Moist Yellow Cake Recipe (Old Fashioned)
Why does yellow cakes give folks such a hard time? It’s one of those cakes that if you find a great yellow cake recipe, you stick with it! I’ve been testing out yellow cake recipes off and on for awhile now.
The problem with homemade yellow cake is:
1.) It’s hard to find a from scratch yellow cake recipe that has the texture of a fluffy box yellow cake but that buttery, homemade taste of a scratch-made yellow cake. I can’t tell you how many dry, crumbly and/or eggy tasting yellow cakes I’ve had in the past.
2.) Um…I can’t think of anything else right now.
I’m here to tell you that YES YOU CAN have a scratch made fluffy, moist, yellow cake with a beautiful crumb texture. YES YOU CAN have that classic buttery-vanilla taste of a homemade yellow cake WITH simple ingredients. YES. YOU.CAN!!! YES. YOU. CAN!!! Sorry I’m literally sitting on the couch watching Nutty Professor while I write this blog post. Remember that part?
Anyways, I’ve been fortunate to come across some really good yellow cake recipes, but something in me just can’t seem to stop searching, kinda like with macaroni and cheese. Never satisfied even when you’re satisfied. Well today I want to share the homemade yellow cake recipe I’ve been making for years.
It’s that classic, old fashioned yellow cake recipe with simple pure ingredients. No butter flavored shortening (which I normally put in cakes) or sour cream or yogurt (which I also love to put in cakes). It’s the kind of yellow cake I grew up eating, with homemade chocolate butter cream frosting, sprinkles and candles (yes yellow cake taste best with candles. I don’t know why but it just does!)
This yellow cake recipe is the stuff old school birthdays were made of. You know, when most moms actually made every birthday cake from scratch. Wait, am I telling my age?? I digress…
This yellow cake recipe bakes up super moist, fluffy and velvety soft without the eggy taste that really irks me. My grandmother occasionally adds in butter flavoring to take the buttery taste over the edge, but I never seem to have that stuff on hand so I don’t add it in. I think it taste great without it. Although, if you really like the taste of boxed yellow cake, you may want to add that butter-flavored extract to replicate the taste.
Watch me make this moist, homemade yellow cake from start to finish!
Get the Recipe: Fluffy, Moist Homemade Yellow Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, room temperature (do not microwave)
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs, separated, room temperature
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325. F.
- Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
- Add in egg yolks and vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated. Set aside.
- In a seperate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk.
- Mix until batter is fluffy but be careful not to over mix.
- Beat egg whites until stiff and thick. (holds a nice peak)
- Very gently fold egg whites into batter and mix JUST until incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pans and spread into even layers.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cake cool in pans until pans are warm to the touch.
- Carefully remove cakes from pan and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- When cakes are completely cooled frost with chocolate buttercream frosting.
Video
Did This Yellow Cake Sink In the Middle?
*NOTE** Hey guys!! I see ya down there in the comments section (waving) and I see this cake is giving a lot of you a hard time with sinking in the middle (so sorry). Yellow cakes are notorious for giving folks a hard time and I was so sure this one would be a breeze for everyone. Ok let’s look into this.
I’ve tried to troubleshoot this cake so many times to see what could be causing the sinking but it comes out great for me each time. Go figure! I thought about removing the recipe and adding another in it’s place but so many have equally told me that it’s the best yellow cake recipe they’ve ever had.
It really is a GREAT cake and I’d love for you to experience it so I’ve listed some tips below that may help. Meanwhile I’ll also post my grandmothers yellow cake recipe as well (although I prefer this one).
What causes a yellow cake to sink in the middle:
1.) BEAT EGG WHITES CORRECTLY AND GENTLY FOLD THEM IN THOROUGHLY. I’m not yelling at you, I just want you to understand the importance of beating those whites until they are thick AND gently folding them in completely. It’s crucial for any cake that requires this method. If not, it could cause the cake to sink in the middle.
2.) Fresh baking powder. Make sure your baking powder is not expired. No seriously go check right now, you might be surprised.
3.) Don’t open the oven while the cake it cooking. Use the oven light if you want to peek at the cake.
4.) Don’t overbeat. Once you add in the flour be very careful about mixing to long. You just want the flour incorporated. I think this is the main reason cakes tend to sink.
5.) Increase baking time. If your cake looks like it’s still uncooked in the center let it cook a bit longer until the top springs back when touched. Keep a close eye on it.
This has been the best yellow cake recipe I have found. Easy to add coco powder to it just make sure to add more buttermilk.
Loved this recipe. I put 1 cup of sugar but it still turned out great.
This recipe used to be great, but it has changed since the version I have printed on an old card from this website. It now collapses and is overly sweet, cornbready texture. I tried it twice, both times not successful, after years of loving this recipe
What printed version do you have? The recipe has not been change.
Came to comment on how I resolved the sinking issue, can’t leave in comments so I’m replying! The cake benefits from a little extra structure, since it’s so insanely rich(a good thing!)-if you remove two tablespoons of sugar from the measured amount and gradually add as you beat the egg whites, they are strengthened enough to solve sinking issues. I also add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar to egg whites to further stabilize them. I have a home-based baking business and this amazing recipe is my standard yellow cake. Absolutely delicious and never dry. I also use cake strips, since the high proportion of sugar makes the edges very brown.
The centers collapsing may be caused by probing with a tester too soon. That tends to deflate the area around the test hole.
Ok…I followed the recipe carefully…a birthday cake for my honey…I’m not an amateur…at 30 min.the cake did not looked done and was not done..I added 5 minutes at a time for 10 minutes…still not even lightly baked…cranked the heat to 350 for another 5 minutes…the took it out…haven’t tasted it yet…the batter was delicious.
I’m having the same problem I put it in a 9 X 13 cake pan and right now it is liquid after 31 minutes. I will listen to you and go for another 10 minutes. I hope it works.
Absolutely brilliant recipe! My problem with homemade yellow cake recipes has always been the absurd amount of egg yolks they often contain, which is great for a spongy texture, but leaves a distinctly heavy body. The buttermilk is a much better alternative. It keeps the texture light, moist and crumbly, and adds complexity to the flavor. I halved the recipe and used two 6″ spring form pans, and I was amazed at the texture and form I achieved with only one egg! Beating and folding in the white to aerate the batter was a stroke of genius. I do the same in my key lime pies, but it never occurred to me to try with cake batter. My wife commented that this might be the first time she liked the cake as much as the frosting. I would line the pans with parchment paper next time. Even in a well greased pan, it stuck a bit on the bottom, but this will be my new go-to recipe for yellow cake.
Forgot to mention, I was unable to find cake flour at any of my local stores, so I just substituted good old all purpose flour. The end result was still better than any boxed mix I have ever had.