Moist Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

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This Moist Yellow Cake recipe is moist and tender with a soft crumb! It’s made completely from-scratch and is way better than any cake mix. The cake pairs perfectly with the chocolate buttercream frosting for the perfect classic yellow cake!

Why You’ll Love This Yellow Cake With Chocolate Frosting

Yellow cakes made from scratch can often be dry and flavorless. That’s a bummer for anyone looking for a tasty cake and such a shame for yellow cake, which should be moist and full of flavor. This yellow cake recipe is everything you need in your cake, and here’s why.

• Great texture. I use the reverse creaming method in this yellow cake recipe. For this method, you add the butter to the dry ingredients, and then add the wet ingredients last. The butter coats the flour, minimizing gluten development during mixing. It makes the cake so tender! That said, cakes made with this method tend to rise a little less (since you don’t add as much air to the batter through creaming) and be a little more dense (and feel more moist), which I think goes perfectly with this cake.
• Rich buttery flavor. The star ingredients in a yellow cake are eggs and butter. The cake crumb is rich and buttery without being overpowering.
• Paired with chocolate frosting. No classic Yellow Cake is complete without Chocolate Frosting. There is just something magical about the taste of yellow cake and chocolate frosting together. This chocolate buttercream is fudgy and delicious!
• Perfect for ANY occasion. I love yellow layer cakes because they are perfect for birthdays, showers, small gatherings or big parties. Keep it simple or dress it up; it’s like the little black dress of the dessert world!

What is Yellow Cake?

Yellow cake is basically a variation on a vanilla cake. Generally there are 3 buckets of vanilla cakes – white cake, yellow cake and vanilla cake. The difference between them relies heavily on the eggs used. A regular vanilla cake will typically use just whole eggs, while white cakes tend to use egg whites and yellow cakes tend to use a combination of whole eggs and egg yolks. In yellow cake, the egg yolks add even more flavor and the yellow color of them shows in the finished cake. I’d describe the general flavor of yellow cakes to be a little more “egg-y” and buttery. I have chosen to use a combination of whole eggs and egg yolks to properly tenderize the cake and add color.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Buttermilk – The buttermilk contributes to this cake’s wonderfully tender texture and moisture. The acid in the buttermilk also activates the baking soda in the cake, so if you don’t have any on hand, I recommend making your own. Swap out 2 tablespoons of your regular milk (preferably whole milk) for 2 tablespoons of either white vinegar or lemon juice.
• Whole eggs & egg yolks – You can’t make a yellow cake without lots of eggs and egg yolks. They provide richness to the batter and the classic yellow color of the cake. Using all egg yolks would make the cake a little heavy, so there’s 3 whole eggs and 2 added yolks. It’s just enough yolks to add the color and flavor you want without sacrificing the texture of the cake.
• Flour – This recipe uses all-purpose flour. For the best taste and texture, I recommend measuring accurately with a food scale. If you don’t have one, you can also use the spoon and level method.
• Sugar – Sugar adds both sweetness and moisture to cake, which affects the texture. Be sure to use the amount called for in the recipe.
• Baking powder & baking soda – I like to use both baking powder and baking soda for this cake recipe. The combination of both will aid in creating a light, fluffy cake crumb.
• Salt – Without a little salt, your cake will be bland.
• Unsalted butter – When baking, it’s best to use unsalted butter because it allows you to control the salt more precisely. If all you have is salted butter, just leave out the extra salt in the recipe. Bring the butter to room temperature before adding it to the batter (or using it in the buttercream). You’ll know your butter is soft enough when you can leave an imprint after pressing on the outside gently.
• Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar gives the buttercream volume and affects the consistency. I tend to use a good bit because I like a thicker buttercream that I know will stay in place and pipes well. Feel free to reduce it, if you aren’t concerned about that. You can also just reduce the overall amount of buttercream, if you tend to just add a thin layer of frosting to your cakes.
• Heavy cream – You’ll only need a little to help adjust the final thickness of the chocolate buttercream. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use milk, or even water.

