Yellow layer cake is extra moist, tender crumb, made from scratch with chocolate buttercream. It’s easy to make in one-bowl, uses simple ingredients, ready in 60-minutes. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting was my childhood favorite – perfect for Birthday cake or an easy dessert.
Two layers of moist, classic yellow cake, topped with the most delicious chocolate frosting. Step-by-step instructions so you can make it on repeat. Be sure and save this recipe!
Yellow cake with chocolate frosting is one of the most nostalgic recipes ever. It’s so much better than store-bought yellow cake mix.
Be sure and try my chocolate layer cake and lemon layer cake.
Why this recipe works
- Extremely moist – Vegetable oil, sour cream and buttermilk make this cake wonderfully moist.
- Made from scratch – Simple ingredients readily available, better than a cake mix.
- No mixer needed – You can make the cake batter with a whisk. You’ll need a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer for the frosting.
- Easy dessert – One of the easiest desserts to make.
What you’ll need
- Flour – Use a high-quality brand of all-purpose or cake flour.
- Sugar – Sweetens the cake, granulated sugar keeps it light and fluffy.
- Salt – Added in baking recipes to heighten sweet flavors.
- Baking soda & powder – Acts as a leavening agent to help cakes rise.
- Vanilla extract – Always use a high-quality brand. Adds wonderful flavor.
- Eggs and Yolks – Gives the cake batter structure, helps it rise properly and gives it rich flavor and signature yellow color.
- Sour cream – For best results, use full-fat sour cream. Adds tangy flavor and moisture.
- Buttermilk – Use whole cultured buttermilk. Substitute 1 cup whole milk to 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice if you cannot find it.
- Oil – Use either vegetable or canola oil.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Butter or vegetable shortening – Use a high-quality brand of butter or vegetable shortening. I prefer vegetable shortening.
- Powdered sugar – Sift it for no lumps in your frosting.
- Cocoa powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Salt – Heightens flavors in this chocolate buttercream.
- Vanilla extract – Adds a touch of sweetness and flavor to frosting.
- Evaporated milk – This is my secret ingredient. Mom always used this for her buttercream frosting. It makes such a creamy frosting.
How to make Yellow cake
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two (9-inch) round cake pans.
- Whisk dry ingredients – Sift flour into a large bowl. Add sugar, salt, baking soda and powder. Whisk together.
- Mix in wet ingredients – Add the eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, buttermilk, and oil. Combine with an electric hand mixer, stand mixer or by hand with a whisk. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula.
- Bake – Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick when inserted comes out mostly clean, with some moist crumbs. Be careful NOT to overbake!
- Cool cakes – Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire cooling racks.
- Frost – Place one cooled cake onto a cake plate or 10-inch cardboard circle covered with aluminum foil and add an even layer of frosting using an icing spatula. Top with the second layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of the cake.
A cake decorating turntable is very helpful when decorating cakes. It’s got a heavy cast iron base that will last generations.
One of my favorite ways to store a round cake is in a Tupperware cake taker. While it’s an investment, it lasts a lifetime.
More easy cake recipes
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Yellow Cake Recipe
Classic yellow cake recipe with chocolate buttercream. Soft, moist vanilla cake with delicious, easy to make chocolate frosting.
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 793kcal
Ingredients
Yellow Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 egg yolks room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 ¾ cups full-fat buttermilk
- ¾ cup vegetable or canola oil
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup vegetable shortening or butter softened
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup evaporated milk
Instructions
Yellow Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Use a pastry brush to lightly grease and flour two (9-inch) round baking pans. Tap out any excess flour and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and soda.
- Add wet ingredients. Add the eggs, yolks, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and oil. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with beater attachment. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Combine on low/medium.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick when inserted comes out mostly clean, with some moist crumbs. Be careful not to overbake the cakes! Baking times vary based on your individual ovens. Watch the cakes carefully towards the end of baking.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out of cake pans and cool completely on wire cooling racks. Let cool completely before frosting.
- Make the buttercream while cakes cool. In a large mixing bowl, using either a stand mixer with whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer. Combine powdered sugar, vegetable shortening (or softened butter), cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract on low to medium speed. Pour in evaporated milk. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Once incorporated, beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes. Add ½ cup more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin. Add a few tablespoons more of evaporated milk or heavy cream if frosting too thick.
- Assemble and frost. Place one cooled cake on your stand or serving plate. Top with an even layer of frosting using an icing spatula. Top that with the second cake. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Use the icing spatula to make a swirl pattern on the top.
- Refrigerate the cake either uncovered or covered in a cake holder for 1 hour prior to serving. This will help set the frosting. Serve immediately after refrigeration or store refrigerated for 2-3 days.
Recipe Notes
We like to use a 10-inch cardboard cake round covered in aluminum foil. This is especially nice when transporting a cake or giving it as a gift. Aluminum foil helps protect the cardboard so it doesn’t absorb moisture from the cake and get soggy.
Nutrition
Calories: 793kcal | Carbohydrates: 109g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 557mg | Potassium: 382mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 77g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 3mg
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Sharonett Christian says
The best yellow cake layers I have ever tasted! I was skeptical at first because there was no butter in the recipe but let me tell you it did not affect the taste or texture. It’s moist, spongey and the perfect canvas for a birthday cake or virtually any flavored layer cake! When the cake is great without the frosting you know you have a winner! I have been looking for a recipe like this one for years! So glad I found it!