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
Sarah
Hello! What would you say is the biggest difference between this and your butter cake? Taste, texture, effect on the wasteline?????
I made your butter cake a few months ago sndvtvwas amazing!
Modern Honey
Hi Sarah! Haha! They both will affect the waistline but it doesn't stop me. 🙂 I would say the biggest difference is this recipe calls for pudding mix in it which creates a moister texture. I hope that helps!
Brandon
This is my first made from scratch cake and man it turned out great!!! My wife and daughter loved it. My mom couldn't even believe that I made this and she's been baking for decades! It was so moist and tasty that I'm ready to start making another one. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Modern Honey
Woo hoo! Way to go, Brandon! I love to hear about success in the kitchen. That is amazing and oh so impressive. Thanks for taking the time to write such a kind comment.
Allison
Do you use self rising or all purpose flour?
Modern Honey
Hi Allison! I use all-purpose flour. 🙂
Sher
This recipe is to die for. Thank you so much. I making cupcakes for a party and this recipe is perfect.
Modern Honey
I am so glad you loved it, Sher! Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it!
Rachel
So I did it in 3 9in pans (because that's what I had in hand) and baked for 16 minutes and they were perfect!
Modern Honey
Oh, I just saw this comment, Rachel! Yay...so glad to hear it!
Rachel
I tried to bake it in 2 8in pans and it never baked all the way in the middle. Even with added time. Do you think it would be better would 2 9in pans? Going to try again with 3 8in pans.
Modern Honey
Hi Rachel! I like to use three 9 inch pans as it is easier for the cakes to be thoroughly cooked throughout and there are more layers of frosting, which is always a good thing. Give it a shot with 3 - 9-inch pans or if you use the two 8 inch pans, you can cover the edges with foil or a pie cover to allow the middle to become fully cooked. Hope that helps!
Casey
Hi! I have 3 9-inch pans in the oven.... how long would you recommend baking them for?
Liz
Hello! I made this cake a couple of weeks ago and was VERY impressed with the overall flavor. Best yelllw cake recipe I've come across so far! I'm going to make it again this weekend but I was going to try it with buttermilk instead of whole milk. So my question to you is, do you change or modify any of the other ingredients when you use buttermilk or does everything stay the same? Also, is there a noticeable difference in taste when using buttermilk versus whole milk? I read somewhere that using buttermilk will definitely make a cake more moist but it may add a "tang" to the flavor so I was wondering what your observations were on this. Thanks!
Modern Honey
Hi Liz! I love these types of questions because this is what I love to do. I have experimented a lot with buttermilk in baked goods and I am a huge fan! I have made this cake with both whole milk and buttermilk and both have turned out fabulous. Buttermilk does make baked goods extra moist. There is a tang to buttermilk but it is not as noticeable once it is baked and with the pudding flavor being in it as well, I don't think you would notice it much. I would be interested to hear how you like it compared to using whole milk. I hope that helps! Thanks for the kind compliment. 🙂 - Melissa
Emily
Thank you so much for this great recipe!
I live in London, however, so had to make my own instant vanilla pudding as it doesn't really exist here (I found a recipe online). I also used vegetable instead of canola oil. The overall taste was delicious, but the cake was a little dense and didn't rise quite as much as I expected. If I left out the pudding mix - or used half the amount - and added a bit more baking powder, do you think it would it be a slightly fluffier cake and rise a bit more?
The icing - while tasting delicious - had an odd, grainy texture. I wonder if it's because I didn't allow the butter to soften enough?
Thank you very much!
Modern Honey
Hi Emily! Thanks for visiting from London! My brother and his wife lived there for years and they would tell me how they couldn't get the same products as in the United States so I completely understand. I love how you improvised and were super creative in the kitchen. You can leave out the pudding. The pudding does make it more moist so I would suggest adding 1 Tablespoon more oil and 1/2 teaspoon more baking powder. Hope that helps! The frosting shouldn't be grainy at all...it should be smooth as silk. I am wondering if the butter needed to be at room temperature to incorporate into the powdered sugar. Thanks for trying out the recipe and have a great day! 🙂 - Melissa
Emily
Thanks so much for your reply, Melissa! I made it again for my daughter's birthday party, this time with great success. I actually kept in the pudding, but reduced it by half and added 1/2 tsp more baking powder and a bit more oil. It rose more and the flavour was delicious. For the icing, I left the butter out for 24hrs so it would be at room temperature - TA DA! Smooth as silk icing. All the kids loved it. Success! Many thanks again 🙂
Scotty
Do you have to have a stand up mixer??
Modern Honey
Hi Scotty! If you don't have one, it is no problem. Do you have beaters by chance? If not, you can do everything by hand but it will take a little more time...and muscle. 🙂 I hope that helps! Thanks for trying out my recipe. -Melissa
Sherri
Im so anxious to try this recipe for my friends day.They say"Cook to a mans heart,how about bake?".What size box of pudding do I use?
Carolyn
Hi Melissa,
The cake is out of the oven. I didn't have the vanilla pudding so added a half cup of powdered sugar and and egg yolk.
