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Best Homemade Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Prep time: 35 min | Cook time: 25 min | Total time: 60 min

There’s nothing better than a good Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting! Made completely from scratch, this soft and moist vanilla sponge cake is rich in flavor and layered with the fudgiest chocolate buttercream. It’s the birthday cake people come back to again and again — nostalgic, satisfying, and way better than any box mix.

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slice of cake on two stacked plates with cake behind and flowers around.
Home » Recipes » Best Homemade Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Best Homemade Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Prep time:
35 min
Cook time:
25 min
Total time:
60 min
slice of cake on two stacked plates with cake behind and flowers around.

There’s nothing better than a good Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting! Made completely from scratch, this soft and moist vanilla sponge cake is rich in flavor and layered with the fudgiest chocolate buttercream. It’s the birthday cake people come back to again and again — nostalgic, satisfying, and way better than any box mix.

Jump to Recipe
– know before you bake –

Traci & Caylie’s

Recipe Highlights

  • Flavor: Classic and nostalgic — soft, buttery vanilla sponge cake paired with rich, fudgy chocolate buttercream.
  • Texture: Light, tender, and moist with a tight crumb that slices beautifully and holds up in layers.
  • Skill Level: Beginner-friendly, but with bakery-worthy results. Just mix, bake, and frost!
  • Would We Bake This Again? Absolutely. It’s the cake we reach for when someone says, “make something everyone will love.”

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This Is My New Favorite Cake!

I must admit, we have shared a LOT of delicious cake recipes over the years, but this yellow cake has quickly become a new favorite. While it may be similar to our classic vanilla cake, this cake has an extra depth of flavor that so many other cakes can only dream of having!

This cake uses our ultra indulgent chocolate buttercream frosting recipe (the same we use on our old fashioned chocolate sheet cake!) to give every bite a deep, rich chocolate flavor.

So, what are you waiting for?! Life is short. Don’t wait for a birthday or a special occasion to roll around to make this cake! 😉

cut yellow cake with chocolate frosting on marble surface with slice of cake on white plate beside.

Traci & Caylie Crossland

We’re the mother-daughter duo behind Bakers Table, sharing from-scratch recipes made with love, experience, and a serious passion for baking. Traci brings decades of baking expertise, while Caylie brings a fresh perspective and a love for all things creative. Together, we test every recipe to make sure it’s easy to follow and absolutely delicious. Read more about us and our blog →

“Our kitchen is where memories are made — and we’re so glad you’re here baking with us.”

What’s The Difference Between Vanilla Cake And Yellow Cake?

I’ll agree, while the two seem very similar on the surface, they do actually vary slightly and require different formulas/recipes to have the perfect recipe for each! So, what’s the difference?

Well, yellow cake uses extra egg yolks! Both vanilla and yellow cake are made with classic baking ingredients (I.E. sugar, butter, sugar, flour, milk, vanilla, and eggs), but a yellow cake adds in a few extra egg yolks to give the cake its iconic yellow color, as well as making the cake a little richer in flavor and a bit denser compared to a basic vanilla cake (which is typically lighter and fluffier!).

Here’s What You’ll Need:

This recipe requires less than 10 ingredients and comes together quickly with a stand mixer. Below, you’ll find a quick list of everything you need to make this cake. Luckily, most of it is probably already in your pantry! 😊

  • Dry Ingredients: All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Granulated Sugar.
  • Wet Ingredients: Unsalted Butter, Eggs (+ Extra Yolks!), Vanilla Extract, Buttermilk.
ingredients for yellow cake.

Let’s Whip Up This Birthday Cake!

I am an advocate for super easy cakes. I love nothing more than a good dump cake or oil-based cake…but I will admit, sometimes it’s worth putting the effort in to cream the butter, add the milk and dry ingredients alternately. It may seem like a lot of excessive steps but trust me when I say, “follow the recipe”! We have spent countless hours in the kitchen, testing, adjusting, and retesting to give you the best cake EVER.

We’re going to start out by creaming the butter and sugar. We want this extra creamy! So, I recommend doing a full 1-2 minutes. Then, we’re adding th eggs. Do this one at a time. If the eggs are added too fast, it will cause the mixture to curdle. Stir in the vanilla next!

