Yellow Cake Recipe
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You’ve officially found the BEST Yellow Cake Recipe on the internet! My version is incredibly moist and SO easy with just one bowl (and no mixer!). Recipe includes a how-to video!
The BEST Yellow Cake Recipe
If you’ve been on the hunt for a good recipe for yellow cake, it’s time to call off the search. My yellow cake is soft, plush, has a fine light crumb, and is moist enough to melt in your mouth. It’s perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness and vanilla flavor, and it’s SO easy to make (one bowl and no mixer!). Every box is checked with this one! ✅
This recipe is made similarly to my chocolate cake; it’s not traditional creaming and it’s not quite reverse creaming but is more similar to that method – only easier. Because of this method there is low risk of over-mixing (but it’s not impossible!). It’s great for beginner bakers and even easier than my vanilla cake.
Recently I’ve actually been favoring this cake over my vanilla recipe (though both are simple and delicious, this one is just fun and new for me!). You can even make this cake into cupcakes as I demonstrated earlier this week with my chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream post (I actually like them better than my classic vanilla cupcake recipe! 🤯).
What makes my recipe the best:
- A true one-bowl recipe 💛
- Incredibly moist and perfectly yellow without food coloring!
- Pairs well with pretty much any frosting, but chocolate fudge frosting is my personal favorite.
- NO mixer required (thanks to melted butter!).
- Can handle sprinkles for a bit of funfetti flair.
What You Need
Several carefully selected ingredients make this the best yellow cake recipe out there:
- Butter. I really recommend using European butter if you can; it will provide the best yellow color and flavor. If you can’t find that, regular butter will still work just fine!
- Oil. Using oil and butter makes for the most flavorful AND moist cake! I like to use canola oil.
- Cake flour. Cake flour provides the best crumb, though all-purpose can be substituted in a pinch (instructions below!). Make sure you know how to measure flour properly, or you could risk drying out this super moist cake.
- Eggs + egg yolks. Extra egg yolks add moisture, tenderness, and a beautiful yellow color.
- Sour cream. Where my vanilla cake uses buttermilk, this cake uses sour cream. While the two are similar, sour cream is a bit richer, which is exactly what this cake needs!
SAM’S TIP: This yellow cake recipe has a tendency to dome, so you will have to level your cakes before frosting. Do this after the cake has fully cooled!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make It
- Combine the dry ingredients and sugar in a bowl, then stir in the melted butter and oil.
- Add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and stir until fully combined.
- Add the milk and stir until the batter is fully cohesive/uniform.
- Pour into your prepared cake pans and bake for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist/fudgy crumbs.
- Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10-15 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, level your cakes if needed. I find this cake tends to dome a bit and always need to level it — I’ll link to my leveler in the recipe card if you’re in need of one!
- Place one layer on your serving tray and top with frosting.
- Add another layer, top with frosting, and enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: If you notice holes/tunnels in your cake when you level it, don’t panic! You may have just mixed it a tad too much. Don’t worry, with this cake (unlike many others!) you usually can’t tell in the final texture or when you go to cut into it–it’s very forgiving! I was a bit too vigorous in my video trying to show how this yellow cake recipe can’t really be over-mixed that I left mine with tunnels, but the end result was still delicious melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is not too much difference between a classic vanilla cake and a yellow cake, but since I’ve had readers specifically ask me for a recipe for yellow cake, I wanted to make one.
Compared to my vanilla cake recipe, my yellow cake recipe has a tighter crumb, a more intense yellow color (thanks to extra egg yolks and European butter), and uses more butter than oil. If you love my vanilla cake, definitely give this one a try!
You can, but keep in mind that cake flour will provide the best texture here. I include instructions for substituting all-purpose flour in the recipe notes.
My yellow cake recipe is designed to be incredibly moist, so if yours is dry, a mistake was most definitely made. The most likely reason is over-baking the cake (make sure your oven isn’t running hotter than it lets on!) or over-measuring your flour; I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients to avoid this.
