Best Yellow Birthday Cake Recipe

A from scratch moist, tender, buttery, and light Yellow Birthday Cake recipe! Better than a box mix and easy to make. 

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I just finished updating the recipe for this Best Yellow Birthday Cake with Mocha Frosting. It was originally published January 9th, 2014. It's still a family favorite! 

I've spent a lot of hours working on the BEST Yellow Birthday Cake recipe. I've tasted one to many dry or tasteless yellow cake recipes that never compare to the moist flavorful yellow cake found in the cute local bakeries that are a must for Birthday celebrations.

But fear not my friends I have finally perfected a moist Yellow Cake that is the absolute best! Then as if that's not good enough I covered it in a delicious Mocha Buttercream Frosting for an adult spin on the childhood favorite! 

Swoon.. There's just something amazingly delicious about Yellow Cake with a Chocolate Mocha Buttercream Frosting.

Even LJ stated he doesn't care for frosting usually but he loved the Mocha Buttercream Frosting because it wasn't too sweet, just the right amount of chocolate, and coffee.

I made this cake specially for Lorna to celebrate her 14th Birthday yesterday.

It just wouldn't be a Birthday Celebration without the Best Yellow Cake possible and this recipe nails it!

Cream together:

• 3/4 cup Cold Butter
• 1 2/3 cup Sugar

Cream until light and fluffy on medium speed. I use cold butter because I find it holds more volume.

Scrape sides of bowl and add one at a time beating well between each addition: 

• 1 whole Egg Yolk
• 3 whole Eggs

Beat on medium speed until well combined.

Repeat with remaining eggs beating well between each addition and scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Mix in:

• 1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Mix until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl.

Add to batter:

• 2 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2/3 cup Plain Yogurt
• 1/2 cup Milk

Mix on low speed until just combined.

Scrape sides of bowl and make sure batter is well combined.

Grease 2 (8") rounds with butter. Line with parchment paper and butter parchment paper.

This helps the cake release from the pan when done cooking and greasing under the parchment paper helps keep the parchment paper from sliding.

Divide batter evenly between pans and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. 

Remove cake from oven cool for 10 minutes in pan and then invert onto a cooling rack and finish cooling to room temperature.

To make Mocha Buttercream frosting cream add to mixing bowl:

• 10 tablespoons Softened Butter
• 1 cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Mix until well combined.

Add:

• 4 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1/4 cup Strong Brewed Coffee
• 2 tablespoons Half and Half
• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Beat until smooth and creamy.

I trimmed the tops of the yellow cakes to level them. 

This is optional but will help the cake stay level.

I also place 3-4 stripes of parchment paper under cake, so if your a little messy with the frosting you can remove the strips of parchment paper around the edge for a clean surface.

Spread 1/3 of mocha buttercream frosting over bottom layer and top with next cake layer.

Use remaining frosting to frost sides and top of cake. Feel free to lick the spatula.

We were in a hurry to snap a photo before we ran out of day light but if you store the cake in the refrigerator for an hour or two before serving it will help the frosting set and give a cleaner cut.

Lorna rated this the all time BEST Yellow Birthday Cake and loves it with Mocha Buttercream Frosting. I hope you love it as much as we do! 

Make sure to check out these other favorite Birthday Cake recipes that you are sure to love: Boston Cream Pie, German Chocolate Cake, and Moist Chocolate Cake. You can't go wrong with any of these!

You might also like these other Birthday Cake ideas:

• Lemon Soufflé Cake from Life Currents
• Classic Birthday Cake from Liv For Cake
• Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake from Lovefoodies 

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Cake, Yellow Cake, Birthday Cake, Mocha Buttercream, Dessert, Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

American

Yield: 12

Author: Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

Yellow Birthday Cake

The Best Yellow Birthday Cake recipe with Mocha Buttercream Frosting like you would find at the local bakery from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch.

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 55 M

Ingredients

Yellow Cake

• 3/4 cup Cold Butter, Plus More For Greasing Pans
• 1 2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 whole Egg Yolk
• 3 whole Eggs
• 1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2/3 cup Plain Yogurt
• 1/2 cup Milk

Mocha Buttercream Frosting

• 10 tablespoons Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1/4 cup Strong Coffee
• 2 tablespoons Half & Half
• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• 4 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted

Instructions

Yellow Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Grease 2 (8") Cake Pans with butter and line bottoms with parchment paper, butter parchment paper.
2. Cream cold butter, and add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy on medium speed.
3. Scrape sides of bowl, add egg yolk, and eggs one at a time beating well between each addition. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.
4. Add vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl.
5. Add flour, yogurt, and milk. Mix on medium low speed just until combined being careful not to over mix.
6. Divide batter evenly between cake pans and bake for 26-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
7. Remove cake from oven and cool for 10 minutes in pans. Then invert onto a cooling rack, and finish cooling to room temperature.

Mocha Buttercream Frosting

1. Cream together butter, cocoa powder, and salt, until smooth.
2. Add coffee, half & half or milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Mix on medium low speed, until well combined, and smooth. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.
3. For a level cake trim top off of cake. Spread 1/3 of the Mocha Buttercream Frosting. Top with second layer and frost sides and top of cake.
4. For the cleanest cut refrigerate cake for 1-2 hours to help frosting set before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

573.04

Fat

22.12 g

Sat. Fat

13.01 g

Carbs

87.88 g

Fiber

1.97 g

Net carbs

85.91 g

Sugar

65.00 g

Protein

6.80 g

Sodium

420.69 mg

Cholesterol

114.48 mg

The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favorite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

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©2014 Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

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