Yellow Pound Cake

This is a moist, buttery made from scratch Yellow Cake in pound cake form topped with a rich chocolate frosting.

Yellow Cake was such a staple cake in my family growing up. It is called a Yellow Pound Cake due to its natural yellow flavor that comes from the eggs and buttermilk.

There is no need to add yellow food coloring to this cake, but you can if you choose. We kept this cake classic and topped it with a light chocolate frosting. All made from scratch!

So let's get into it, so I can show you how its done!

More recipes ---> Caramel Pound Cake, Southern Caramel Cake, Snickerdoodle Pound Cake, Brown Sugar Pound Cake, Five Flavor Pound Cake, Cookie Butter Pound Cake, Caramel Apple Cake, Buttermilk Pound Cake, Sour Cream Pound Cake, Condensed Milk Pound Cake, Mile High Pound Cake, Sock it to Me Pound Cake, Apple Cider Donut Cake

Ingredients needed for the Yellow Cake:

• All Purpose Flour
• Unsalted Butter - room temperature
• Granulated Sugar
• Vegetable oil
• Buttermilk - room temperature
• Large Eggs - room temperature
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Vanilla extract

Ingredients needed for the Pound Cake frosting:

• Powdered sugar
• Unsalted Melted Butter
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Whole milk
• Vanilla extract

(Note: The full ingredient list is provided in the recipe card below.)

Steps to make the Yellow Cake:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and sit to the side. Then, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter together then slowly add in the sugar.

Then add the vegetable oil. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).

Add the vanilla to the batter. Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, mixing well after each addition before adding the next egg.

Steps to make the Yellow Cake continued...

Mix in the flour 1 c at a time, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.

Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick spray. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Bake the pound cake for about an hour and 15 minutes.

The cake is done once a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Steps to make the frosting:

Using a hand or stand mixer, add the melted butter to the bowl. Add the cocoa powder to the bowl, then mix on low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Mix in the vanilla extract, then add the powdered sugar to the bowl. Add the milk to the bowl and mix until combined and the frosting becomes light and fluffy.

The speed may be increased as the frosting combines. Frost the cooled cake as desired and serve!

Helpful Guides for Beginners

If you're new to baking I got you covered! Here are some helpful guides to help you along the way!

• How to make a moist Pound Cake
• Pound Cake Essential Tools
• Mistakes to avoid when baking a pound cake
• How to prepare Pound Cake ingredients
• How to Make a Pound Cake for Beginners

Helpful Baking Tools

• Bundt Pan
• Stand Mixer
• Hand Mixer
• Basting Brush
• Sifter
• Silicone Spatula
• Oven Thermometer
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Baker's Joy
• Cake Keeper
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons

Pound Cake Tips + Tricks

Whether you are a beginner or have been in the baking game for a while, I hope these tips are helpful in making sure that your pound cake comes out great!

⇢ Always use room temperature ingredients – Standard pound cake ingredients include butter and eggs which should always be at room temperature to ensure that they properly blend into the batter and do not cause any clumping. Other common ingredients such as milk, cream cheese, etc should also be a room temperature. Make sure to allow enough time before baking to remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and sit them on the counter to allow them to come to room temperature. 

⇢ Properly measure your ingredients – Always measure each ingredient before adding it to the cake to make sure that you have the accurate amount of each ingredient for the recipe. Baking requires exact measurements for the cake to come out correctly. 

⇢ Properly cream the butter and sugar together– Once blended the texture should be light and fluffy. Blend the ingredients together at a moderate speed for at least two to three minutes.

⇢ Add the eggs one at a time– Eggs must be added one at a time blending well after each addition. Once you’ve added an egg to the batter and no longer see any yellow, then you can add another egg to the batter.

⇢  Don’t overmix your batter–  Aside from creaming the butter and sugar together, once done adding an ingredient, immediately start adding the next ingredient. If you are not quite ready, stop the mixer until you're ready to add the next ingredient. After you have added the last ingredient, just mix until blended. If the batter still requires mixing, for example, if there is any unmixed batter on the side of the bowl, finish the mixing process using a spoon. 

⇢ Spray the hell out of your bundt pan - My favorite method is using a baking spray such as Baker’s Joy which includes the flour and oil all in one can. It's always a no-fail method for me and the cake comes right out of the pan. You can also grease the pan with oil (solid or liquid) then dust the pan evenly with flour if you prefer that method.

Frequently Asked Questions: