Recipe: Yellow Butter Cake (2024)

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Faith Durand

Faith DurandSVP of Content

Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.

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updated Jun 5, 2019

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Recipe: Yellow Butter Cake (1)

Makes1 (9x13-inch) cake

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Recipe: Yellow Butter Cake (2)

After last week’s discussion of cooking compromises, I felt honor-bound to share the recipe that makes me choose baking cakes from scratch over using a mix.

This one-bowl recipe can be mixed up in under 10 minutes, and it turns out a reliably light and golden cake with a moist crumb. It’s solid in flavor and the taste of butter, unlike the over-heightened, additive-ridden cake mix products, which usually taste overwhelmingly of sugar and not much else.

This is a plain, fast cake — the perfect canvas for creamy swirls of buttercream and drips of fudge. It makes a fantastic and impressive birthday cake, but it’s also perfect just layered with warm jam and some whipped cream for a simple dessert.

The recipe is pretty much straight out of the old reliable Betty Crocker. I use whole milk, since I think it adds just a little more richness, and I do not make the original recipe’s allowance for margarine in place of butter. For a cake, only real butter will do!

Tester’s Notes

I do not say this lightly: I truly believe this is the best cake I’ve ever had the pleasure of making or eating. It has an almost velvety texture, simultaneously tender but sturdy. It tastes of vanilla and butter in the best possible way. The cake also layers well — I was never worried it would crack or crumble as I stacked the layers and piled on buttercream.

And yes, the recipe is a dream to make. I say this as a nervous cake-baker. I was really amazed at how quickly and easily the batter came together and how well it baked up in the pan. Everything went exactly as expected, and I never had cause to worry about anything.

I hope this is your experience as well! I really think this is a recipe worthy of your collection.

Emma, October 2015

Comments

Makes 1 (9x13-inch) cake

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup

    unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 1/2 cups

    sugar

  • 3

    large eggs

  • 2 1/4 cups

    all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon

    salt

  • 3 1/2 teaspoons

    baking powder

  • 1 1/4 cups

    whole milk

  • 1 teaspoon

    vanilla

Instructions

  1. Take the butter out of the fridge to soften and preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare one 9x13-inch pan or two 9-inch round pans by greasing them thoroughly with butter or baking spray. Sprinkle a little flour over the pan, then tilt and shake to distribute evenly, then tap out the excess over the sink. You can also line the bottom with parchment for extra insurance, if you'd like.

  2. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar together until fluffy and light, then add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated and the mixture looks creamy and very pale yellow. Beat in the flour, salt, and baking powder at low speed, followed by the milk and vanilla. Beat everything together on low for 30 seconds, and then on high for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

  3. Immediately divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops spring back slightly when pressed and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.

  4. Let cool on wire racks for at least 15 minutes, then flip each pan over onto the rack and tap gently all over. Lift the pan slightly. If the cake doesn't feel like it's falling out smoothly, lay a slightly damp kitchen towel over the pan and tap again. If necessary, let the cakes cool more. If they have been baked thoroughly, however, they should fall right out of the pans once they've cooled a little and the sides of the cake have shrunk back from the pan.

  5. Cool completely, decorate as you'd like, and eat! The unfrosted cake will keep, wrapped in plastic and at room temperature, for about a week; the baked cakes can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

If you're planning on frosting our cake, here is my favorite recipe: How To Make Basic Buttercream.

For more on wrapping and storing leftover cake, see this article: Expert Advice: How to Wrap, Store, and Keep Cake Fresh

This recipe has been updated — first published May 2012.

It’s Reader Request Week at The Kitchn! This post was requested by vintagejenta, who asked for “A good yellow cake recipe that does not require separating eggs please!”

Filed in:

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Recipe: Yellow Butter Cake (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between yellow cake and butter yellow cake? ›

What's the difference between yellow cake mix and butter yellow cake mix, you ask? Simply put, butter mixes require butter in the ingredients; yellow cake mixes can use any type of fat, though they typically call for vegetable oil. If you like a buttery flavor, Betty Crocker's mix is on point.

Is yellow cake with butter better than oil? ›

Despite some widespread beliefs, oil cakes are not inferior to butter cakes. Here's why. The texture of cakes made with oil is—in general—superior to the texture of cakes made with butter. Oil cakes tend to bake up loftier with a more even crumb and stay moist and tender far longer than cakes made with butter.

