Best Yellow Cake Recipe
User Reviews
4.3
Best Yellow Cake Recipe
Description
The Best Yellow Cake Recipe features a soft, fluffy texture thanks to careful ingredient choices like bleached cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda, balanced with the richness of butter and eggs. Incorporating sour cream adds moisture and a subtle tang that enhances depth of flavor. The method emphasizes blending butter and sugar until fluffy, then gently folding in dry ingredients with milk to preserve airiness. Baking in greased and floured pans lined with parchment ensures even cooking and easy removal.
The resulting cake is suitable as a foundation for layered cakes or cupcakes, pairing well with buttercream frostings such as chocolate or vanilla. It bakes to a golden color with a tender crumb and a fine, smooth texture, making it versatile for celebrations or everyday desserts.
For cupcake variations, the same batter yields about 24 cupcakes baked for 17 to 20 minutes, taken out when edges are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean, ensuring proper doneness without dryness.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour measured correctly, bleached
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt fine
- 2 unsalted butter at cool room temperature, sticks (227 grams
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 egg large, room temperature
- 2 egg large, yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream at room temperature, or plain full fat yogurt
- 3/4 cup whole milk at room temperature
- 1 Batch Best Chocolate American Buttercream
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter, flour, and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment circles.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and the vanilla one at a time, beating well between additions until combined. If the mixture looks separated, just keeping beating until emulsified. Beat in the sour cream until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the whole milk, beginning and ending with the flour, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes in pans before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Assemble the cake:
- Place one cake layer on a cake turntable or cake stand. Spread about a third of the frosting in an even layer all over, pushing it out over the edge just slightly. Place the other cake layer upside-down onto the frosting so that the top of the cake is nice and flat. With an offset spatula, spread the remaining frosting evenly all over the cake, smoothing the edges. Serve or cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature for an hour before serving.
Notes
- This recipe yields approximately 24 cupcakes when baked in standard muffin tins.
- Bake cupcakes for 17 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.3
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