Last updated: November 13, 2026.
Yellow cake gets its golden color and rich flavor from egg yolks and butter. This version bakes up moist with a fine, tender crumb — the classic layer cake that pairs with chocolate, vanilla, or fruit frosting.
If you have never baked a layer cake from scratch, this is the version to start with. The method is simple — cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs, alternate the flour and milk — and the extra yolks do the work of keeping the crumb rich and golden. Room-temperature ingredients are the one thing that matters: cold eggs and milk make the batter curdle instead of blending smooth.
Yellow cake belongs in our baking dessert recipes collection, and it is the layer cake to learn first — the birthday cake, the bake-sale cake, the one every frosting was invented for. If you are still choosing what to bake, our dessert recipes hub has the full list of ideas.
Why You’ll Love This Yellow Cake
- Moist, tender crumb. Extra yolks and the alternating flour-and-milk method give a fine, soft crumb that stays moist for days.
- Golden and buttery. The yolks bring the color and the butter brings the flavor — this is why yellow cake tastes richer than white cake.
- One-bowl method, more or less. Cream, add, alternate, bake. No fussy steps and nothing to fold.
- Frosts with anything. Chocolate, vanilla buttercream, cream cheese frosting or fresh fruit — the cake takes them all.
- Freezes beautifully. Bake the layers ahead, freeze them wrapped, and frost on the day — the birthday-cake cheat that works.
Ingredients
Cake
- 315 g (2 1/2 cups) cake flour (or all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons cornstarch per cup)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 170 g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 350 g (1 3/4 cups) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract — where to buy
- 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk, room temperature
Equipment
- Two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans — where to buy
- Parchment paper — where to buy
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer — where to buy
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Wire racks
- Measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Yellow Cake
Step 1 — Preheat and Prepare the Pans
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch (20 cm) round pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Step 2 — Whisk the Dry Ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl until evenly mixed.
Step 3 — Cream the Butter and Sugar
Beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, the whole egg and the vanilla until smooth.
Step 4 — Alternate Flour and Milk
Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until smooth — do not overbeat.
Step 5 — Divide Between the Pans
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
Step 6 — Bake
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back lightly when pressed.
Step 7 — Cool Completely
Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
Step 8 — Frost and Serve
Frost with chocolate, vanilla or fruit frosting once the layers are completely cool, then slice and serve.
Tips for Perfect Yellow Cake
- Extra yolks, richer crumb. The yolks are what make this cake golden and tender — whites alone give a paler, drier cake.
- Room temperature matters. Cold milk and eggs curdle the batter. Set them out 30 minutes before you start.
- Weigh the flour. Spooning and leveling — or better, weighing — keeps the crumb light instead of dense.
- Do not overbeat. Once the flour goes in, mix just until smooth. Overbeaten batter bakes up tough and dense.
- Begin and end with flour. Alternating dry and wet, starting and finishing with flour, keeps the batter emulsified and the crumb even.
- Cool before frosting. Frosting a warm layer melts straight off. Wait until the layers are completely cool to the touch.
Storage, Make-Ahead and Freezing
- Room temperature: the frosted cake keeps covered for up to 3 days. Press plastic wrap on any cut surface to slow drying.
- Make ahead: bake the layers a day early, wrap them well once cool, and frost on the day.
- Freezing: freeze unfrosted layers, wrapped tightly in plastic and foil, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, still wrapped, before frosting.
- Serving: slice with a long, sharp knife wiped clean between cuts for neat layers.
Variations
- Buttermilk yellow cake. Swap the milk for buttermilk for a slight tang — reduce the baking powder by 1/2 teaspoon.
- Chocolate-frosted classic. The traditional pairing: yellow layers with rich chocolate frosting.
- Lemon yellow cake. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter and frost with lemon buttercream.
- Yellow cupcakes. Divide the batter among 24 lined muffin cups and bake 18–20 minutes.
- Oil version. Replace the butter with 2/3 cup (160 ml) neutral oil for a very moist crumb — a little less buttery, so keep the full vanilla.
Nutrition
One slice (1 of 12, unfrosted) has about 330 calories, 49 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 29 g sugar, 1 g fiber and 220 mg sodium. Nutrition information is an estimate only. Frosting adds calories not counted here.
Dietary notes: Contains wheat (gluten), egg, and milk. Vegetarian.
| Calories | 330 |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | 49 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Saturated fat | 8 g |
| Sugar | 29 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sodium | 220 mg |
How we write our recipes: Every Desert Dishes recipe is written with US home cooks in mind — ingredients are given in cups and grams, temperatures in Fahrenheit and Celsius, and times are stated as ranges where ovens vary. Our Recipe Testing Policy explains how recipes are checked and corrected. Found an error? Contact us and we will fix it — see our Corrections Policy.
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Ingredients
2 teaspoons
Baking Equipment
FAQ
Why is it called yellow cake?
The name comes from the egg yolks in the batter, which give the cake its golden-yellow color and rich flavor — the same reason it tastes more buttery than a white cake.
Can I make yellow cake with oil instead of butter?
Yes — replace the butter with 2/3 cup (160 ml) neutral oil for a very moist crumb. The flavor will be a little less buttery, so keep the full vanilla and consider adding 1/4 teaspoon butter extract if you have it.
How do I keep yellow cake moist?
Do not overbake, use room-temperature ingredients, and store the frosted cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. A thin layer of frosting or plastic wrap pressed on a cut surface slows drying.
Can I freeze yellow cake layers?
Yes. Cool the layers completely, wrap each tightly in plastic and foil, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped, before frosting.
Times, servings and nutrition values are standard guidance and may vary.
Yellow Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch (20 cm) round pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl until evenly mixed.
- Beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, the whole egg and the vanilla until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until smooth — do not overbeat.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back lightly when pressed.
- Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost with chocolate, vanilla or fruit frosting once the layers are completely cool, then slice and serve.
Notes
More Recipes to Try
More from Desert Dishes — try these next:
- Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe (Fluffy & Easy) — fluffy, easy vanilla cupcakes with smooth frosting.
- Best Carrot Cake Recipe (Moist, Spiced & Easy) — moist, spiced carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
- Best Red Velvet Cake Recipe (Moist & Easy) — moist, tender red layers with cream cheese frosting.
- Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe (Classic Biscuits, Berries & Cream) — classic biscuits, berries and cream — the summer cake.
- Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (Moist & Easy) — moist, rich chocolate cake with smooth frosting.
