Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
The BEST Yellow Cake Recipe with Milk Chocolate Frosting. 5-Star Rated Recipe!
I was one of those kids that were counting down the minutes at my birthday party until I could blow out the candles and eat my big ol birthday cake. I wanted a piece with a thick layer of homemade chocolate frosting.
This is literally the best yellow cake recipe. It is so flavorful, moist, and buttery! The homemade chocolate frosting is insanely rich and creamy and pairs perfectly with the homemade yellow cake.
It's New Year's Eve so let's go out of 2016 with a huge yellow cake with chocolate buttercream because I see only green smoothies in my future....
If you read my last post about making a homemade yellow cake -- Homemade Yellow Butter Cake, I went through many experiments to bring you these cake recipes. My pants just got tighter in an effort to bring you the perfect cake!
We had large cake testings to determine the winners of the unofficial homemade yellow cake recipe challenge.
The path to the Yellow Birthday Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting...
The recipe that I posted a few days ago is for a traditional yellow butter cake. I wanted to change it up a little and experiment with adding in some vanilla pudding mix. Since it is known to add a good amount of moisture to a cake, I was excited to see how it would affect the final product.
It not only made a denser, moister cake but also a flavorful one as well. It's a small amount of pudding but was still a big difference-maker. This is truly THE BEST YELLOW CAKE EVER.
The chocolate buttercream recipe is one that I played with over the years and is now my go-to recipe. It has the perfect balance of rich chocolate, butter, and powdered sugar and isn't over the top sweet. It truly is the greatest chocolate frosting. If you are a chocolate cake lover, you must try my Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake.
Add some colorful sprinkles to this Yellow Birthday Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting if you want to make kids really happy.
Here are my favorite baking pans -- USA Bakeware Round Cake Pan 8 inch and USA Bakeware Round Cake Pan 9 inch.
A Wilton Angled Icing Spatula is the perfect tool to use to frost this cake.
Yellow Birthday Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Large Eggs
- ⅔ cup Whole Milk or Buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups Flour
- 1 ½ cups Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Butter softened, cut into cubes
- 2 Tablespoons Oil
- ⅓ cup Vanilla Pudding Mix instant
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups Butter softened
- 1 cup Cocoa
- 5 cups Powdered Sugar
- ⅓ cup Cream Half n Half or Milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- In a standing mixer, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat the butter into the flour mixture, one cube at a time. Continue to beat until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the ½ of the egg-milk mixture and oil and beat the batter is light and fluffy. Add remaining egg-milk mixture and vanilla pudding and mix just until combined.
- Take a spatula and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Spread into greased 8 or 9-inch cake pans and smooth tops with a spatula.
- Bake for 16-22 minutes, depending on the depth of pans. If the cake layers are thin, they will cook for less time than the thicker layers.
- Let cakes cool. Run a knife around edge of cake pan and flip over. Frost with milk chocolate frosting.
- To make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- In mixing bowl, cream together butter, cocoa, powdered Sugar, and cream until light and fluffy. You may want to add more cream or milk depending on consistency. Once the cake has cooled and has been removed from pans, frost each layer with frosting.
- Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, sprinkles, M & M's or whatever your heart desires.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes two 9-inch cake layers or three 8-inch cake layers. If you use three 8-inch cake pans, the layers will be thinner and will cook for less time.
- This is one baked good that gets even better the next day, if covered.
Happy Baking, my friends! xo
Eloise
Wait! I read this yesterday and it called for sour cream. It didn't call for pudding mix. I went out and got the sour cream and now I can't find the right recipe. It had detailed directions for preparing the pans, leveling the cake, crumb-coating it. This LOOKS like the recipe I read yesterday, but where's the rest of it?
Modern Honey
Hi Eloise! That must be a different recipe. My yellow cake calls for whole milk or buttermilk and no sour cream. Pudding mix has always been a part of the recipe as it is an integral part. You may have been looking at a different recipe. This one is a good one though! 🙂
Erika Marie
After trying over a dozen vanilla cake recipes this by far has been the BEST one I just made it today and I also tested some of my batter and made a few cupcakes out of it as well and it worked out FABULOUSLY thanks for sharing ????????
Modern Honey
Yay!! I am so happy to hear that! So glad that you loved it. 🙂 Now I am craving some cupcakes!
Monie
This looks like an awesome cake. My question is do you add the pudding mix dry or mixed with milk?
