High-Altitude Yellow Cake

I’ve got a classic recipe for yellow cake with chocolate frosting to share today- it’s the perfect birthday cake, Tuesday cake, thing to bring to a party cake. The cake is ultra fluffy and tender, and the frosting is a simple ganache frosting that gives a lot of balance and creaminess to the cake.

If you’ve ever been searching for just the most classic birthday cake recipe, this is it. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

This cake uses both butter and oil to create a really soft cake that stays fluffy for days. We’re using a combination of granulated sugar and powdered sugar as well here, which again helps create a super tender texture that is kind of addicting.

From there, beat in the eggs one at a time and lots of vanilla extract. I like to use a mix of extract and paste so you get some of those vanilla bean flecks running through the cake, but it’s totally optional. Once that’s mixed through, it’s time to add in the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk.

You should end up with a smooth, thick batter to spread in your cake pans. I like to use aluminum 8 inch cake pans to bake my cakes because they offer a really even bake and they’re super light-weight. You can find the ones I use in my Amazon storefront!

While the cakes bake, you can start on the frosting since it needs a few hours to sit at room temperature before you frost your cake. This is just a simple ganache frosting- I recommend you use dark chocolate here so it’s not too sweet, but go with a chocolate that you like the taste of.

Once your cake layers have baked, wrap them in plastic wrap as soon as you feel like they are cool enough to handle- wrapping the cake layers in plastic while they are still hot helps avoid drying out!

After everything has had a chance to chill out completely, you can frost and decorate this cake however you like. I went for some simple swoops and rainbow sprinkles because this cake really gives birthday vibes, but using ganache as frosting gives you a lot of flexibility in how you want to decorate- it’s super easy to work with!

Tips & Tricks for High-Altitude Birthday Cake

Here are all my tips and tricks to help you along the way to the perfect High-Altitude Yellow Cake:

• Do I have to use the butter AND the oil? The combination of butter and oil here creates a great balance of flavor from the butter and a soft texture from the oil. I highly recommend keeping the mix as is!
• Can I bake this as a sheet cake? You can use the same batter in a 9×13 inch cake pan, though it may take a little bit longer to bake through. Also, you will have extra frosting if you bake it this way.
• How do I know when the cake batter is mixed fully? You should have no pockets of flour remaining, and the batter should have an even texture throughout. You want to stop mixing as soon as everything is well combined.
• How do I know when the cake is fully baked? Everyone’s oven bakes a little bit differently, so you want to make sure you’re working on visual cues as well. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Optionally, you can use an instant read thermometer, which should hit between 190-200 degrees in the center of the cake when it’s finished baking.
• Why does the ganache have to cool for so long? It takes a long time for ganache to fully settle into it’s room-temp texture, which should be soft, glossy, and easy to spread. Give it time to fully cool down, or it will be too thin and you won’t be able to spread it.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

Print

High Altitude Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

For the yellow cake layers:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbs. vanilla extract
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups buttermilk

For the chocolate frosting:

• 14 oz. dark chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

For the yellow cake layers:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease two 8-inch cake pans. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, powdered sugar, softened butter, and canola oil until well combined. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, and then add in the vanilla extract until just combined.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add about 1/3 of the mixture into the batter, and beat until just combined. Then add in about half of the buttermilk, again mixing until just combined. Repeat this process until all of the buttermilk and dry ingredients have been added. You should have a fairly thick, smooth batter. Spread evenly into your prepared cake pans, and bake for 30-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool the cakes for about 5-10 minutes in the pan before turning out and wrapping tightly in plastic wrap to finish cooling.

For the chocolate frosting:

1. Chop your dark chocolate into rough chunks and set aside. In a medium microwave safe bowl, microwave the heavy cream for about 2 minutes, or until it is very hot and bubbles are starting to form around the edges of the bowl. Pour in your chopped chocolate, and cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap for 5 minutes. Then whisk the mixture until the chocolate is fully combined and you have a smooth mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Cover the bowl with plastic, and let the mixture rest at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until it’s completely cooled and has a thick and spreadable texture.
2. Once the cake layers have fully cooled, trim the domed tops off so you have flat, even layers to work with. Frost the cake as desired, using about 1/3 of the frosting for between the layers, and the remaining for the top and sides. Top with sprinkles and slice to serve. Enjoy!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!