much experience with number cakes, but let us know what you try! Either batter should work ok.
I know the recipe advises not to use 8” cake pans, but that’s what I had and it turned out beautifully! The buttercream frosting is to die for- I recommend sifting the cocoa and powdered sugar for an ultra creamy texture
I’m not sure if this has been asked yet, but when it comes to the buttermilk, does “light” buttermilk work interchangeably with full fat buttermilk? Or should you add like a little bit of cream to make up for the loss of fat with using the light buttermilk?
Hi Kendra! Light buttermilk is just fine in the place of full fat.
I’ve made this cake comes out fantastic! My daughter wants a strawberry chocolate mousse cake for her bday so I’m wondering could I turn this into a strawberry cake by adding puree and if so how much would you suggest? Thank you!
Hi Sara! For a strawberry cake we recommend following this recipe instead. Enjoy!
Thank you!
I’ve made this several times and it always comes out perfect! Definitely the best yellow cake recipe I have tried, and I have tried quite a few in search for the best!
I have always kept it as 2 layers but was wondering if you think this cake is sturdy enough for me to split the layers after baking, so it can be 4 layers when assembled? I will probably chill the layers first before attempting to split them. Do you have any other tips or would you advise against splitting the cake layers in half?
Hi Stephanie, we’re so glad you love this cake! Because the layers are somewhat thin, it might be a little difficult to split them after baking, but you can certainly give it a try. Or, see recipe notes for making a three layer cake, or our post on cake pan sizes and conversions to properly scale this for four layers.
Hello! I have made this cake before with the same amount of sugar, and it’s been great, but last night I used yogurt/milk instead of buttermilk and the cake tasted super sweet. Has this happened to anyone else?
Quick note: I have never, ever, ever written a comment on a website, except social media. So, this is a big deal.
Tldr: Cake is fabulous. Will never use a box mix again.
Holy cake! Is this the best cake I’ve ever had? Uh, yeah! I’ve gone on a mission the last week: to make cupcakes from scratch (I was too lazy to go buy a cake mix box) for the first time. This was my 3rd recipe and oh my gosh! It is scrumptious! I tasted a cupcake before putting a second batch in the oven (just to make sure … didn’t want to waste more liners). I was tempted to eat more than one…without the icing! As I was eating the cupcake, I kept trying to put into words what I was tasting. Then it came to me: it tastes like a homemade muffin. A muffin that was hand delivered by an angel. And that was without the icing. Holy cannoli! It was so delicious.
Bookmarked this recipe in case my paper copy gets destroyed. Thank you for the recipe AND for saving my sanity. I really did not want to make a 4th cake.
Sincerely,
First-Time Baker
We’re thrilled to read this sweet review, Lisa! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try!
Hi, I know I’m not Sally, but just thought I’d chime in 🙂 I’ve had this happen to me so much because I’m a little impatient 🙂 Undercooking is a big cause. Also, could be not enough flour. At least this is what I’ve found in my own baking. I almost always weigh flour for my cakes and cupcakes anymore. Not so much for brownies or even cookies, but my cakes have always been finicky.
I have to agree that this is the best yellow cake recipe I’ve ever made! Everyone agreed that it was even better than Publix (which is hard to beat)! I have to admit that I did 2 things different though. I didn’t have cake flour, so I did substitute with all-purpose and cornstarch mix. I sifted it together and then weighed it. This seemed to work fine for me. I also (kind of by accident) did whip 2 egg whites and added them at the end, but also added 2 whole eggs and 2 yolks from the whites, so I ended up with 4 eggs in my recipe. I did whip my butter and sugar until it was about 3-4x the volume also. I split into (3) 9″ pans and it came out beautifully! The cake was very soft out of the oven, so I waited to remove them from the pans until completely cool (I stick them in the freezer to cool fast). Of course, I buttered and floured my pans and used parchment paper in the bottom. Thank you for the recipe!!
Please confirm that the cake flour is simply spooned out of the box/bag and leveled in the measuring cup. No sifting at all? Just asking because I assume the flour has been in the box on the store shelf for a while. I’m making it for my father’s 80th birthday with peanutbutter frosting, his favorite 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Kahler, Sifting the cake flour is not necessary in this recipe — only when stated. What a delicious birthday dessert – we hope he has a wonderful day!
