Classic Birthday Cake (2024)

This classic birthday cake is the only recipe you need. It starts with a moist and tender vanilla cake that’s not too sweet and has a beautiful golden yellow color. Then it’s frosted with swirls of creamy chocolate frosting. The recipe is better than any bakery but simple enough for a novice baker.

It’s the perfect recipe to add to your baking repertoire, and even better than the birthday cakes of your childhood.

I think yellow cake with chocolate frosting is the quintessential birthday cake. It’s not too rich, has the perfect balance of chocolate and vanilla, and tastes delicious with a scoop of ice cream on the side. This recipe makes me nostalgic for childhood birthday parties with extended family and presents. But I’ll equally enjoy a slice on a Sunday night for absolutely no reason. Except for that cake is delicious.

The Ingredients You’ll Need

Each ingredient in this recipe has a distinct purpose and has been chosen after numerous recipe tests, many failed attempts, and the occasional meltdown. Therefore, I do not recommend making any substitutions as I cannot ensure the results will be the same.

• 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (AKA plain flour). I wanted to make this recipe with all-purpose flour (instead of cake flour) since it’s what most people have on hand already. If you’re only making birthday cake once or twice a year, do you really want to buy a whole other bag of flour? Do not use self-rising flour!
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder plus 1/2 teaspoon baking sodato get the perfect rise. I tried using just baking powder to get the perfect rise, however, I had to use so much baking powder that you could almost taste it in the cake.
• 1/2 teaspoon saltto balance out the sweetness. I always bake with unsalted butter so that I can adjust the amount of salt as necessary.
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter.The butter adds so much flavor to this recipe. Any vanilla cake recipe relies on butter for flavor. Do not substitute with margarine, shortening or oil.
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar. After experimenting with the amounts of sugar, I found this to be the perfect amount.
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Yup – you read that correctly.
• 2 tablespoons oil (vegetable or canola) -to keep the cake tender for longer. Cakes made with oil stay moist and tender for longer. So while we’re primarily using butter for flavor, just a little oil helps to ensure your cake stays moist.
• 4 large eggs– for tenderness and moisture.
• 2/3 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup whole milk– for moisture. Do not use dairy free or low fat versions, as they will not provide the same flavor.

Important Baking Tips for Birthday Cake

• The butter should be softened, but not melty before getting started. Take it out of the fridge about 15-30 minutes prior to baking and cut the butter into small cubes.
• Take the eggs, sour cream and milk out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to getting started. It should be room temperature before adding to the batter.
• Make sure to measure the flour correctly! This is probably the most common culprit of a dry, flavorless cake. Whisk it first, then spoon into dry measuring cups and level off the top. Or better yet, use a scale. 2 3/4 cup weighs 344 grams or 12.1 ounces.
• Avoid overmixing your batter once you add in the dry ingredients. This stops the cake from getting tough.
• Bake both cake pans on the middle rack of your oven for even baking.

Assembling the Cake

If you don’t normally make layer cakes, don’t fear! Make sure your cakes are fully cooled before assembling – otherwise, the frosting can melt and your cake can fall over.

1. If your cakes are domed at the top, use a serrated knife to gently slice off the rounded top of each cake. This is called “leveling the cake”. If the edges of your cake are slightly angled, you can also gently slice/saw the sides with your serrated knife so that they’re perpendicular with your cake stand/table top.
2. Arrange a few strips of parchment paper or wax paper on your cake stand or cake plate (whatever you plan to serve your cake on) around the edges. Place 1 cake layer on top, with the bottom facing up. The strips of paper should be slightly under the cake and covering the exposed areas of the plate. This is so that frosting doesn’t get on your cake plate.
3. Frost the top of the first layer with about 1/3 of of the chocolate frosting.
4. Place the second cake layer on top, with the bottom of the cake facing up.
5. Frost the sides of the cake with about 1/3 of the frosting. If you notice that you’re getting crumbs in the frosting, do a thin layer of frosting on the sides and let it firm up (this is called a crumb coat). Then frost the sides again with your swirls of frosting.
6. Then frost the top of the cake with the remaining frosting.
7. Gently wiggle out the pieces of parchment paper from under the cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the Difference Between Yellow Cake and White Cake?

Both yellow cake and white cake are versions of vanilla cake. Yellow cake is made with whole eggs, whereas white cake is made with just egg whites. Therefore, yellow cake has a golden color and a richer flavor thanks to the egg yolks. As the name suggests, white cake has a more bright white color and is more delicate in texture.

What Pan Sizes Can I Use?

This recipe is designed for two 8-inch cake pans with high sides (about 2 inches). I like the height and cake to frosting ratio of two 8-inch pans. You can also use:

• 3 8-inch (20 cm) round sandwich tins. The bake time will be around 25 minutes at 350F.
• 2 9-inch (23 cm) round cake tins. The bake time will be around 25-27 minutes at 350F.
• 3 6-inch (15.25 cm) round cake tins. The bake time will be about 30-35 minutes.
• 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) rectangular cake tin. The bake time will be 35-40 minutes.
• If you want cupcakes, then I suggest using this yellow cupcake recipe.

How Long will Birthday Cake Keep for?

Yellow cake is best if served the same day it’s made/assembled. This recipe will stay moist for a few days though. Unfrosted cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Frosted cake will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cake is best if served at room temperature because the butter will harden in the fridge. Therefore, remove the cake from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving so that it can warm up to room temperature and won’t be hard.

Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly, placed in a freezer container (or large freezer bag) and frozen for up to 2 months. Then thaw overnight in the fridge, and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving. Don’t thaw cake at room temperature, or your cake can get soggy or gummy!

More Delicious Cake Recipes

• Chocolate Layer Cake
• Super Moist Carrot Cake
• Easy Red Velvet Cake
• Perfect White Cake with Vanilla Frosting