How to Make Yellow Cake from Scratch

Here is a step-by-step list of instructions for how to make the cake and frosting. Remember, we are using a reverse creaming method for the cake batter. You’ll want to read thoroughly to get a good feel for the flow of how to add the ingredients. For more comprehensive instructions, check the recipe card at the end of the post.

To Make The Cake Batter

• Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven and prepare three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper in the bottom and baking spray on the sides.
• Combine wet ingredients. The first thing you want to do is combine your wet ingredients. That’s going to be your buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract. Pour about 3/4 cup of the wet ingredients into another measuring cup. You should have approximately 1 1/4 cups remaining. Set both containers aside.
• Combine dry ingredients. Next, combine your dry ingredients. In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add butter to dry ingredients. From there, begin adding the butter to the dry ingredients. Keep your mixer on its lowest speed and slowly add the butter about a tablespoon at a time. Allow it to combine before adding the next bit of butter. As you continue adding butter, the mixture should start to resemble damp sand.
• Slowly begin adding more wet ingredients. Once your butter is all incorporated, you’ll add the larger amount of wet ingredients (1 1/4 cups) and stir until all of the dry ingredients are wet. Then, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed for about 45-60 seconds until the batter is light and fluffy.
• Mix until well combined. Add the remaining wet ingredients (3/4 cup) and mix until well combined.
• Bake. Divide the cake batter between the cake pans and bake away!
• Cool. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• Cream the butter. Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
• Add half of the powdered sugar. Slowly add half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
• Mix in the cocoa and vanilla. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla extract and mix until well combined and smooth.
• Pour in the cream. Add 3-4 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until well combined and smooth.
• Add the rest of the powdered sugar and salt. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and salt and mix until smooth.
• Adjust the thickness. Add additional cream, as needed to get the right consistency of frosting. You don’t want it too thick or it won’t stay on your cake, but if it’s too thin, your cake layers will slide around and you won’t be able to pipe the frosting.

To Assemble The Cake

• Trim your cakes. Use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they’re flat. Refer to my tutorial, if needed.
• Alternate cake layers and frosting. Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake. Add the second layer of cake and another cup of frosting.
• Place the top cake layer and frost the outside. Top the cake with the remaining layer and frost the outside of the cake. Refer to my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, if needed.
• Decorate the cake. Use a decorating comb to add pattern to the sides of the cake, if desired. Pipe shells of frosting around the top edge of the cake. I used Ateco tip 844. Add a few sprinkles to the top of the cake. Enjoy!

Tips for Success

• Measure Your Flour Correctly. I always recommend using a food scale to ensure accuracy when measuring flour. If you add too much flour, your cake will be dry and dense. If you don’t have a food scale, you can also use the spoon and level method. Read more about measuring your flour accurately here.
• Make Sure Your Butter Is At The Right Temperature. Finding the correct temperature for butter can be tricky because room temperature can vary from room to room in the same house. You’ll know your butter is just right if you press on it gently and are able to make a slight imprint.
• Allow The Cake To Cool Before Decorating. Trying to frost your cake before the layers are completely cool will result in melted buttercream. It would be a shame to ruin your buttercream and waste your time and money. Trust me, it’s worth waiting to decorate until you are sure the cake is cool.
• Use A Great Chocolate Frosting. The chocolate frosting recipe provided on the recipe card below is flavorful and easy to work with. However, if you are a true chocolate lover, try my Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. It’s got melted chocolate in it for an even deeper chocolate flavor!

More Amazing Cake Recipes

• Best Moist Chocolate Cake
• Moist Vanilla Cake
• Homemade Strawberry Cake
• Best Angel Food Cake
• Best Carrot Cake Recipe
• Red Velvet Layer Cake
• German Chocolate Cake

Watch How to Make it

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