Finally, add the whisked dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Be careful to not overmix!

egg added to butter and sugar mixture.
dry ingredients added to butter mixture.
vanilla cake batter in stand mixer.

If your cakes are domed on top after baking, remember to level them with either a serrated knife or cake leveler after they cool!

  • two baked cake layers in pans.
  • two leveled cake layers on wire cooling rack.

A Note On Pan Sizes ♡

For this recipe, we used two 8×3 inch round pans (we highly recommend these 8-inch round pans!. While you technically can make this recipe in a 8×12 sheet cake or even into cupcakes, I recommend against it. This recipe was developed specifically to be baked as a layer cake! If you’re looking to make vanilla cupcakes, try out our classic vanilla cupcake recipe instead.

Fudgiest Chocolate Frosting

Like our chocolate chip cookie cake, we’re using our favorite chocolate buttercream. Though, we slightly increased the amount of each ingredient to have extra frosting. If you would prefer less or a thinner layer of frosting, use the recipe found on our chocolate buttercream post.

Oh, and the best part about this frosting? Since there’s no leavening, you can use either dutch-process cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder in the buttercream! Both will provide rich, chocolaty results. So, whichever you have on hand will work!

You can also click the link to find our full tutorial on how to frost a cake!

angled close up of chocolate frosting on whisk attachment.
overhead image of chocolate frosted cake.
cut cake on marble surface with cake knife and flowers around.

Try These

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When you make this Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

Happy baking!
x, Caylie

slice of cake on two stacked plates with cake behind and flowers around.
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Best Homemade Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Author: Traci Crossland
A classic dessert, now made FROM SCRATCH: a moist and fluffy yellow cake with a hint of vanilla, topped with a layer of rich, decadent chocolate buttercream frosting. This cake is perfect for any and every occasion. Simply delicious!
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Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients
 

Cake

  • 2⅛ cups all purpose flour
  • 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅔ teaspoon salt
  • 1⅛ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1⅛ cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Frosting

  • 5½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1⅓ cups cocoa powder, sifted
  • ⅔ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ⅞ cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
US Customary – Metric

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 350℉/177℃.
  • Spray two 8-inch round pans with baking spray. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a flat beater, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 1-2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary.
  • Beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as necessary.
  • Beat in vanilla.
  • Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
  • Divide between prepared pans.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, or until cake test done.
  • Allow to cool in pan before turning out.

Frosting

  • Sift powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy.
  • Add cocoa mixture alternately with milk, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as necessary.
  • Stir in vanilla.

Assembly

  • Level cake layers, if necessary.
  • Place one layer on serving plate.
  • Spread ⅓ of the frosting on top.
  • Top with second layer.
  • Spread remaining frosting on top and sides.

Notes + Tips!

Storing Your Yellow Cake:

For short-term storage:
Cover the leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Making Ahead:
Prepare the cake through step 9. Wrap the individual cooled cake layers tightly with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for a day or freeze up to 3 months. If frozen, bring to room temperature then continue with step 10. The frosting can also be made 1-2 days ahead of time. Just cover tightly and refrigerate. Remember to also bring the frosting to room temperature before beating on medium speed for a few seconds to ensure it’s creamy and spreadable again. You may need to add a small splash of milk.
The frosted cake also freezes well! Up to 3 months, when stored properly. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature or serve cold.
 

Tips For Making The Best Yellow Cake:

  • Room temperature ingredients: Ensure your butter, eggs, and milk are at room temperature (about 70°F/21°C) for a smooth batter.
  • Salt substitution: If using salted butter in the cake or frosting, reduce the salt in the recipe to ⅓ teaspoon each
  • .Avoid overmixing: Overmixing can lead to a tough cake. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
  • Baking time: Keep a close eye on the cake as it bakes. It’s done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Cooling completely: Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting!

Tools You May Need (affiliate links)

When you make this recipe, remember to tag @bakerstble or hashtag it #BakersTable!

– Still Hungry? –

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Let Me Introduce You!

Hi and welcome! We’re Traci and Caylie, a mother-daughter duo with 30+ years of combined experience in baking, recipe development, and food photography. Our expertly developed and delicious recipes have led us to be featured in publications such-as: Costco, Crate & Barrel, & more!
More about us →

Disclaimer

We use affiliate links on our Equipment Needed and Recommended Products section of each recipe. If you click through these links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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