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Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting is a classic baked treat that will be a hit at any and every function! Three layers of moist yellow cakes, made from scratch, with a rich chocolate fudge frosting that’s fluffy, smooth, and melt-your-mouth delicious!
If chocolate cakes are your thing, you have to try my Moist German Chocolate Layer Cake, Matilda chocolate cake or Triple Chocolate Cake next!
Yellow cake box mix was the first cake I’ve ever baked. Now, I’ve come a long way since that first cake and now that homemade cakes have become my speciality, I set out to make the best yellow cake you could find on the internet. And this one cannot be beat!
This homemade version ditches the box mix but gives you an indulgent vanilla flavor, similar to my Southern Caramel Cake recipe and yields a softer bakery-style crumb. Oh and that frosting? It’s top tier.
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting: Recipe Highlights
- ⭐ Difficulty: Moderate
- 🕒 Prep Time: 35 minutes
- 🥣 Bake Time: 30–35 minutes
- 🧑🍳 Total Time: About 2 hours 30 minutes, including cooling and assembly
- 👪 Serves: 16 slices
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Butter, vegetable oil, vanilla pudding mix, sour cream, evaporated milk, semisweet chocolate chips, and heavy cream
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: The cake has soft, buttery layers with a moist bakery-style crumb, while the thick chocolate frosting is smooth, fudgy, and packed with rich chocolate flavor.
Summarize & Save this Content on:
After testing this recipe over and over, tweaking until absolutely perfect, I landed on a cake that stays incredibly moist and has the classic birthday cake flavor. This cake has gotten rave reviews from everyone! It’s SO good and proof that a childhood favorite can get a serious homemade upgrade!
Table of contents
Key Ingredients
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)
- Vanilla pudding mix: Helps create a soft, moist, bakery-style texture and buttery flavor we love in a classic yellow cake.
- Butter and vegetable oil work together like a dream team. Butter adds flavor, while oil keeps the cake moist for days.
- Egg yolks give the cake its classic yellow color, richer flavor, and tender texture.
- Evaporated milk adds more a more creamy flavor than whole milk alone.
- Sour cream keeps the cake moist without thinning the batter.
- Butter vanilla emulsion adds a stronger bakery-style vanilla flavor that holds up well during baking. This is totally optional but highly recommended! You can also use vanilla extract instead.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips form the fudgy base of the creamy chocolate frosting.
- Heavy cream helps the chocolate melt into a smooth, silky frosting.
- Corn syrup keeps the frosting glossy and spreadable. Honey can be substituted, but it may slightly change the flavor.
- Dutch-process cocoa powder deepens that rich chocolate flavor with a smoother finish. I use this in my chocolate cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting and it’s beyond delicious. Natural cocoa powder also works for a sharper, more intense chocolate taste, akin to my texas buttermilk sheet cake.
How to Make Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Step 1: Make the Chocolate Fudge Frosting. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, then stir in the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Cook until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in remaining ingredients.
Step 2: Chill the Frosting. Strain the chocolate frosting through a fine-mesh sieve into a large dish. Cover and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for about 30-45 minutes.
Step 3: Prepare the Cake Batter. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use an electric hand mixer), beat the butter, oil, and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, then mix in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla bean paste and butter vanilla emulsion.
Step 4. Add the Dry and Wet Ingredients. Whisk together the evaporated milk, whole milk, and sour cream. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk mixture to the batter.
Step 5: Bake and Cool the Cake Layers. Divide the batter evenly among three prepared 8-inch cake pans. Pro tip: For evenly sized layers, place each pan on a kitchen scale, tare it, and add the same weight of batter to each. Bake for 30–35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap, allowing them to cool completely. (this creates an incredibly moist cake by trapping in steam!)
Step 6: Assemble and Frost the Layer Cake. Place the first cake layer on a cake stand and spread a generous layer of chocolate frosting over the top. Repeat with the second and third layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Britney’s Pro Baking Tips
- Measure with a digital kitchen scale: For the best results, weigh your ingredients, especially the flour. It may feel like an extra step, but it prevents adding too much or too little of the ingredients as measuring cups are very inaccurate. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can use the scoop and level method.
- Use salted or unsalted butter: I prefer salted butter for a little extra flavor, but unsalted butter works just as well. Add a small pinch of extra salt if needed.
- Do not overmix the batter: Once the flour is added, mix only until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can develop too much gluten and make the cake dense instead of soft and tender.
- Cool the layers completely: Even slightly warm cake layers can melt the frosting and cause the layers to shift or slide during assembly.
- Adjust the frosting consistency: If the frosting is too firm, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before spreading. If it feels too soft, refrigerate it for another 10–15 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Yellow cake is made with whole eggs and extra egg yolks, which give it a richer flavor, golden color, and slightly more buttery texture. White or vanilla cakes often rely mostly on egg whites for a lighter color and more delicate crumb.
