“And then, she quietly closed the back cover to the front and breathed in a deep breath of admiration for all that the last 10 years meant to her and all that was coming in its very place.” That’s what my narrator would have said a few Saturdays back as the scene panned from Daniel to me in a brand-new living room enveloped by moving boxes and trash bags of hangers. If my life were a movie—of course. But, it isn’t and it’s been more complicated than a well-put-together sentence could ever be.
We’ve taken to nightly walks around the neighborhood and to discovering new places to try out or a nice route for a run. The heat messes with my blood sugar and more times than not we’ve had to stop into a local place to grab some fast-acting sugar before we move on. Last Wednesday night I found myself in a booth at Burgerville scarfing a marionberry shake while Daniel read the neighborhood newsletter and I perused this article about Gwyneth Paltrow and her GOOP enterprise. Not surprisingly, it said everything I felt about the company without even saying it.
We’ve found a lovely bagel place, and I’m just about bonkers for their everything and salted bagels. The 1:1 ratio of schmear to bagel is unprecedented and appreciated. I have a long list of recommendations for places to try from locals, IG peeps, and my friend Cambria who has lived here for about a year now. Her and her littles make this place feel like home already, and I couldn’t be more thankful for their little squirrel voices and twinkle toes dancing on my new hardwood floors.
Okay, I really could go on forever about this new life, but what I really want to talk about is The Perfect Scratch Yellow Cake. I’ve realized over the past few years that while I’ve been on a mission to bring you all fun and new recipes, I’ve been remiss in getting you the tried and trues. I get a lot of questions about “what’s the best [insert frosting or cake here].” So, I wanted to sprinkle in a few basic recipes here and there that are my stand-alone favorites. Basic, crowd pleasing, can’t lose, works every time, back-pocket recipes. Rightfully called The Perfect Series where I give superfluous titles to my favorite cakes and frostings.
Back in the day, when box cake mixes were revered and not feared, the yellow cake was head and shoulders above all. It was moist, and the crumb was light and flakey, and it just about paired well with any frosting. But, nothing better than a chocolate frosting. It’s the combo I call “birthday cake.” And, while I really do love funfetti cake for all that it is, there is something about a yellow cake with fudge-y frosting that takes getting older to a whole new level of joy.
Let’s talk specs:
- Like I said, we are going for a flakey crumb. The kind of cake that when you’re finished with it, you still get to press your fork against the crumbs for that final perfect bite. That is what cake mix does best. And, while I like a denser cake because it takes prettier pictures, nothing quite beats this.
- We are going yolk crazy because YELLOW. We use two whole eggs and 3 egg yolks. Don’t be too hasty and throw out the whites. Reserve them, you’ll want them for the frosting later.
- It’s hard to get a yellow cake looking like the box mixes without using some sort of coloring. Which, you should feel free to do so. I used a little bit of turmeric in the batter to keep its yellow-y-ness. I got the idea from Food52 when they made their version of yellow cake. Do what your gut tells you to do.
- Almond extract is my favorite extract and it is absolutely paramount when you are trying to replicate a box cake mix. Don’t skimp on it and come running back to me saying it doesn’t taste right. It’s as necessary as the full TABLESPOON of vanilla extract we are using here.
Okay? Ready, Set, Go! It’s time for you to make this cake now and to welcome in my new The Perfect Series where we dive into the most perfect of all basic cakes and frostings.
The Perfect Scratch Yellow Cake
The Perfect Scratch Yellow Cake. Ever wanted to have a recipe for yellow cake that mimics the boxed yellow cake of your childhood? Well, here ya go!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Ingredients
|| Yellow Cake ||
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
3 egg yolks | reserve whites for frosting
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon turmeric or a few drops of yellow food coloring
|| Swiss Meringue Chocolate Buttercream Frosting ||
6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups salted butter, room temperature
pinch of cream of tartar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
|| Yellow Cake || Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the oil, sugar and vanilla and almond extracts together until smooth. Add the two eggs, and mix on low until combined. Add the egg yolks, and mix on low until combined. Add the flour and sprinkle the salt and baking soda on top of the flour. Turn the mixer on its lowest speed, and slowly add the buttermilk as it mixes. Add the turmeric or food coloring at this time. Pour batter into greased baking pans or divide into cupcake liners filling them 3/4 of the way.