After so many reader requests for a recipe for yellow cake, I can’t wait to hear what you think about this one!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Yellow Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups (335 g) cake flour
- 2 ¼ cups (450 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ tsp table salt
- 12 Tablespoons (177 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until no longer warm to the touch, see note
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (226 g) sour cream
- 2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118 ml) whole milk
- 1 batch chocolate fudge frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C), grease two 8” round pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk well to combine.3 cups (335 g) cake flour, 2 ¼ cups (450 g) granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ tsp table salt
- Add melted butter and vegetable oil and stir well until thoroughly combined.12 Tablespoons (177 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until no longer warm to the touch, ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- Add sour cream, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract and stir well.1 cup (226 g) sour cream, 2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Stir in milk until completely combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and stir again to ensure the batter is uniform.½ cup (118 ml) whole milk
- Divide into prepared 8” pans, and bake on 350F for 32-35 minutes/until the top springs back when lightly touched and a, toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- Cool cakes in their pans for 10-15 minutes, then run a knife around the sides to loosen from the pan and carefully invert onto a cooling rack (don’t forget to remove the parchment bottoms) and allow to cool completely before decorating.
- These cakes typically bake up with a dome so I recommend leveling with a cake leveler (linked in equipment section above) or serrated knife before decorating.
- Decorate using desired frosting. I like to use my chocolate swiss meringue buttercream or chocolate fudge frosting.1 batch chocolate fudge frosting
Notes
Flour
Cake flour is best/recommended for this recipe, it yields the lightest, most tender crumb. However, you may substitute all-purpose flour in a pinch – you’ll need 2 ⅔ cup (335g)Butter
For a richer yellow color, I recommend using European-style butter if you can find it. It will also make the cake a bit more moist and tender. However, if you can’t find this style of butter or don’t have any on hand, don’t worry, regular butter will work just fine and I often make my yellow cake with regular butter, too!Storing
Cakes can be made a day in advance, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature for 24 hours before assembling. Cakes may also be tightly wrapped and frozen for several weeks before or after assembly. Once cake is assembled, store at room temperature for up to three days in an airtight container (assuming your frosting can withstand room temperature for this long) or in the refrigerator for up to a week (note that the refrigerator will dry out the cake some).Cupcakes
This recipe will make approximately 31 cupcakes. Fill liners ⅔-¾ full and they will need to bake 17-19 minutes on 350F (175C).Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Can I make this in a heart shaped pan?
You could, but I’m not sure on a bake time or how many pans you would need. Be careful to not overfill the pan. 🙂
The cake was delicious. It did not dome. One thing I couldn’t figure out–after 40 minutes the top of each layer was getting pretty brown but there was some semi-raw batter in the very center of each pan. However, I was able to use my cake leveler to slice off the part of the top that contained the small amount that was not fully baked. My husband enjoyed eating the leveled off part (that’s all he got, though–the cake was a donation)! I’m a big fan of yours and have successfully made your red velvet cake (and cupcakes), cookies, and pizza dough. All have been very successful. So, I’m a bit puzzled about this.
Hi Deb! I’m glad you ultimately enjoyed it. Is your oven baking at the temperature it says it is? Were you baking on the center rack? Baking too high in the oven can cause issues. 🙁
Hi Sam, Thank you for your reply–I just looked at comments again and found mine–and it’s almost November! I baked your yellow cake again and had the same issue. I appreciate your recipes! I haven’t changed anything so hope baking in 9″ pans will work. I recently made your red velvet cupcakes for a party (2nd time)–HUGE hit! I cored the cupcakes and put some raspberry preserves in the the hole. I’ve also made your red velvet layer cake and, again, it was a HUGE hit!! This is the only recipe of yours that I’ve tried and had an issue with. Will see how the 9″ pans work! Thanks.
Wow!! This tastes like the box yellow cake, minus the horrible acrid artificial flavor. I love this recipe more than your normal vanilla cake recipe, even though this was less popular. Even my picky (when it comes to sweets) husband loved it. It was fluffy, moist, and rich all at once. Thank you!
We are so happy it was such a hit, April! 🥰
would this recipe convert okay to mini cupcake size if i watch the bake time?
