If I had to pick one cake to eat every year on my birthday, it's always yellow cake with chocolate frosting. For years that meant a box mix and a tub of chocolate frosting, covered with those multi-colored nonpareil sprinkles. And let's be real: I'm still not mad at that not-from-scratch combo, and I'll gladly eat a slice if you put it in front of me.
But homemade takes that same nostalgic pairing of tender yellow cake and fudgy chocolate frosting and makes it so much better. This cake is exactly that, sprinkles included.
I've said it before too: I'm not in love with baking. You can't really change things up on the fly like you can with cooking so for me, a baking recipe has to be fool-proof and worth pulling out the mixer for. That's why I love this cake.
It's a sheet cake, which means no layers, no piping bags, and no decorating stress. Just bake it, let it cool right in the pan, spread on the frosting, and add sprinkles. This one works for any birthday, kiddos and adults alike, and it comes together with a lot less fuss than a layer cake ever does.
What keeps this cake from turning dry or dense is the mix of sour cream, whole milk, whole eggs, and extra egg yolks. Together they give it that classic yellow color along with a soft, moist crumb, rich enough to feel special without being overly sweet.
Reasons to Love This Yellow Sheet Cake Recipe
- Rich, classic flavor. Butter, vanilla, whole milk, and egg yolks give this cake that golden color and the buttery, from-scratch flavor a box mix can't touch.
- Soft and tender. Sour cream adds moisture while the extra egg yolks help give the cake a tender crumb.
- No layer cake required. Everything goes into one 13- x 9-inch pan, so there's no stacking, leveling, or crumb coat. Just bake, frost, and go.
- Genuinely foolproof. No fussy technique, no timing anything just right. If you want a baking win without much room for error, this is it.
- Works for any birthday. Frost it, add sprinkles, and you've got a cake that fits a kid's party or an adult's birthday dinner just as well.
If you're looking for other cake recipes that are great for holidays or birthdays, try my coconut birthday cake. My red velvet cake recipe and sour cream pound cake are also worth adding to your baking list. So is my fresh strawberry cake.
Want to switch up the frosting? My cream cheese frosting for red velvet cake (and other cakes) brings something creamy and tangy, and my raspberry cream cheese frosting adds something bright and fruity. And if you'd rather skip the from-scratch route, this vanilla whoopie pie recipe starts with a box mix, so they're a fun shortcut when that sounds easier.
Enough about that though. Ready to make that classic yellow cake with fudgy chocolate frosting? Let's do it!
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- salted butter
- granulated sugar
- large eggs and egg yolks
- vanilla extract
- sour cream
- whole milk
- Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- sprinkles (optional)
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Then, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed with a heavy duty stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the egg yolks. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla.
- Next, add the flour mixture alternately with the milk in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Finally, pour the batter into a greased 13- x 9-inch baking pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350°F for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting and decorating with sprinkles.
Hint: Decorate with sprinkles immediately after spreading on the frosting. Once the frosting has set, the sprinkles won't stick.
Substitutions
Check out these substitution ideas in case you need to make some adjustments:
- Salted butter: I always bake with salted butter to elevate all the flavors, but if you only have unsalted butter that's okay. Just add a little extra kosher salt to the batter.
- Sour cream: Full-fat plain Greek yogurt is the best substitute for sour cream and should give you a similarly moist, tender cake, though the flavor may be slightly tangier. Regular plain yogurt can work too, but the thinner consistency may make the batter a little looser.
- Whole milk: Whole milk gives the batter its rich texture and flavor. Swap out reduced-fat 2% or low-fat 1% milk if that's what you have. I don't recommend using skim milk.
Variations
Want to change things up? Here are some ideas:
- Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting: Make cupcakes instead of a sheet cake. The amount of batter and frosting will make around 2 dozen cupcakes. The baking time will be shorter too.
- Holiday Cake: Skip the sprinkles and top the cake with crushed candy canes for a Christmasy option.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:
- heavy-duty stand mixer
- paddle attachment
- medium bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- rubber spatula
- 13- x 9-inch baking pan
- wire rack
- offset spatula
Storage
To refrigerate: Once frosted, cover the cake with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer slices to an airtight container. Refrigerate for about 3 to 4 days.
To freeze: For longer storage, freeze the cooled cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or place individual slices in a freezer-safe airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Note: If the cake is sliced, make sure the sides are wrapped or covered tightly so the cake doesn't dry out.
Tasty Tip
Room temperature ingredients really do help here. Butter, eggs, sour cream, and whole milk blend together more evenly when they aren't straight from the fridge, which helps you get a smoother cake batter and a more even, tender cake crumb.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. You can bake the cake ahead, let it cool completely, and keep it wrapped until you're ready to frost it.
I wouldn't swap the butter completely for vegetable oil here. This recipe relies on creaming the butter and sugar together, so switching to oil would change both the mixing method and the texture of the cake.
Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake after about 22 minutes. When it comes out clean, the cake is ready to come out of the oven.
In this case, I recommend a heavy duty stand mixer, especially for the creaming of the butter and the sugar. The paddle attachment really helps to get the batter smooth.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite related to serve with this classic birthday cake:
🍽Get the recipe
Yellow Birthday Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
- dry measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- liquid measuring cup
- 13- x 9-inch baking pan
- heavy-duty stand mixer
- medium bowl
- rubber spatula
- whisk
- offset spatula
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with vegetable shortening.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in the egg yolks. Add the sour cream and vanilla, and beat until combined.
- Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Spread the frosting evenly onto the cake and decorate with sprinkles, if desired.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Keep these few food safety things in mind when making this recipe
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw eggs.
- Wash hands after touching raw eggs.
- Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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