I don't have cocoa powder only bakers unsweetened chocolate. Also only have one percent milk and no cream BUT I do have evaporated milk and a can of coconut milk. ALSO only have 2 1/2 sticks of butter. I used coconut oil in the cake. Can I add some to make up for the butter shortage???
I am making this cake for my new husband's and my birthdays three days apart! We just celebrated our fiftieth high school reunion.
Thank you for your recipe,
Carolyn
Modern Honey
Well happy happy birthday to both of you and your husband! A 50th year reunion is amazing! I hope you had a great time. I am so sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I have never used powdered sugar and egg yolk as a substitute for the pudding...I hope it turned out good for you. Since you don't have cocoa powder, you need to melt down your unsweetened chocolate with your butter. You will need a little extra powdered sugar to make it thicker. I love evaporated milk in frosting because it adds a nice richness. You can use the evaporated milk in place of the cream. I would start with half of the amount since the chocolate is melted already and will need to firm up. I hope that helps! 🙂 - Melissa
Stacie Thompson
Can this be made gluten free? If so, what flour would you use and how much?
Modern Honey
Yes! I haven't tried to make it gluten-free but I am assuming that you can make it gluten-free by subbing out the flour with a gf one. I know that Bob's Red Mill gf flour is a 1 to 1 ratio. The consistency of the cake may be different just because gf flour reacts differently when baked. I would love to hear if you tried it and if you had success! 🙂
Lynette
When you say cream for the icing are you referring to whipppng cream ? Is it light or heavy?
Modern Honey
Hi Lynette! You are correct....heavy whipping cream. You can use half n half or whole milk but it will create a thinner consistency so use a tad less. The heavy whipping cream definitely adds a silky smooth, creamy richness to the frosting. 🙂
Allie
Hello--I am looking to try and bake this cake (first time EVER making a cake) but do not have a stand up mixer. Will this completely change my outcome?
Modern Honey
Well I am about 6 weeks too late in responding to this comment so I apologize for the delay! You don't have to have a stand mixer for this cake. Do you have beaters by chance? If you have beaters it would help but if not, you can do everything by hand in a big bowl. It may take a little more time but it will work out just fine. I hope that helps! 🙂
Barb Statz
I just tried the yellow cake but made some changes. I was looking a lemon cake recipe but didn't like what I found. So I used your recipe: I added some lemon zest and lemon juice in place of vanilla. I used lemon pudding . Because my friend is gluten free, I used gluten free flour. I like the results very much. It turned out light which is hard to do with gluten free flour.
Modern Honey
What a fabulous idea, Barb! I want to try that. Thank you for sharing your great variation and I am so glad to hear that it worked well with gluten-free flour. That's wonderful! Have a great day. - Melissa 🙂
Rhonda
Hello, I have a co-worker I want to make this for her birthday. Do you use plain flour or self rising. Thanks Rhonda
Ann
Do you really think gluten free flour would have desirable results? I hate wasting ingredients. It’s so not fair that your regular recipes look delectable:)
Lisa
I have to admit I was a little skeptical of the moistness of this cake because I couldn't see the texture that well in your pics, but I went on and made it. I was so worried about drying it out by over-baking since I made 3 layers that I almost took it out to soon..Yikes! The moment of truth came the next day when it was my MIL's bday (and the 82 yr. old has had a few cakes) SUCCESS!! Moist, beautiful texture and nice full layers, not at all skimpy! I really don't know yellow cake is such a hard cake to count on to be moist, but I just don't have to think about that ever again; you have found the solution. Thanks 🙂 I will keep coming back!
Modern Honey
Yay Lisa! You made my day! I am so happy to hear that you loved the cake. I tried out many variations to discover this yellow cake recipe (5 lbs later). Haha! Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it! - Melissa 🙂
Nancy
Hi, this looks great! It's only my husband and I, and I want to make him a cake for a promotion. Can I half the ingredients to make just a single layer cake? I'm not an avid baker so I'm not sure.
Modern Honey
Congrats on his promotion! That is super exciting. You can half the ingredients without a problem. I have done it before and it works well. You will want to adjust your baking time according to your pan size. If you make a tall, deep cake, then you will bake it longer than if you have a shallow cake. Hope that helps! - Melissa 🙂
Sydnee
Hi Melissa!
Would you recommend whole milk or buttermilk, or does it not make a difference? Can't wait to try this recipe! Making it for my dad's birthday, yellow cake is his favorite.
Modern Honey
Hi Sydnee! I will always prefer buttermilk because it makes baked goods so tender but use whole milk in a pinch. Hope that helps! Happy Birthday to your Dad! - Melissa 🙂
Christina
I am a cake baker as well, and like many others have yet to find the perfect, great tasting yellow cake recipe. I am excited to try both your yellow and chocolate cake recipes. I'll be sure to post how yummy it is! Thank you, Modern Honey!
Modern Honey
Love to hear that, Christina! I hope you love them! Thanks for trying my recipes. - Melissa 🙂
Sarah
Most yellow cake recipes use only egg yolks- does this cake taste more like a vanilla or white cake or does it have the taste of a traditional yellow cake? Thanks so much!
Modern Honey
It definitely tastes like a yellow cake and part of it is the addition of the pudding mix. It is a huge difference maker! 🙂