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Stop reaching for that box mix: this is the BEST Yellow Cake Recipe you will ever make from scratch! It is a simple, no-fuss recipe that results in buttery, moist layers with a tender crumb that is perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re making a birthday layer cake, a quick sheet cake, or a batch of 24 cupcakes, this versatile cake is as easy as it is delicious.

Three-layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting and colorful sprinkles on top, placed on a white cake stand. A slice has been removed, revealing the moist layers and frosting in between.

This easy yellow cake recipe yields two 8-inch or 9-inch rounds, a 9×13-inch sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes. It uses a base of melted unsalted butter, buttermilk, and three large eggs to create a moist, buttery texture from scratch. The thick batter is perfect for stacking with chocolate or vanilla buttercream frosting.

I wanted to come up with a cake recipe that would work for cupcakes and cake. I needed a recipe with a texture that is moist, light and airy, and wouldn’t make me miss my good old standby, the box mix. And guess what? THIS is the recipe I was looking for – and you have been too!

  • It makes an 8-inch or 9-inch layer cake, 24 cupcakes or a sheet cake
  • It holds up to stacking with a tender yet sturdy crumb and tastes like the perfect moist cake you expect from a yellow cake recipe.
  • I’ve made this recipe so many times I’ve lost count and it’s the perfect base for any frosting or filling.

The secret to this yellow cake’s incredible texture is the use of melted butter and buttermilk. Most traditional recipes require you to cream softened butter for several minutes, but I’ve found that starting with melted butter leads to an even moister cake that holds up perfectly to stacking and frosting. This is the only scratch cake recipe you need to finally replace the box mix for good.

Ingredients in yellow cake

Yellow Cake Ingredients

  • Starting with melted butter rather than softened butter changes the cake’s final structure. Melted butter creates a more cohesive batter that coats the flour particles, resulting in a denser, moister crumb that mimics the beloved texture of a box mix while keeping the rich flavor of real butter.
  • Use baking powder to help the cake rise and be nice and fluffy. I always like to whisk my dry ingredients first: the baking powder with all-purpose flour, and salt. However, for a one-bowl recipe you can skip this step and just add the ingredients as you go.
  • This recipe was written for all purpose flour. The main difference between cake flour and all-purpose is protein content: cake flour has about 8% and all-purpose is slightly higher. This makes for a bit denser of a cake (hence the extra baking powder and buttermilk in my recipe).
  • Buttermilk is a key ingredient because its acidity breaks down the long strands of gluten in the flour. This ensures the cake stays light and airy rather than tough or rubbery, and provides that classic, slightly tangy depth of flavor found in professional bakery cakes.
  • You can also use regular whole milk or nondairy milk in place of the buttermilk.

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.

3 layer yellow cake cut open on cake plate.

Pan Size Equivalents for Cupcakes or Cake

You can make this recipe a few different ways:

  • Three round 8-inch pans
  • Two 9-inch rounds
  • 24 standard size cupcakes
  • 9×13-inch sheet cake

It makes this the perfect all-purpose cake recipe! I always spray my cake pans with nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour) or I grease and flour them. Learn how to prepare your cake pans here.

Different size pans will bake in different times, but always bake at 350°F and your cake is done baking when a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.

A slice of three-layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting sits on a white plate. The frosting is topped with colorful sprinkles. A fork is placed beside the slice. Another piece of cake is blurred in the background.

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Dorothy’s Expert Yellow Cake Tips

  • Be sure to mix in the eggs one at a time, beating between each.
  • To achieve a sturdy yet tender crumb, always add your dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately to the wet ingredients. This folding method prevents over-mixing, which is the most common cause of dry, hole-filled cakes.
  • Do not over bake the cake! Cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
  • If making a layer cake, I suggest using bake even strips to keep your layers from doming, making stacking much easier.
SUBSTITUTIONS
OTHER RECIPES
A slice of three-layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting sits on a white plate. The frosting is topped with colorful sprinkles. A fork is placed beside the slice. Another piece of cake is blurred in the background.

Basic Yellow Cake Recipe

4.09 from 259 votes
This is the BEST Basic Yellow Cake Recipe! It’s perfect for a layer cake, a sheet cake or cupcakes! This easy cake recipe is homemade – you’ll never need to buy a box cake mix again.

