Classic Yellow Cake With Chocolate Frosting

You need two 9-inch pans, one bowl for the cake and one for the frosting. That's the whole setup. This is the yellow cake people mean when they say yellow cake: buttery, vanilla-scented, pale gold inside, and covered in chocolate.

The buttermilk is what keeps it tender. Don't skip it and don't swap in regular milk without thinking, because the batter relies on it for both texture and lift alongside the baking powder and baking soda.

One thing worth knowing before you start: the frosting gets thick fast. Cream the cocoa and butter well first, then add the sugar slowly, or you'll be scraping a brick off the beaters.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the oven and prep the pans

Set the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter two 9-inch round pans and put a parchment circle in the bottom of each.

2. Cream the butter and sugar

Beat the butter with the sugar on medium for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture looks pale and has grown in volume. Stop two or three times to scrape the bowl.

3. Beat in the eggs

Add the eggs one at a time, plus the yolk, beating about 30 seconds after each one. Pour in the vanilla and beat just until it disappears into the batter.

4. Whisk the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together so the leaveners are spread evenly.

5. Alternate dry and buttermilk

Add a quarter of the flour mix and beat about 30 seconds. Add a quarter of the buttermilk and beat another 30 seconds. Keep going back and forth until both are used up, then beat 3 minutes more. The batter should look smooth and glossy.

6. Bake the layers

Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when you press gently. Cool a few minutes in the pans, then turn them out onto a rack to cool fully.

7. Start the frosting

Beat the frosting butter, cocoa powder and salt on medium for about 3 minutes. It should look thick and dark, with no dry cocoa left. Scrape the bowl.

8. Add sugar and milk

Drop the mixer to low. Alternate the powdered sugar and milk in small additions, speeding up as the sugar works in. Add the vanilla and beat about 1 minute, until smooth and fluffy.

9. Stack and frost

Put a dab of frosting on the cake stand and lay four strips of parchment around the edge. Set one layer down, spread a generous amount of frosting on top, then add the second layer and frost the top and sides.

10. Decorate and serve

Scatter sprinkles over the top if you like. Slide the parchment strips out, slice, and serve.

Variations

Cupcakes

fill paper liners about two-thirds full and bake at 350°F, checking at 18 minutes.

Cocoa swap

use Dutch process cocoa for a darker, milder frosting.

Sprinkle-free

leave the top plain or add a few chocolate curls instead.

Thinner glaze

beat 2 extra tablespoons of milk into the frosting for a pourable finish.

How to Store Classic Yellow Cake

Frequently Asked Questions

Classic Yellow Cake With Chocolate Frosting

A soft buttery yellow cake with a cocoa frosting that comes together in one bowl each. Two 9-inch layers, ready to frost in about 45 minutes.

15 minPrep time30 minCook time45 minTotal16Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup whole milk (plus 1 tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• rainbow sprinkle (for decorating)

Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven and prep the pans — Set the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter two 9-inch round pans and put a parchment circle in the bottom of each.
2. 2Cream the butter and sugar — Beat the butter with the sugar on medium for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture looks pale and has grown in volume. Stop two or three times to scrape the bowl.
3. 3Beat in the eggs — Add the eggs one at a time, plus the yolk, beating about 30 seconds after each one. Pour in the vanilla and beat just until it disappears into the batter.
4. 4Whisk the dry ingredients — In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together so the leaveners are spread evenly.
5. 5Alternate dry and buttermilk — Add a quarter of the flour mix and beat about 30 seconds. Add a quarter of the buttermilk and beat another 30 seconds. Keep going back and forth until both are used up, then beat 3 minutes more. The batter should look smooth and glossy.
6. 6Bake the layers — Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when you press gently. Cool a few minutes in the pans, then turn them out onto a rack to cool fully.
7. 7Start the frosting — Beat the frosting butter, cocoa powder and salt on medium for about 3 minutes. It should look thick and dark, with no dry cocoa left. Scrape the bowl.
8. 8Add sugar and milk — Drop the mixer to low. Alternate the powdered sugar and milk in small additions, speeding up as the sugar works in. Add the vanilla and beat about 1 minute, until smooth and fluffy.
9. 9Stack and frost — Put a dab of frosting on the cake stand and lay four strips of parchment around the edge. Set one layer down, spread a generous amount of frosting on top, then add the second layer and frost the top and sides.
10. 10Decorate and serve — Scatter sprinkles over the top if you like. Slide the parchment strips out, slice, and serve.

Cook's note: The frosting recipe makes enough to fill and cover a two-layer 9-inch cake with some to spare. If you like a thinner coat, you'll have leftovers.

Servings: 16

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

RecipesCooker15 minutes30 minutes45 minutes

Written by Marta Kowalczyk
Muffins & quick breads are my whole kitchen philosophy: one bowl, a whisk, and a batter that goes from counter to oven before the coffee cools. I write for cooks who want banana bread and blueberry muffins that work on a Tuesday, with ingredient swaps and bake times tested in an ordinary home oven. My angle is making quick breads forgiving, so a slightly overripe fruit or a forgotten timer still ends in something worth slicing.