A stunning Yellow Cake that’s perfect for your next party or celebration. Two layers of soft, fluffy vanilla cake, covered in homemade Nutella buttercream and colourful sprinkles!
It’s cake time! 🍰
Are you ready to make a delicious two layer yellow cake completely from scratch? One that’s super soft and fluffy and covered in Nutella buttercream and sprinkles?
This gorgeous cake is perfect for your next party 🎉
Ever since I made my Funfetti Vanilla Layer Cake, I’ve been obsessed with making vanilla cake from scratch. There’s just something about that buttery texture and soft vanilla flavour that makes me weak at the knees.
If you’ve only ever made a boxed vanilla cake, why try making one from scratch? Trust me on this – you’ll never go back.
The soft texture and rich flavour just doesn’t compare.
When I think classic yellow cake, I think chocolate frosting.
But why have chocolate frosting, when you can have NUTELLA frosting?! That’s right, this cake is covered in a creamy buttercream boasting a whole CUP of Nutella.
We love our Nutella desserts around here, and this cake is no exception.
Even though I love love love Chocolate Cake, there is something special about vanilla cake. Every baker needs a classic yellow cake recipe up their sleeve, and this is mine.
It’s a very simple cake recipe, using all the classic ingredients – butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs and flour. My secret? A touch of greek yogurt that guarantees a soft, melt-in-you-mouth texture.
Tips for making perfect yellow cake
- Grease your cake pans with butter and line with baking paper to ensure they don’t stick.
- Make sure all the ingredients that are required to be at room temperature are actually at room temperature.
- Carefully measure out all your ingredients. I recommend weighing out your ingredients in grams, using a kitchen scale. A vanilla cake has to be perfectly balanced and adding too much or too little flour or butter can alter the taste and texture.
- Try not too over bake your cakes, cook until golden on top and skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing and leaving on a wire cake rack to cool completely. If you leave the cakes in the hot pans to cool, they may keep cooking and create a crust.
- When it’s time to frost your cake, make sure your cakes are completely cooled. If they are even slightly warm, the frosting will melt and ooze out of the cake.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Yellow Cake with Nutella Frosting
The perfect party cake with two layers of soft vanilla cake covered in Nutella frosting.
Ingredients
Yellow cake
- 230 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 250 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 315 grams (2 and 1/4 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 240 ml (1 cup) full fat or whole milk
- 2 tablespoons full fat Greek yoghurt or sour cream
Nutella frosting
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 315 grams (2 and 1/2 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 grams (1 cup) Nutella
- 2–3 tablespoons full fat or whole milk, room temperature
- 1/4 cup jimmy sprinkles
Instructions
- Yellow cake
Grease and line two 8-inch round baking pans with baking or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. - In a large mixing bowl, add butter, sugar and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition.
- Sift flour and baking powder. Add milk and beat on a low speed until combined. Add Greek yoghurt and mix through.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins and bake in the oven for approximately 25-30 minutes or until golden on top. Carefully remove the cakes from the pans and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Nutella frosting
To make the frosting, place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy. Add half the sugar and one tablespoon of milk and beat until combined. Add the remaining sugar and beat until smooth. - Add Nutella and another tablespoon of milk. Beat until smooth and creamy. If frosting is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk.
- Generously frost the top of one cake layer. Add other cake layer on top. Frost top and sides of cake using a spatula. Add sprinkles.
Anil says
I always love to read your blogs. Please keep sharing with us!
Jessica Holmes says
Thank you so much!
Christine says
This looks delicious! Do you know how I make cupcakes with this recipe? Thanks.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Christine, you can definitely use this recipe to make cupcakes. Just fill your cupcake liners two-thirds full and bake for approximately 18 minutes. Alternatively, you could try my Vanilla Cupcake recipe.
Anushka Singh says
Hey, you are great doing, thanks for sharing with us. we loved your post. i will try on our birthday
★★★★★
Dawn says
Made for my daughter’s 13th birthday cake per my daughter’s request. She wanted a Nutella cake. The batter tasted great and the icing just as wonderful. I’ll know tomorrow how they taste together..I don’t believe I will be disappointed.
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! That’s wonderful! I hope you enjoy it!
Cheryl says
My kids new fav birthday cake!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love hearing that Cheryl!
Jackie says
Made this cake with your chocolate buttercream frosting for my father-in-law’s 60th birthday. He loved it and everyone was very impressed with how moist the cake was and how light and mousse-like the frosting was.
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Aww that makes me so happy Jackie! Thank you for the lovely feedback!
Charmaine says
Baked this for my birthday last weekend! It was SOOOO good! (Also I’m obsessed with your funfetti crumb, couldn’t resist adding it on top – so good!) . Thank you for another amazing recipe!!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Aw so glad you enjoyed it! And I’m with you – funfetti crumb is the best!!
Stephanie says
Can I make this one cake instead of 2
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Stephanie, yes you could but the cake will take longer to cook through.
Shilpa says
Anything with Nutella is awesome! Cake looks so moist and delicious and the frosting is amazing! Loved it
Jessica Holmes says
Glad you liked it!
Brittany Mount says
Just made this for a birthday party tonight. Should the cake be refrigerated until ready to serve or can it be kept at room temperature?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Brittany! It’s really up to you! Sometimes putting cake in the fridge can make it a little dry so if you can leave it at a cool room temperature that might be best. Hope you enjoy it! ☺️
Zukhraf says
Hi
This recipe looks amazing. Surely I will try. I want to ask can we use two 8″square pans. Secondly do we have to bake both cakes at a time??
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Zukhraf, square baking tins should be fine instead of round ones. And you can bake the cakes one at a time if there is not enough room in your oven. Just bake one after another, so the cake batter isn’t sitting out too long. Hope that helps!
Kmolinares says
I used this recipe for the frosting. It is AMAZING!!! Very delicious. I left put the sprinkles but followed the rest of the frosting recipe exactly. Thank you so much for posting this.
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Aw thank you so much for the lovely feedback! So glad you enjoyed it 😊
Mariam Adeyemo says
How can I make use of powdered sour cream since that is what I can lay my hands in Nigeria. Please reply, thank you.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Mariam, thanks for your question. Unfortunately, I’ve never used powdered sour cream before so I can’t be sure of what the result would be when baked. If you want to make this recipe and can’t get hold of Greek yogurt or sour cream, I suggest simply adding an extra 2 tablespoons of milk. Enjoy!
Natalie says
I love yellow cake! This one looks so delicious and moist and I love that nutella frosting – so good!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Thank you Natalie!
Sarah says
This was the first time I’ve made Nutella frosting and it was so good! I’m definitely a yellow cake fan too!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Sarah! I know, the frosting is dangerously delicious right? 😉