A slice of yellow cake with chocolate german chocolate cake icing served on a white plate. A classic homemade Yellow Cake recipe with chocolate frosting and step-by-step photos and directions for how to make the cake and frosting from scratch! This easy cake recipe is made from scratch just like all my favorite cake recipes.

Yellow Cake Everyone needs an easy homemade Yellow Cake recipe in their cookbook arsenal, and this recipe is moist, tender and  overall fantastic! There is something so yummy about a simple yellow cake, especially when it’s coated in the BEST homemade chocolate frosting. This may seem like a silly question, but many people get confused on the difference between a yellow cake, white cake and vanilla cake. The batter is made with whole eggs and real butter which both help to achieve the yellow coloring. Yellow cake is fluffy and light and has a very mild custardy flavor. White cakes also sometimes use shortening, instead of or in combination with butter, to maintain the white coloring.

Many people also use clear vanilla in the cake batter, as regular vanilla extract could tint the color of the batter. When someone refers to a Vanilla Cake, they are actually talking about either a white cake or a yellow cake. If the cake batter contains egg yolks, then they are referring to a yellow cake. If it only contains egg whites, it’s a white cake. Both cake batters are very similar and both contain vanilla. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter for several minutes until light and fluffy.