Having a good yellow sheet 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.

Most of us got our yellow cake fix in the form of a sheet cake, and that’s one of my favorite ways to eat it! It keeps things simple and is so easy to make and serve.

Sheet cakes are definitely easier and quicker to decorate than the layer cakes I usually make.

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. In this recipe, I also include some oil, to add a bit more moisture to the cake.

Butter 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 a butter as you can find!

Some brands of butter are more yellow than others. The color of butter is usually based on the diet of the cows.

Cows that eat a lot of grass make yellower butter because of the beta-carotene in the grass. Some brands also add coloring to their butter (always check the ingredients).

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

Whole Eggs

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

Most white cake recipes just use egg whites like my vanilla layer cake recipe. Using whole eggs adds to both the color and the flavor of the cake. The yolks add a richer taste to the cake.

Similar to my advice on butter, I recommend using brown eggs instead of white eggs. Their yolks are a deeper shade of yellow which also helps make the batter actually look yellow!

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

This yellow sheet cake recipe will still turn out great if you use white eggs, but the color of the batter will be more yellow if you use brown eggs.

Chocolate Buttercream

The final component of this yellow sheet cake is the frosting!

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

I like to pair my chocolate buttercream with this yellow sheet cake because it is my very favorite chocolate frosting.

It uses both cocoa powder AND melted chocolate, which gives it an intensely delicious chocolate flavor.

I chose to use melted dark chocolate, but you can also use milk chocolate!

Decorating This Cake

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

I made some swooshes in my chocolate buttercream with a small offset spatula, then added some pretty sprinkles around the sides of the cake.

If you don’t have an offset spatula, you could always use the back of a spoon!

This decoration only took a few minutes to make and was such a fun change of pace!

Tips for Making the Best Yellow Sheet 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.
• Properly measure the cake flour (spoon into the cup measure then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Use a pretty sprinkle blend to take your decoration to the next level!
• Be sure to use flower nails/heating cores to help your sheet cake bake more evenly and quickly.
• If you want to make a yellow layer cake, use my yellow layer cake recipe to make 3, 8-inch cake layers.
• This recipe can be used to make about 20 cupcakes. Fill your liners about halfway and bake for about 18 minutes in a preheated 350 F /175 C oven.
• You can also use this recipe to bake a 12×17-in (half-sheet) cake, but I’d recommend doubling the recipe! Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes at 325°F/162°C, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Making These Cake Layers in Advance and Storage Tips:

Make this sheet cake in advance and freeze it. This breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make the 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.

This cake can sit out at room temp for a day, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month if stored in an airtight container.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this yellow sheet cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

If you share on social media, be sure to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so I can see your delicious creations.