Dry cake is usually caused by adding too much flour or baking the layers for too long. Weigh the flour with a kitchen scale and begin checking the cakes a few minutes early, since oven temperatures and baking times can vary.
Yes, but the finished cake may be slightly less moist and have a less pronounced bakery-style flavor.
Store the assembled cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to five days and let individual slices sit at room temperature before serving for the softest texture. To freeze, wrap unfrosted cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to three months. You can also freeze individual frosted slices in airtight containers; thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before bringing them to room temperature.
More Classic Cake Recipes
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 3.4 oz (96 g) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix, (do not use cook and serve!)
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup (112 g) Vegetable Oil
- 2 cups (400 g) Sugar
- 3 large (150 g) Eggs
- 2 (36 g) Egg Yolks
- 1 tbsp (15 g) Vanilla Bean Paste, (or vanilla extract)
- 2 tsp (10 g) Butter Vanilla Emulsion, (optional, you can also use butter extract)
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Evaporated Milk, (room temperature)
- 2/3 cup (160 g) Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Sour Cream, (room temperature)
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups (340 g) Salted Butter
- 2 3/4 cups (468 g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 1/2 cups (360 g) Heavy Cream
- 1 1/2 cups (188 g) Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 cup (21 g) Cocoa Powder
- 4 tbsp (80 g) Corn Syrup, (or honey)
- 1 tbsp (15 g) Vanilla Bean Paste , (or vanilla extract)
- Pinch Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Start by making the chocolate frosting. It'll need time to set so we'll begin with the frosting first. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted, add chocolate chips and heavy cream. Stir until warmed throughout and all of the chocolate chips are fully melted. Stir constantly to prevent the chocolate from burning on the bottom of the pan, this will take about 5-7 minutes. 1 1/2 cups Salted Butter 2 3/4 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
- Once everything is fully melted combined, remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth, about 20-30 seconds. 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder 4 tbsp Corn Syrup 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste Pinch Kosher Salt
- Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the frosting into a 9×13 baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it cool to room temperature, then place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. It will thicken as it cools.
- While the frosting is cooling, let's get started on the cake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, vanilla pudding mix, baking powder, and kosher salt. 3 cups All-Purpose Flour 3.4 oz Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix 1 tbsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add salted butter, vegetable oil, and sugar and mix together together for 3-4 minutes on medium speed, until combined and fluffy. Then begin add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. Add butter vanilla emulsion, vanilla bean paste, and continue to mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for an additional 20 seconds. 1/2 cup Salted Butter 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil 2 cups Sugar 3 large Eggs 2 Egg Yolks 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste 2 tsp Butter Vanilla Emulsion
- In a small bowl, whisk together evaporated milk, whole milk, and sour cream. Add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer/wet ingredients and mix. Then add the sour cream/milk mixture and mix together until smooth, about 20 seconds. Once fully incorporated, add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another 10 seconds to ensure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated and the batter is smooth. 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk 2/3 cup Whole Milk 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- Spray 3 8-inch pans with nonstick baking spray or line with parchment paper. Divide the batter equally among the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes over onto a wire rack. Wrap each cake in plastic wrap and allow them to cool completely – this traps in steam and keeps the cakes super moist!
- Once cakes have completely cooled, scoop up the frosting with a spoon ensuring it's set – it should be smooth and fudgy. Add one of the cakes to a cake stand and add generous layer of chocolate frosting on top of the cake. Add the second cake on top and repeat. Add the third layer on top and add the remainder of the frosting all around the cake.
Notes
- Measure with a digital kitchen scale: For the best results, weigh your ingredients, especially the flour. It may feel like an extra step, but it prevents adding too much or too little of the ingredients as measuring cups are very inaccurate. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can use the scoop and level method.
- Use salted or unsalted butter: I prefer salted butter for a little extra flavor, but unsalted butter works just as well. Add a small pinch of extra salt if needed.
- Do not overmix the batter: Once the flour is added, mix only until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can develop too much gluten and make the cake dense instead of soft and tender.
- Cool the layers completely: Even slightly warm cake layers can melt the frosting and cause the layers to shift or slide during assembly.
- Adjust the frosting consistency: If the frosting is too firm, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before spreading. If it feels too soft, refrigerate it for another 10–15 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream
Sure, you can use full fat plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
Question: Do you know if I may I substitute melted butter or organic coconut oil for the vegetable oil in this recipe? Thanks in advance! : – )
Hi! Coconut oil would be a great substitute for vegetable oil. Enjoy!
This cake is SO good. The cake almost tastes like sugar cookies and the chocolate butter cream is what chocolate dreams are made of! The sweet flavor of the frosting and the delicate cake flavors balance perfectly. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
I’m SO happy to hear this! I really appreciate your your review, it means a lot! 🙂