Golden Yellow Cake Recipes

YELLOW CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds (see #6 in Cake Baking Tips), then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. I recommend using nonstick spray for greasing.
• Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for 3 full minutes. The creamed butter and sugar will be extra creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Turn the mixer down to medium-high speed and beat in the 4 egg yolks one at a time, letting each egg yolk fully mix into the batter before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
• Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the buttermilk and beat on low speed until combined. Add 1/3 more of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk and beat on low speed until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. The batter is very thick. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until fluffy peaks form, about 3 minutes. See photo and video above for a visual. Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the thick cake batter. Avoid over-mixing as you don't want to deflate the egg whites.
• Pour/spoon batter evenly into cake pans.
• Bake for around 27-31 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. After about 18 minutes, tent the cakes with aluminum foil to prevent the tops and sides from over-browning. To test the cakes for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. The cakes may look a little spongey on top as a result of the whipped egg whites. (That's normal!)
• Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Do not over-whip. Add 1/4 cup more confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder if frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. (I usually add 1 more.) Taste. Add another pinch of salt if desired.
• If cooled cakes are domed on top, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. This is called "leveling" the cakes. Discard or crumble over finished cake (or on ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer. (If desired, if the edges seem extra crumbly, apply a crumb coat which is a thin layer of frosting all over the cake. You can see I did this in the video tutorial above. Refrigerate the crumb coated cake for 15 minutes before adding the rest of the frosting.) Spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I always use an icing spatula and/or a bench scraper for the frosting. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired.
• For extra neat slices, refrigerate cake for 30-60 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
• Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

A FAR, FAR BETTER CAKE

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the top third of the oven and crank the box to 350°F. Then prep two 9-inch round aluminum cake pans by rubbing on a thin layer of butter on the bottoms and sides, and then flour. Finally, line the bottoms of both with a round of parchment paper.
• SiftYou can use a sifter for this or a fine sieve. the flours together with the baking powder and set aside.
• Load the paddle attachment onto your stand mixer and beat the butter on low speed just until smooth, about 1 minute. Follow with the sugar and salt, boosting the speed to medium. Continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each minute or so.
• With the mixer still on medium, add the egg yolks one at a time, fully incorporating one before adding the next. When all eight are in, kill the mixer and scrape the bowl. Return the speed to low and slowly addI like to use a paper plate to dose in the flour...great multitasker. half the flour mixture.
• When the first half of the flour mix is worked in, add half of the milk and all of the vanilla. Stop and scrape the bowl yet again then return to low and slowly add the remaining flour. Then scrape one more time, making sure there's no dry flour hiding in the bottom of the bowl. Congratulations, you've conquered the creaming method.
• Divide the mixture between the two pans. I use a scale to ensure even distribution and that means about 660 grams per pan. Smooth the tops with a rubber spatula and tap the pans against the counter to remove any air pockets.
• Bake until the cakes reach an internal temperature of between 207 and 210°F, which typically takes between 30 and 35 minutes. The cakes should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes should come out clean.
• Remove from oven and cool cakes on a wire rack for 15 minutes then de-pan onto the rack and cool to room temp before frosting.

YELLOW CAKE MADE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch pan. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating just to combine. finally, stir in vanilla. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost and enjoy.

GOLDEN CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 15 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat together egg yolks and egg white. Beat the egg mixture into the butter and sugar.
• In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Stir flour into egg mixture alternately with milk. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.

GOLD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 inch round pans.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
• Cream butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Add egg yolks and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Add milk to butter mixture in 2 parts alternately with flour mixture in 3 parts, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spread in prepared pans.
• Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

GOLDEN YELLOW CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) cake pans with shortening(or nothing if you have a really good nonstick cake pan) and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together, add 2 tablespoons of the 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in 1 of the 2 bowls. Then mix the egg yolks one by one, completely mix them--do not add another one until the one before is completely mixed.
• Get another bowl and sift the cake flour, salt, and baking powder together. Stir to distribute everything good. Slowly mix it together with the stuff in the other bowl. When it starts to get dry or hard to mix with the mixer add the milk, yogurt, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and vanilla. Add about seven drops of yellow food coloring or until you get the perfect golden yellow. Mix completely and very well, leave no unmixed cake flour on the sides--believe you me it does not make a good cake having droplets of or little chunks of cake flour in the cake so make sure you scrape the sides down good and mix it in well.
• Pour into the prepared pans leaving enough space to rise. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
• You can make a really good chocolate or vanilla frosting for the cake. Or you can buy the frosting.

YELLOW BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.
• Divide batter between the prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

GOLDEN SHEET CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-by-13-inch baking pans. Line with parchment, leaving an overhang on long sides. Butter parchment. Flour pans, tapping out excess.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, then beat in eggs, 1 at a time.
• Beat flour mixture into butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape bottom of bowl, and mix until smooth. Divide batter between pans.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until tops of cakes spring back when pressed and a toothpick comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely, then lift cakes from pans using parchment. Remove parchment. Cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature 1 day or refrigerated 2 days.