Modern Honey
Hi Monie! You only add the dry powder mix. It mixes with the milk in the recipe and makes such an amazing texture. 🙂
Jessie
My boyfriend wanted a yellow birthday cake with chocolate icing for his birthday. I tried to talk him out of it because even though I love to bake, yellow cakes never turn out well for me. He is one of the sweetest men alive but he wanted a yellow cake. I found your recipe and prayed for the best. It was fantastic! Thank you! I used all-purpose flour. Today I am baking one using cake flour. The cake is great the same day, but does taste even better the next day.
Modern Honey
Love it, Jessie! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. What a lucky girl you are to have the sweetest man. I bet he loved that you made him a birthday cake. 🙂 I am so glad that you loved it and I appreciate you trying out my recipe. Have a great day!
Lisheena
Can u add peanut butter to the cake batter? If so , how can u add
Lisheena
Meant to say how much peanut butter can u add to this cake batter
Modern Honey
Hi Lisheena. Adding peanut butter to the cake batter will change the texture of the cake. Since it has some natural oils in it, adding peanut butter to the recipe may make it not set up in the oven. Have a great day!
Patri Spice
I really love the taste of the cake, the taste of the frosting. I made this as a 2 layer the first time. However, one pan baked up beautifully, the second one did not. It was still a bit under done and fell apart. I froze the good one, tasted a bit of the done portion of the other (very good flavor!). I remade this as a 9x13, it baked up beautifully, again, but then fell in the middle. I don't care, it tastes great!! I made 2/3 of the frosting recipe as I didn't remove the cake from the pan & only frosted the top. I whipped the frosting to be very light. My family will eat cake off the floor if it tastes good!!
Modern Honey
Hi Patri! That sounds like an adventure! Isn't it interesting how one layer will bake beautifully and the other one not as much? Baking is such a science and there are so many factors that can play into it. I am so glad that you loved the taste of the cake. Thanks for taking time to comment! 🙂
Sheryl
Could I make this in a 9x13 pan? Do you know how long it would take to bake? I can't wait to try this cake!!
Modern Honey
Hi Sheryl! You can make it in a 9 x 13 pan. I haven't tried it yet as I only make layer cakes but it would be much thicker which means a longer baking time. I would set the timer for 30 minutes and check the center of the cake. If the top is getting too brown, cover it with foil. That will allow the inside to still bake without the top getting too brown. Hope that helps!
brenda
Hi there,
Hoping got make this cake, but not clear on what size of pans, or how many pans to use. You don't actually specify up front.
I don't want to increase the size of the recipe.
If you see this, let me know!
-Brenda
Michaela
Hello! Can't wait to try this cake. Does it need to be refrigerated if made a day before it will be eaten?
Modern Honey
Hi Michaela! That is a great question. Some people would say that refrigerating the cake dries it out and others will say it preserves it. I usually keep mine out covered with a glass dome. The frosting seeps into the cake slightly and makes it more moist. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Angie
Hi there. Can't wait to try the recipe tonight. Can I use it to make cupcakes instead of the layered cake? Just checking because sometimes a cake recipe is not quite right for cupcakes. Thanks!
Angie
Modern Honey
Hi Angie! This is a wonderful yellow cupcake recipe. It should make approximately 24 cupcakes. The baking time should be reduced to about 16-20 minutes. Take a cake tester or toothpick and place in the center of the cupcake to check. Let me know how they turn out! – Melissa
Anne
Best yellow cake, chocolate frosting, ever! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I've tried several recipes, as this is my family's favorite bday cake combo and they proclaimed this THE best!
Modern Honey
Yay! So happy to hear that you loved it, Anne. Thank you for taking the time to write such a sweet comment. I really appreciate it! - Melissa
Stephanie
I've tried several yellow cake recipes and have yet to find one that I love. Looking forward to trying this one based on the reviews. Does this recipe work well for cupcakes? Thanks!
Modern Honey
Hi Stephanie! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. This is a wonderful yellow cupcake recipe. It should make approximately 24 cupcakes. The baking time should be reduced to about 16-20 minutes. Take a cake tester or toothpick and place in the center of the cupcake to check. Have a great day! - Melissa
Ricci
We make cakes out of our home, my daughter does all of the decorating, I do most of the baking. Works well for us. HOWEVER, have not been able to find a great yellow cake recipe. We have mastered chocolate cake and have some great pound cake recipes for tiered cakes. Your recipe is in the oven now! Here's hoping for great success and this finally being THE ONE!