Hi Alannah! I think it could work as mini cupcakes. 🙂
I’ve been using Sam’s recipes for YEARS now. I’ve made upwards of 20 recipes of hers and always had great success. Most of her recipes have become family favorites that I make over and over. I’ve had some “fails” but it’s usually my own fault. I would not give up on Sugar Spun Run…
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed everything so much, Ann! 🙂
Absolute failure. Way too much batter for 8″ pans. One pan overflowed and made a mess in the oven. Both rose alarmingly high only to spill over or flatten. I had to let them nearly burn before they set. They are cooling now and I can only hope they are fully done inside. I measured by weight and it was still awful. I’ve been baking for 50 years and this is a first. It is also a last – the last time I use a recipe from a blog. What a waste of my ingredients and so disappointing!
I’m so sorry to hear this happened, Gina! Did you make any substitutions/alterations? It sounds like something may have accidentally been mis-measured if you had that much batter. Did you watch the video to see what it looked like in my pans? Unless your pans are really shallow you shouldn’t have any issues with overflowing. 🙁
How much batter would I need for 2 9” round cake pans?
Hi Hannah! As written, the recipe will work for 9″ pans, but the layers will be a little thinner. Your bake time will be less, but without trying it ourselves, we can’t say for sure what it will be. Enjoy!
Best cake ever. Very moist.
this is my go to cake for all birthdays and cup cake needs.
Hi can I make this with chocolate chips? If not do you have a chocolate chip cake recipe?
Hi Jessica! I’m not sure if they will sink to the bottom of the pan. I think it will be ok, but there is that chance that they could sink. Let me know how it goes if you do try it. 🙂
Is there a good replacement for vegetable oil besides canola? trying to avoid the seed oils.
Hi Kimberly! Avocado oil should work just fine. 🙂
I use all butter when I make this. It’s my go to yellow cake recipe.
How many batches of this cake would I need to make a 2 layer 9 inch square cake? And how many batches of your American buttercream would i need to make to fill, frost, and decorate this size/shape cake?
You would likely need 2.5 times the batter for 2 9 inch square pans. I would probably at least double the frosting as well. Make sure to not overfill the pan and keep an eye on them as I’m not sure what the bake time will be. 🙂
Hi, Sam!
I’m trying to decide between making the Yellow cake and the Vanilla cake. I always lean towards cakes with cake flour and buttermilk as it’s a magical combo. I looked at the reviews of both cakes, but I’d love to hear what you think. Do you think that I could sub cake flour for AP in the Vanilla recipe? I’m looking for that plush, moist, smash it down with the back of your fork moist.
Thanks for your help!!
Hi Beth! It’s so hard to choose between the two! Both are very moist cakes, the most important thing you can do is make sure to not over bake. You could sub cake flour for all-purpose in the vanilla (although its not a 1:1 swap unless you are using a scale), but you can’t go wrong either way! 🙂
Sam how long do I bake a 6”x3” cake and temperature please. I love your recipes.
Hi Carolyn! Unfortunately I haven’t bake it in a 6” pan so I don’t know a bake time. The temperature would be the same. Make sure you don’t overfill your pan as you will have too much batter for one 6” pan. ☺️
came out fairly dense and a little dry. I measured by weight, so not sure what happened. also just about overflowed my pans.
I’m so sorry to hear this happened, Angie! Unfortunately the main cause of a dry dense cake is over-baking. 🙁
This sounds absolutely wonderful! I was wondering if there is anything I need to know about baking this cake in a 13×9 pan versus a round cake pan?
Hi Debbie! You can bake it in a 9 x 13, you just need to adjust the bake time. I’m not sure how long it would need to bake. 🙂
Could less sugar be used? If so, how much can I take out?
Hi Rachel! I haven’t tried reducing the sugar so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out.
Oooooh, what a cake! Moist and flavorful, and easy to make. It’s less sweet than any yellow cake from a mix, which is a plus. The simplicity of the recipe allows the vanilla flavor to be the star, along with the texture. Definitely cut off the domes, because, as Sam said, they’re great for snacking.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Bruce! 🙂