The details
Everyone needs a classic birthday cake recipe. Make it for yourself on your birthday (no shame, I do it) or save this recipe for someone special’s day. Either way, this Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream is cause for celebration. The cake itself is rich with egg yolks, buttery, and dense without being weighed down. It is moist and melts in your mouth. And the frosting, let me tell you. This is my favorite buttercream of all time. Rich, chocolatey, creamy, but not overly sweet. The secret is in the cream cheese/butter mixture. Make it once and it will become your go-to!
Decorating your cake
I had so much fun decorating this cake! Let me let you in on the secret to sprinkles on the side of your cake. Decorate your cake with smooth sides using a cake turn table and bench scraper. Then, get A LOT of sprinkles (a lot a lot) and get a big handful. Carefully, gently, press the sprinkles against the side of your cake. They’ll mostly stick. Continue around the cake until there’s enough on there for you. It’s easier than you think! Just make sure that before you do the sprinkles, you’ve cleaned all buttercream off your cake stand so the sprinkles don’t stick to the bottom. This way, when you’re done adding them, you can simple tip your cake and shake the excess sprinkles off. Boom!
Ingredient and Process Notes
Cake notes:
- As always, make sure your cake ingredients are all room temp for optimal emulsification.
- Beat the cake WELL particularly in the step after adding the eggs and before adding dry ingredients. This part is crucial for the right cake crumb texture! At this point, batter will be light yellow and a little fluffy.
- Do not overmix! After adding the last bit of flour, mix until just combined. Fold after this if needed to make sure all the flour is in there, but don’t keep the mixer on.
Buttercream notes:
- If you cream your butter and cream cheese together and it stays a bit lumpy, that’s okay. I would advise increasing the mixing speed for a few more minutes to avoid chunks of butter in the frosting. However, once you begin to add the powdered sugar and cocoa, the frosting should begin to look more smooth and homogenous.
- Sift your powdered sugar AND cocoa powder! I know this step is annoying, but it’s very important for this smooth and velvety buttercream.
- Good quality cocoa powder makes all the difference. If you’d like your buttercream to be more on the milk chocolate end of the spectrum, it’s fine to use Hershey’s. But if you’re like me and enjoy a deep, rich, dark chocolate buttercream, I’d recommend this or this cocoa powder for all your baking needs.
Assembling the cake
For a detailed layer cake tutorial, click here. This classic yellow cake is a good starting layer cake, since there is no special filling. Just frosting in between the cake layers. The decoration can be as simple as you like, since chocolate frosting is beautiful no matter what and sprinkles are fun! This cake could also easily be done as an 8 or 9-inch sheet cake. Just swirl that chocolate buttercream on with a spatula and douse with sprinkles.
Other cakes to try out
- Perfect Vanilla Layer Cake (cake layering tutorial can also be found on this page!)
- Coffee Black Cocoa Cake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Salted Caramel Layer Cake
Bake to this music
Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
This birthday cake is a match made in heaven. Rich chocolate buttercream pairs with a classic yellow cake. Complete with sprinkles!
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the yellow cake layers:
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup whole fat buttermilk, room temp
For the chocolate buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 4 tbsp heavy cream
- sprinkles for topping
Instructions
Make your yellow cake layers:
- Prepare 2 6-inch round cake pans with baking spray and parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl attached to a stand mixer, cream together butter and granulated sugar for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the bowl in between additions. Add vanilla extract. Continue mixing on medium-high for 5 more minutes until the mixture is lightened in color and shiny.
- In a separate medium bowl, mix together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Reduce mixer speed to low. Alternate adding this dry ingredient mix with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry mix. Order will be 1/3 dry, 1/2 buttermilk, 1/3 dry, 1/2 buttermilk, 1/3 dry. Mix until just combined.
- Spread cake batter equally between two pans. Bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Allow cake layers to cool completely in their pans. Cake layer can be stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temp for up to 1 week.
Make your chocolate buttercream:
- In a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until smoothish on medium-high speed. Reduce speed to low and slowly add sifted cocoa powder and powdered sugar one half cup at a time.
- Once the frosting is smooth and deep brown, increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla and salt. Once incorporated increase mixer speed to medium-high and add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time. Continue mixing 3-5 minutes until the frosting becomes lightened in color, smooth, and fluffy.
Assemble your cake.
- Place on cake layer on a cake round or stand. Spoon chocolate frosting on top of the layer and use a spatula to create a smooth, even layer. Place the other cake layer on top. Smooth chocolate frosting on the top and all around, using a bench scraper and/or offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles to your preference.
Notes
- This recipe is written for a 2-layer 6-inch cake or for a 8-inch square sheet cake. Double this recipe for a 3-layer 8-inch cake.
- If you would like to pipe frosting as part of your decoration, make an extra 1/2 buttercream recipe.
- Frosting can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Allow it to come to room temperature and beat again until smooth and fluffy before assembling cake.