Recipe Video

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Assembling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield 24 servings
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

For the Cake:

  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 ½ cups (297g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups (296) ml buttermilk

For chocolate frosting:

  • ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 ½ cups (396g) powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) heavy whipping cream

For Vanilla Frosting

  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups (452g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake pans with liners or grease and flour cake pan(s).
  • Whisk salt, baking powder, and flour in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
  • Using a hand mixer, cream sugar into melted butter until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
  • Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour, mixing gently between each addition. Mix until just combined. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
  • Pour batter into prepared pans and bake as directed. Cool completely before removing and frosting.
  • Bake Time: 24 cupcakes: 14-17 minutes // Two 9-inch round pans: 24-27 minutes // Two 8-inch round pans: 25-33 minutes // 9×13-inch pan: 30-40 minutes

For the frosting:

  • If you're making chocolate frosting, first whisk powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt until no lumps remain. If making vanilla frosting, whisk powdered sugar with salt.
  • Beat butter until smooth with a hand or a stand mixer. Note: if you’re using a hand mixer be sure to use a very large bowl to avoid wearing the powdered sugar.
  • Add powdered sugar (or cocoa/powdered sugar mixture), one cup at a time, and beat on medium speed until crumbly. Mix vanilla..
  • Add 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream at a time, mixing between each addition, until the frosting is smooth and the desirable consistency.
  • Frost cake or cupcakes as desired.
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Recipe Notes

  • You can use a 9×13-inch pan, two 8-inch or 9-inch rounds, or make 24 cupcakes.
  • Store cake on counter for up to 3 days. Cake can be frozen (with or without frosting) for up to 2 months. Be sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap or an airtight container.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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How to make Yellow Cake Step by Step

melted butter and sugar in bowl on marble background.
cake batter in glass bowl hand holding mixer in batter on marble background.
cake batter in glass bowl with flour and hand pouring milk into batter on marble background.
process shot of birthday cake being made.
  1. If you don’t mind using an extra bowl, whisk dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, salt.)
  2. Mix sugar into melted butter with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
  3. Add eggs one at a time and vanilla and mix until smooth.
  4. Add buttermilk and flour mixture alternately, mixing only until moistened.

Storing Yellow Cake

  • Cake layers can be baked ahead and covered with plastic wrap for up to 24 hours before frosting, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
  • You can make the frosting up to 48 hours ahead of time and store in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 2 months. You may need to add a bit of cream or milk once it’s thawed.
  • Store leftover frosted cake in the fridge, loosely covered.
  • Freeze leftover cake (or cake slices) wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container.
slice of 3 layer yellow cake on white plate.

Substitutions

  • You can make this cake with ANY kind of milk. I recommend using whole milk or full fat non-dairy milk – the more fat in the liquid the better the cake.
  • You can substitute vegetable oil for the melted butter. This makes it easy to make dairy-free. I recommend adding a bit of butter extract for flavor, but it’s not required.
  • To make a gluten free yellow cake, I have substituted Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF All-Purpose flour in this cake with success.
  • You can swap cake flour for all-purpose flour 1:1 for an even lighter cake, however it won’t be as sturdy and might not hold up to lots of stacking.

Frosting Choices

FAQs

Can I make cupcakes with this recipe?

Yes! This recipe is specifically designed to work for both cakes and cupcakes, yielding exactly 24 standard-sized cupcakes.

Do I have to use buttermilk?

While buttermilk provides the best flavor and texture, you can substitute it with any regular or non-dairy milk if needed.

How do I store this cake?

You can store the frosted or unfrosted cake on the counter for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months if wrapped well in plastic wrap.

What frosting goes best with yellow cake?

This classic base pairs perfectly with both chocolate and vanilla buttercream, but its sturdy crumb also supports heavier cream cheese or peanut butter frostings.

Reader Favorite Cake Recipes

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.09 from 259 votes (225 ratings without comment)

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109 Comments

  1. There is a discrepancy in your directions for using 8″ cake pans. In one place you say to use three 8″ cake pans, and in the recipe directions you say to use two 8″ cake pans. I’m assuming that since you say to use two 9″ pans, you mean three 8″ pans?

    Reply

  2. Interesting that your email today asks this question about frosting preference! I was craving yellow cake with CHOCOLATE frosting yesterday and so I made a pound cake
    recipe from The Cake Doctor’s cookbook…I have a recipe where you combine some ingredients in a mason jar, tightly covered, and use six tablespoons to add to a 15.5 oz.
    cake mix to make it equal to an 18.5 oz. (I think that’s correct) cake mix. I baked it in a 9×13″ pan, and it is delicious! So…..(after that lengthy story)…..I prefer chocolate icing on a yellow cake! Your recipe sounds wonderful, so I’ll have to try it, and maybe try it with vanilla frosting.

    Reply

  3. I prefer vanilla buttercream frosting too, and usually add grated orange rind and just a little almond extract. Sometimes I put coconut on half if I’m make it in a 9×13” pan. The orange rind really adds a lot of flavor. I save the rinds in the freezer after we eat oranges so I always have some on hand.

    Reply

  4. I will make this cake for my two nephews who are brothers and birthdays are in the same month. I have to make two because they are young men living in different places.

    Reply

  5. I use this recipe when I’m in a hurry comes out perfect I substitute 1/2 strawberry powder for 1/2 c flour add strawberry emulsion in place & dried strawberry pieces makes an excellent cake

    Reply