Having a good yellow cake recipe up your sleeve is always a good idea.

A lot of people grew up eating yellow cake, and I feel like it has a special place in so many of our hearts.

While most of us enjoyed yellow cake in the form of a sheet cake, there’s nothing stopping us from transforming that delicious childhood favorite into an amazing yellow layer cake!

Sheet cakes are definitely easier, and quicker to decorate, but (as I’m sure you know by now) I just love making layer cakes.

What Makes A Cake A Yellow Cake?

When you ask someone what the defining characteristics of a yellow cake are, a lot of people don’t really know!

They know it has a tender crumb, and a buttery taste, but beyond that most people aren’t sure.

In my head, every yellow cake also has an amazing chocolate buttercream frosting 🙂

Butter

Yellow cake recipes always call for butter as the fat. This gives the cake its buttery taste, and tender crumb.

It also helps contribute to the yellow color of the cake layers.

I usually use butter that is pretty light in color, but this is one situation where I encourage you to use as yellow of a butter as you can find!

Some brands of butter are more yellow than others.

This can be based on the diet of the cows. Cows that eat a lot of grass make yellower butter due to the beta carotene in the grass. Some brands also add artificial coloring (always check the ingredients).

I’ve found that artisanal and/or organic butter usually have a deeper color.

Whole Eggs

Another defining factor in a yellow cake recipe? Lots of eggs!

A lot of white cake recipes (like my WASC cake)just use egg whites, so using whole eggs add to both the color and the flavor of the cake. The yolks add a richer taste to the cake.

Similar to my sentiments above, I recommend using brown eggs instead of white eggs. They have a darker colored yolk, which will also help make the batter actually look yellow!

One of my pet peeves is when a “yellow cake recipe” makes relatively white cake layers.

The recipe will still taste great if you use white eggs, but the color of the batter will be more yellow if you opt for brown eggs.

Chocolate Buttercream

The final component of a yellow cake is the frosting!

To truly be a yellow cake recipe, a cake has to have chocolate frosting. The two go hand in hand!

I use my chocolate buttercream in this yellow cake recipe, because it is my favorite!!

It uses both cocoa powder AND melted chocolate, which gives it a rich chocolate flavor.

I chose to use milk chocolate, but you can also use dark chocolate if you prefer.

Decorating This Cake

Sticking with theme of the simple, delicious cakes we remember eating as kids, I kept the decoration of this cake pretty simple.

In fact, I used a spoon to decorate it!!

I made some swooshes in my chocolate buttercream, them swirled in a bit of melted dark chocolate.

The look only took a few minutes to make, and was such a fun change of pace!

This is also a great decoration design if you struggle to get smooth sides on your cake.

Tips for Making The Best Yellow Layer Cake:

• Take the time to properly cream together your butter and sugar! This incorporates air into the butter, and gives your cake that perfectly fluffy texture
• Be sure to properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients
• Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake, to make it easier to stack and frost.
• Mix your cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated; this will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy
• If you want to make a yellow sheet cake, use my yellow sheet cake recipe to make a 9x13in cake.

Making These Cake Layers in Advance and Storage Tips:

• Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them: It breaks the process up and make it more approachable.
• Make your frosting ahead of time too, or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
• A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
• If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this yellow cake recipe, I’d love to hear how it goes! Please leave a rating, and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment 🙂

Or if you share your creations on social media, be sure to tag me @chelsweets!