Name: Classic Yellow Cake recipe
Ingredients: Unsalted Butter: 1 cup (2 sticks), softened to room temperature. Butter is the heart of a Classic Yellow Cake, providing richness, moisture, and that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Unsalted butter allows you to control the overall salt level in the cake. Ensure it’s properly softened – it should be pliable but not greasy, allowing it to cream smoothly with the sugar.; Granulated Sugar: 1 ¾ cups. Sugar not only provides sweetness but also contributes to the cake’s tenderness and moisture. Granulated sugar is the standard choice for yellow cake, providing a clean sweetness that complements the butter and vanilla.; Large Eggs: 3 large, at room temperature. Eggs are essential for structure, richness, and moisture in cakes. They bind the ingredients together and contribute to the cake’s rise and tender crumb. Using room temperature eggs helps them emulsify more easily into the batter, resulting in a smoother and more cohesive cake.; Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons, pure vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is the quintessential flavoring for Classic Yellow Cake, enhancing its sweetness and adding a warm, inviting aroma. Pure vanilla extract provides the best and most authentic vanilla flavor. Avoid imitation vanilla, which can taste artificial.; All-Purpose Flour: 3 cups, measured correctly. Flour provides the structure for the cake. All-purpose flour is the standard choice and provides a good balance of gluten development for a tender yet sturdy cake. Measure your flour correctly using the spoon and level method (spoon flour into the measuring cup and level off the excess with a straight edge) to avoid adding too much flour, which can result in a dry cake.; Baking Powder: 3 ½ teaspoons. Baking powder is the leavening agent that makes the cake rise and become light and airy. Ensure your baking powder is fresh (check the expiration date) for optimal leavening power.; Salt: ¾ teaspoon, fine sea salt or table salt. Salt enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients in the cake, balancing the sweetness and bringing out the buttery and vanilla notes.; Whole Milk: 1 cup, at room temperature. Milk adds moisture to the cake and helps to create a tender crumb. Whole milk provides the best richness and flavor, but you can use 2% milk if preferred. Using room temperature milk prevents it from chilling the batter and helps maintain a smooth emulsion.

Ingredients

Unsalted Butter: 1 cup (2 sticks), softened to room temperature. Butter is the heart of a Classic Yellow Cake, providing richness, moisture, and that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Unsalted butter allows you to control the overall salt level in the cake. Ensure it’s properly softened – it should be pliable but not greasy, allowing it to cream smoothly with the sugar.

Granulated Sugar: 1 ¾ cups. Sugar not only provides sweetness but also contributes to the cake’s tenderness and moisture. Granulated sugar is the standard choice for yellow cake, providing a clean sweetness that complements the butter and vanilla.

Large Eggs: 3 large, at room temperature. Eggs are essential for structure, richness, and moisture in cakes. They bind the ingredients together and contribute to the cake’s rise and tender crumb. Using room temperature eggs helps them emulsify more easily into the batter, resulting in a smoother and more cohesive cake.

Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons, pure vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is the quintessential flavoring for Classic Yellow Cake, enhancing its sweetness and adding a warm, inviting aroma. Pure vanilla extract provides the best and most authentic vanilla flavor. Avoid imitation vanilla, which can taste artificial.

All-Purpose Flour: 3 cups, measured correctly. Flour provides the structure for the cake. All-purpose flour is the standard choice and provides a good balance of gluten development for a tender yet sturdy cake. Measure your flour correctly using the spoon and level method (spoon flour into the measuring cup and level off the excess with a straight edge) to avoid adding too much flour, which can result in a dry cake.

Baking Powder: 3 ½ teaspoons. Baking powder is the leavening agent that makes the cake rise and become light and airy. Ensure your baking powder is fresh (check the expiration date) for optimal leavening power.

Salt: ¾ teaspoon, fine sea salt or table salt. Salt enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients in the cake, balancing the sweetness and bringing out the buttery and vanilla notes.

Whole Milk: 1 cup, at room temperature. Milk adds moisture to the cake and helps to create a tender crumb. Whole milk provides the best richness and flavor, but you can use 2% milk if preferred. Using room temperature milk prevents it from chilling the batter and helps maintain a smooth emulsion.

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Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Alternatively, you can grease the pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds for easier cake removal. Greasing and flouring (or using parchment paper) prevents the cake from sticking to the pans and ensures clean removal after baking. Set the prepared pans aside.

Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer) on medium speed until light and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air into the batter, which contributes to the cake’s light and airy texture. Creaming should take about 3-5 minutes, until the mixture is pale yellow and noticeably fluffy.

Incorporate Eggs, One at a Time, and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. Adding eggs one at a time ensures they emulsify properly into the butter and sugar mixture, creating a smooth batter. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.

Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisking ensures the baking powder and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour, preventing pockets of leavening or saltiness in the cake.

Alternate Dry and Wet Ingredients, Beginning and Ending with Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Start by adding about one-third of the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Then, add half of the milk and mix until just combined. Repeat with another third of the dry ingredients, then the remaining milk, and finally the last third of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined after each addition. Mix only until just combined after each addition of dry and wet ingredients. Overmixing at this stage can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in a tough cake.

Final Mixing – Just Until Combined: Mix the batter on low speed until just combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure all ingredients are evenly incorporated. The batter should be smooth and creamy. Avoid overmixing at this stage.

Divide Batter Evenly and Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Use a kitchen scale for precise division if desired, or eyeball it as evenly as possible. Spread the batter evenly in the pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean and the cakes are lightly golden brown and spring back lightly when gently pressed in the center. Baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven, so start checking for doneness around 30 minutes.

Cool in Pans, Then Invert: Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. This allows the cakes to set slightly before inverting. Run a thin knife or offset spatula around the edges of the cake pans to loosen the cakes. Invert the cakes onto the wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Cooling completely is essential before frosting, otherwise the frosting will melt.

Frost and Decorate (Once Completely Cooled): Once the cakes are completely cooled, they are ready to be frosted and decorated as desired. See the “How to Serve” section for frosting and decoration ideas.

Nutrition

Serving Size: one normal portion
Calories: 300-350
Sugar: 25-30 grams
Sodium: 150-200mg
Fat: 15-20 grams
Carbohydrates: 40-50 grams
Protein: 4-5 grams
Cholesterol: 70-80mg