Modern Honey
I am feeling the pressure now! Haha! You girls sound like cake experts to me so I am crossing my fingers that this one passes your test! I ate A LOT of yellow cakes in the search of a really good cake recipe and this one passed the test with flying colors. I hope that you rate it the same. Keep me posted! 🙂 - Melissa
Ricci
THIS IS IT! Our search is over! Moist, dense enough for tiered cakes, beautiful crumb! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Modern Honey
That is such wonderful news! You just made my day! Thanks so much. - Melissa 🙂
Loria Grant
I baked this cake for my Dad's 79th birthday dinner. My Mom was the chocolate cake baker...she's resting now with our Lord and Savior. So when he ask me to cook a chocolate cake it made me very nervous. So I googled and praise God I found your recipe!! He loved it!! I was so proud of myself too! The cake was delicious! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!! I give this recipe five stars!!!!
Modern Honey
Awww thank you so much, Loria for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it so much! How wonderful that you made a homemade cake for your Dad. You are carrying on your Mom's legacy. I am so happy that it turned out so well. Have a blessed day! - Melissa 🙂
Chris
Hello,
Is it okay to use cake flour? Also, what kind of oil did you use?
Thanks!
Modern Honey
Absolutely! I am a huge cake flour fan as it creates such a nice texture. I use canola oil but you can use vegetable or even coconut oil. Let me know how it turns out, Chris! 🙂 - Melissa
Darryl
If you use cake flour, do you still need to add the baking powder and salt?
Darryl
If you use cake flour, do you still need to add baking powder and salt to mixture? Please help!
Muffi
Yes. Cake flour is a finer milled flour and not the same as self-rising flour.
lisa
how did it come out with cake flour
lisa
How did it come out with cake flour?
Madison
Hi Melissa! I’m making this cake for my brother and I can never find a good chocolate frosting recipe. It’s either too sweet or too dark. I was planning to make your recipe (the frosting part) and was wondering what do you prefer, milk or half and half? And also, does this recipe taste like dark chocolate or is it milk chocolate? Thanks !
lisa
Hello Ms Melissa, have you tried this recipe yet with cake flour it is great with apf, but also if i were to try it with cake flour (getting that nice fluffy light crumb) what would be the difference in measurements in the flour and in salt please and thank you if you know.
Thank you so very much God bless,
Lisa
Deluta
Why does no one address high altitude changes?
Syd
Adjustment for 5000 feet:
Reduce baking powder: for each teaspoon, decrease 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon.
Reduce sugar: for each cup, decrease 0 to 2 tablespoons.
Increase liquid: for each cup, add 2 to 4 tablespoons.
Increase oven temperature by 25 degrees F.
Not sure your elevation but I hope this helps. ????
jewels
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
Modern Honey
Great question, Jewels! I used unsalted butter. If you are using salted butter, reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. Hope that helps! - Melissa 🙂
jewels
Thanks! Made it last night and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious! I have been searching for a great yellow cake recipe for years! ...and this is it sister! The chocolate frosting was heavenly as well. love Love LOVE.
Michelle
Can this cake be made in a 9 x 13 inch pan?
Devi
In the comments, you have said salted butter, and then another response you said unsalted. I’m confused. I’m making this today. Also, does the buttermilk need to be at room temperature?
Taylor
Did you use instant or regular vanilla pudding mix? Thanks!
Modern Honey
Hi Taylor! Great question! I used instant vanilla pudding mix. Let me know how you like the cake! - Melissa 🙂
sharon
Hi melissa
What would be a suitable adjustment to make to the recipe if I do not wish to use the vanilla pudding mix and also what brand of mix do you use?
Ashley
Do you make the pudding then add or just add the powder mix?
Renee Stevens
I’m allergic to butter can I use margarine instead and can I use corn oil instead for the cake recipe
Tolu
Hi Renee, it should be fine. I do it all the time
T. Bridges
Tried for my husband birthday. We loved it. It's really good.
Modern Honey
Yay! I am so glad that you loved it and hope that your husband had a great birthday. Thanks so much for your comment! - Melissa 🙂
Modern Honey
Hi Angela! Thank you for pointing that out, my friend! I updated it and you add it when you add the egg/milk mixture. 🙂 I hope it turns out fantastic! xo
Angela
Hi Melissa! When do you add the oil to the cake?
Rosemary
What is the purpose of adding the instant pudding ,since you have your sugar n flour n butter ,, does it make it moist ,, just wondering ????????
Rosemary
I just made the cake ..my husband says is is delicious, with out any frosting... was making it for a Birthday ,, but he ate a piece , so it is good just plain ,, guess I will have to make another one in the morning for my friend , it’s her Birthday n her husband’s tommorrow,,Same Day,, Great Cake ,, my Favorite now,, My friend wanted a yellow cake with chocolate frosting,, that’s what she will get.. Thank You so much,,, Just wondering if you dnt have the pudding will it make a difference in the cake... I had it ...