Baking times | Sheet Cake: 37-40 minutes. Three 6-inch cake pans: 35-40 minutes. Three 8-inch cake pans: 23-25 minutes. Two 9-inch pans: 25-28 minutes. Cupcakes: 8 minutes at 385 degrees, 8-10 minutes turned down to 350 degrees.
|| Swiss Meringue Chocolate Buttercream Frosting ||
In a double boiler over medium heat, mix egg whites and sugar together with a spatula. Continue to stir every few minutes so the egg whites don’t scramble. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so that all the sugar dissolves into the egg whites. Check to see if the sugar is dissolving by pressing the mixture together with your finger and thumb. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, pour mixture into a standing mixer with a whisk attachment.
Turn mixer on low and whisk until the mixture becomes frothy. Add cream of tartar. Turn up the mixer and whisk until the mixture is completely white. Set mixer to high and whip until frosting forms stiff peaks. Turn off the mixer and wait until the meringue comes to room temperature.
While whisking frosting on low, add the room-temperature butter a few tablespoons at a time. Once the butter has been completely added, pour in the cocoa powder and vanilla, and whisk on high for about one minute. Switch the whisk for the paddle attachment and mix frosting on low until the air pockets are gone and the mixture is creamy. Or, you can do this last step by hand by folding the air pockets out using a rubber spatula.
Frost cooled cake.
Congrats on the successful move, and best of luck as you explore your new digs!
Thank you, too, for this lovely recipe. Can’t wait to try it out for my upcoming half-birthday/unbirthday (because any excuse for cake is a good excuse!).
I mean, really! we need no excuse 🙂 You’re so sweet! Thanks so much for you love!! and happy upcoming half birthday 🙂 LOL Mine is coming up too!
I love this so much! Can’t wait to make this for birthdays. The Perfect Series is genius for me. As a beginner Cook and baker, I need my fundamentals, and you make them so thoughtfully and skillfully — and healthier than what I can buy. Looks deelish and gorgeous.❤️ PS I want to live in your neighborhood. Sounds marvelous
Patricia!! Oh girl! This makes me so happy! confirmation that I’m on the right track 🙂 Can’t wait to post more of the perfect series! Oh my gosh, this neighborhood is just a dream come true! I love it so much!
I really love the tips you gave us here. There really is nothing that beats box cake. Baking a cake from scratch is impressive but most people still prefer boxed. SO, I’m going to have to try this recipe! Yellow cake is down right delicious!
Yay! and YES! Nothing quite like a box mix. IT’S TRUE 🙂
Hello –
Love your site.
Thank you so much for making your artful & delicious ways available!
Regarding yellow scratch cake (I’m less than a novice – please forgive me), what size pan would you consider sheet cake size?
I’ve got a 14” x 10” and something slightly smaller.
Thank you❣️
Caryn
Hey Caryn! Sorry this took me so long to reply! a 9×13! which is the size of a traditional casserole dish. Hope this helps! and thanks for the heads up!
Can’t wait to try this next week for a friends birthday. How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
Sorry for the late reply! It makes 24 cupcakes. Thanks so much, Irina
Every year I try to make my husband a yellow cake from scratch and they’re usually not awesome. Last year I had one made and it was a dud too. This year I decided to try again and this cake was a hit! I failed on the merengue frosting so I ended up using a chocolate buttercream but it was very good.
★★★★★
I made this cake today. It is delicious! Who knew turmeric was the secret ingredient in yellow cake? (At least, I guess it is.) I have one question. I made it in 3 8 inch cake pans. The layers are very thin, only about 1″ thick. I learned from King Arthur Baking to shake flour into the measuring cup and level it off. I am now wondering if I shortchanged the flour in this recipe? It is light, it is delicious, but I am just wondering.
I made the cake yesterday and frosted it this morning. I had never made a frosting like this before. My comments: be sure the water is not touching the bottom of the double boiler top pan. Set the stovetop temperature on medium or slightly less heat. Bring the water to a boil before setting the egg mixture on top. I needed to stir the mixture constantly to keep the egg white from cooking. It didn’t take very long for the sugar to dissolve. (less than 5 minutes after the water boiled.) Check constantly. When I poured the mixture into the mixing bowl, it cooked a bit on the pan side. I fished out the solid egg. The recipe says to whip until the mixture makes stiff peaks. This is not like the stiff peaks of a meringue made with egg whites, but you will see distinct peaks nevertheless. I made the frosting with a hand mixer. I had to use high speed on it to whip it into peaks. But it worked beautifully. Delicious, beautiful frosting. Be lavish with the frosting. There is plenty. I am so happy to have this recipe! It will become one of my very favorites!
★★★★★