Yellow Birthday Cake

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

Yellow Birthday Cake is soft, fluffy, and buttery with a rich vanilla flavor. It has nostalgic old-fastioned taste and layered with a homemade chocolate buttercream frosting and rainbow sprinkles for fun! This classic cake is perfect for all occasions and will be loved by everyone!

PIN this Yellow Birthday Cake recipe to try later!

Pin

yellow birthday cake

Everyone needs a classic Yellow Birthday Cake recipe in their kitchens, so ditch the yellow cake mix because this is just as easy and tastes so much better! It’s hard to beat homemade cake from scratch and I’m here to show you how simple it is to make.

This Yellow Birthday Cake is super soft, moist, has a tender crumb, and bursting with a bright golden yellow color. We use extra egg yolks and butter to add extra richness to the batter. The thick cake layers are smothered with a chocolate frosting that’s not too sweet and pairs perfectly.

Top the cake with sprinkles and candles for a celebratory cake or serve plain any time of year. This golden classic is so nostalgic and will be loved after the first bite! If you love vanilla cakes, try this Buttermilk Vanilla Cake!

Pin

Pin

key ingredients

• Flour: All-purpose flour works best. Always spoon and level flour when measuring it. Be sure not to scoop it out of the bag using the measuring cup. This way, you won’t accidentally measure out too much. 
• Eggs: We use 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks at room temperature to help bind the cake batter and add richness.
• Buttermilk: The star ingredient! We use full fat buttermilk to add a rich and buttery flavor. It will also enhance the moisture and balance out the sweetness.
• Baking soda and baking powder: Used as a leavening agent, this will make the cake rise and be soft and fluffy.
• Salted butter: If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
• Granulated white sugar: Used to make the cake sweet.
• Pure vanilla extract: Enhances all the flavors. I love using vanilla bean paste to maximize the flavors.

Pin

how to make the best yellow birthday cake

Prepare cake pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 8-inch round baking pans, line the bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper to form a circle to fit the bottoms. Set aside.

Combine dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light, fluffy, and pale for a few minutes.

Add remaining wet ingredients: Add in the vanilla and sour cream, mix until fully combined, smooth and mixture is creamy. Add in the whole eggs and egg yolks one at a time until incorporated.

Rotate adding the buttermilk and flour mixture in 3 increments: Make sure the cake batter is combined, but do not over-mix.

Pin

Bake and cool cake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean and the tops are a light golden brown. Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes. Carefully run a butter knife along the edge of the cake pan and carefully flip it over on a wire rack to cool for another 10-15 minutes or until cooled completely.

Make chocolate frosting: In a separate bowl, beat together the softened butter with an electric mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Mix on low speed and gradually increase the speed when adding the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add in the cocoa powder, vanilla and buttermilk and continue to beat on high speed until creamy and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin, and more buttermilk if frosting is too thick.

Frost, decorate and enjoy: Place one layer of the cake on the bottom of a cake stand or cake plate. Spread a thick layer of frosting to cover the top, then place the second layer on top. Spread frosting all over the top and sides of the cake with an offset spatula. Make the frosting smooth or make swirls with a spoon. Decorate with rainbow sprinkles (optional) and enjoy!

Pin

recipe variations

• Size of baking pan: To bake in 2 9-inch pans reduce the baking time by a few minutes. To bake in a 9×13 inch pan, bake the cake for 30-35 minutes. To bake in a bundt pan, bake for 50-55 minutes. Always use the toothpick test to see if the cake is baked and note that oven temperature times vary in every oven.
• Chocolate Cake: Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and chocolate chips to the cake batter to give the cake a chocolate flavor.
• Frosting: Swap the Chocolate Buttercream frosting for a Buttermilk Vanilla frosting, Cream Cheese Frosting, Strawberry Frosting , classic Vanilla Frosting or Chocolate Ganache. You could also leave it unfrosted like a pound cake and dust with powdered or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Pin

f&q

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

Definitely! I do this almost every time sinceI don’t have the time to make a cake from start to finish in the same day. You can make this cake up to 3 days in advance. Once the 2 layers are baked and cooled completely, wrap each layer generously with plastic wrap and then with heavy duty foil.

What makes this cake fluffy and moist?

The buttermilk! That’s why we can’t replace it. The combination of the butter and extra egg yolks helps make this cake extra fluffy and moist as well.

Do I have to use buttermilk?

Yes, I wouldn’t swap this ingredient for anything else because the buttermilk adds the rich flavor and the moist texture. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own buttermilk at home with milk and lemon or white vinegar.

pro tips

• Make ahead: Save some time and make the cake a day or two ahead of time. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in the freezer to preserve it’s freshness.
• Let cake cool completely: If you don’t let the cake cool completely, the frosting will melt off and the cake won’t look pretty.
• Crumb coat: To get a flawless frosting look, add a crumb layer by coating the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting, then place it in the freezer to harden for 15-20 minutes. Add the other layer of frosting and spread all over cake.
• Use room temperature ingredients: This will ensure a smooth and velvety batter and the ingredients will incorporate easily. 
• Make sure not to over-bake the cake: Every oven is different, so the bake times will be different. The best way to tell if it’s ready is it’s not jiggly in the center and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Grease round cake pans: I always like to put parchment paper on the bottom of my cake pans and spray the bottom and sides liberally with non stick cooking spray. We don’t want any cake to stick!

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK

If you don’t have buttermilk at home or need a buttermilk substitute- don’t panic. You can easily make it from scratch! Simply pour 1 1/4 cup of regular whole milk into a liquid measuring cup and add 1 tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir together and let the milk sit for 10 minutes or until it starts to curdle.

Pin

yellow birthday cake leftovers & storage

Leftovers: Store leftover cake in an airtight container or cover plate with foil or plastic wrap. Store in a cool area for up to 5 days.

Freeze: You can freeze unfrosted or frosted cake by wrapping the cooled unfrosted cake with plastic wrap, or cut into individual slices and wrap each slice, and then place in a heavy-duty ziplock bag or cover with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrost: To defrost the unfrosted or frosted cake, let the cake thaw completely before frosting. Place cake in the refrigerator to sit overnight or sit out in the counter for at least 3 hours.

Pin

Pin