What makes yellow cake taste so good? ›

Egg yolks and butter are rich sources of fat, and fat is the key to yellow cake's intense flavor. Fat has a tremendous impact on how flavor compounds are released in our mouths, so much so that we can perceive the same flavors differently depending on how much fat is in our food.

What does extra butter do to a cake? ›

Extra butter improves both the taste and texture of a sheet cake. While there are all kinds of butter varieties, each has something in common. Namely, butter offers both richness and tenderness to baked goods.

What is Kentucky butter cake made of? ›

A Kentucky Butter cake is the simplest cake you can find. The ingredients are truly pantry staples: eggs, butter, flour, sugar, baking soda, and buttermilk. Don't skip the buttermilk. Butternilk is essential for the rise of the cake and its tender texture.

Which cake mix is better Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker? ›

I'm a pro baker who made devil's food cake with Pillsbury, Duncan Hines, and Betty Crocker mixes. The Duncan Hines version was moist and had the strongest chocolate flavor of the three. Betty Crocker's cake was also moist but lacked flavor and tasted bland without frosting.

Should you use milk instead of water in cake mix? ›

Most box cake recipes will tell you to add water to the mix. Instead, try adding milk using the same proportions. This will make the cake richer and creamier because it ups the fat content. You can even use buttermilk here for a pleasant tang.

Is cake better with milk or water? ›

Baking tip #2: adding milk to your box cake mix in place of water adds a dense texture to your dessert leaving it moist and flavorful like a homemade cake. Or, if you prefer, you can add buttermilk, giving your cake a tangy flavor to balance out the sweetness.

What makes a cake fluffier butter or oil? ›

Why does oil give cake superior texture? Butter is 18% water, so when the batter is baked, some of its liquid evaporates. Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there's more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness.

Is box cake mix as good as homemade? ›

They are so convenient, but never quite as tasty as homemade cakes. But don't worry! With ingredients you already have on hand in your kitchen, you can make a cake from a box that tastes more flavorful, moist, and like it was made from scratch. Here are six easy ways to upgrade a basic cake mix.

Is it cheaper to buy cake mix or make from scratch? ›

The box mix is about $1.50 cheaper and requires less effort, energy, and attention. And really, the flavor isn't that bad…just not that remarkable. Homemade cakes can sometimes be fussy, especially if you don't make them very often, but dang!

Is melted or softened butter better for cake? ›

Melted butter can change the texture and consistency of the cake, making it denser and more compact. Softened butter, on the other hand, creates air pockets when beaten with sugar, resulting in a lighter and fluffier cake. If the recipe specifically calls for softened butter, it's best to follow that instruction.

Can I use melted butter instead of softened for cake? ›

Can I Use Melted Butter Instead Of Softened? You can, but it will require you to have a very good understanding of how it affects your recipe, and you will likely have to make changes to your recipe!

What happens if you put too many eggs in a cake? ›

Eggs also contain a variety of proteins that create the structure of a cake, and when beaten, they can act as a leavening agent by adding air to the cake batter. However, if you add too many eggs to your cake batter, then your end result could be spongy, rubbery, or dense.

What does yellow butter cake taste like? ›

While yellow cake and white cake are both vanilla flavored, yellow cake tends to be much richer and moist because of the full eggs and butter combo.

Is butter cake the same as vanilla cake? ›

A quick primer: Yellow cakes get their custard-like flavor and richness from egg yolks, while fluffy white cakes owe their lightness to egg whites, but butter cakes are a whole-egg affair. That distinction puts it squarely between the two styles, with a mellow flavor and light but velvety crumb.

What does a butter cake taste like? ›

Also known as Kentucky butter cake, this old-fashioned cake is sweet, buttery, and soft. Thanks to the glaze, this cake is moist and stays moist for days at room temperature. The buttery glaze also gives this cake its delicious crisp coating thats reminiscent of a glazed donut.

Is butter cake the same as pound cake? ›

Are butter cake and pound cake the same? While both cakes are known for being deliciously buttery and rich with a fine, moist crumb, there is a difference between the two. Butter cakes (also referred to as creamed cakes) have a lighter texture and greater volume than pound cakes.

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