Hi! I was wondering if I wanted to make this cake in an 8×8 baking pan, could I simply cut the ingredients in half? I would really like to make it for a friend’s birthday, but I think the 2-layer cake would be too big.
Hi Michelle! Yes, that should be fine. Let us know how it goes!
Hi! I love this cake recipe and it’s been a hit every time I’ve made it for my family.
I had a question about scaling down the recipe to make it into a 2-3 layer 6-inch cake?
Hi Aishath, 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!
oh thank you for the swift reply! I’m thinking of making one today✨
I made this cake for the first time, this weekend. Simply put: BRAVO SALLY! I have been baking for over 50 years and believe it or not I have been trying to find the perfect yellow cake, on and off for all that time. Most tasted like cornbread or were too dense or too dry. Thank you for all the work you did putting this spectacular recipe together. It’s one I will treasure and put in my baking rotation. The frosting is delicious as well; a perfect match for the cake. My entire family raved about this dessert!
I’m wondering – how is this cake without frosting? My son’s not a frosting kid (!). Thanks!
It’s delicious without frosting – hope it’s a hit for your son, Stacey!
Yay! Cant wait to try!!!
Hi,
I’m making this tomorrow for my husband’s birthday (second year in a row, by request!). It was a big hit last year, absolutely delicious.
Question – hubby wants 2 different frostings, one in the middle between the 2 layers and a second for the top and sides. Any idea how much I should cut the frosting recipe by – 1/2? 1/3 for each flavor?
Thank you so much. We absolutely love your recipes. The pictures and videos are a huge help.
Hi Elyssa, we’re so glad this cake is a hit! Cutting the recipes in half should be fine to use two frosting recipes, though you will likely need more of the frosting that goes on the top and sides of the cake. Let us know how it goes!
Thank you so much for the quick response, Trina.
I cut the frosting for the middle in half (vanilla buttercream) and made 2/3 the recipe for the top and sides (chocolate buttercream) and it came out absolutely perfect. The flavor in this cake is amazing.
I couldn’t find buttermilk or cake flour since moving to the UK, so I appreciate the DIY versions included with the recipe
Do you have a best ever chocolate cake / could this be adapted for a chocolate cake? Was thinking about doing a chocolate / yellow cake checkboard cake (kind of like your zebra cake but in the checkboard pattern). Or do you think this wouldn’t hold up to that?
Hi JJ, for a chocolate cake, we recommend using our Triple Chocolate Cake. Let us know if you try a checkerboard pattern!
Thanks! Do you think the yellow cake is sturdy enough to stand up to being cut into the checkboard pattern? Was wondering if I should use the vanilla cake recipe instead but that makes 8 cups of batter vs. the chocolate cake’s 6.
Or could I sub in some sour cream to make it sturdier? I know the recipe cautions no subs. My plan is to make the cakes tomorrow.
I have a request for a 3 layer yellow cake. I love this recipe. Other than doubling (and having left over batter), is there a way to increase the recipe to make another layer?
Hi Marisela! You can make this cake as a 3 layer cake. See recipe note.
Hi Sally, I know you don’t live in altitude but I would like to make this for my husbands birthday. Does anyone (or Sally) reading this have suggestions for altitude adjustments? I’m at 5400′ Thanks!
Hi Michi! We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. We know some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html Hope your husband enjoys his birthday cake!
Quick question! I’ve had a request to make a yellow cake with strawberry frosting…do you think this yellow cake would pair well with the strawberry buttercream that is also on Sally’s blog? Many thanks!
Hi Janie, definitely! This cake would be delicious with strawberry buttercream.
My first time baking a cake and I decided to try this out on my mother’s birthday lol!! Had no reason to worry, it came out amazing…instant hit and even nicer the next day. I like it when it’s been refrigerated for a few hours and with custard.
I found I didn’t need to use as much icing sugar for the choc buttercream, just seemed like too much and it could make it too sweet. Definitely will make it again and I excited to try your other recipes!
I love this recipe! I just made it for my birthday cake. I like making my own cake because I know what I like!
I think the folded egg whites must be what brings this cake to the next level.
I filled it with peanut butter ganache that I made into the consistency of frosting, then poured dark chocolate ganache over it. It was a hit!