CLAIRE SAFFITZ'S YELLOW BIRTHDAY CAKE

My mom's 60th birthday was truly a special one. I wanted to make her cake and her request was a yellow cake. To my surprise, a yellow cake is in fact different from vanilla. A yellow cake has more egg yolks, as opposed to vanilla using egg whites.

I personally love a yellow cake more than a vanilla, and this one seems straight to the point and easy to make. This recipe comes from my favorite of all time Claire Saffitz. I am slowly working my way through her Dessert Person book and this one is one I have yet to try, until now!

INGREDIENTS

Butter for the pans

3 cups Cake Flour

2 tap. Baking Powder

½ tsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

½ tsp. Baking Soda

2 sticks Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

1¾ cups Sugar

¼ cup Neutral Oil, such as vegetable

5 large Egg Yolks

2 large Eggs

1 tbs. Vanilla Extract

1 cup Buttermilk, at room temperature

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter the bottoms and sides of the cake pans and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, smoothing to eliminate air bubbles. Set the pans aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda to combine. Set aside.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and oil and beat on low until smooth. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the egg yolks, a few at a time, beating well after each addition, followed by the whole eggs. Beat on medium-high until the mixture is very light and thick, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.

5. Add about one third of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the flour has almost disappeared.

6. Add half of the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated, then add the remaining flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the remaining buttermilk. When the last traces of flour disappear, stop the mixer and remove the bowl. Use a flexible spatula to scrape down the sides and fold the batter several times to make sure it's evenly mixed.

7. Divide the batter among the three pans.

8. Smooth the batter in an even layer all the way to the sides. Transfer the pans to the oven, placing two on the upper rack and one on the lower rack, staggering so the pan below doesn't have another pan directly above it. Bake until the cakes are risen and just starting to pull away from the sides, the tops are golden brown, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes, switching racks and rotating the pans front to back after 25 minutes.

9. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely in the pans. Cut around the sides with a paring knife or offset spatula, then invert the layers onto a wire rack and peel away the parchment paper. Reinvert the layers onto a cardboard cake round or cutting board.

10. Use a long serrated knife and long, even strokes to slice off the domed tops of the cakes, keeping the blade parallel to the work surface. This creates level layers for easier stacking and assembly.

    1. I personally did not need to level my cake layers!

    2. I also did not decorate my cake for a couple more days and so I wrapped them in plastic wrap and placed them in the fridge.

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Arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter the bottoms and sides of the cake pans and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, smoothing to eliminate air bubbles. Set the pans aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda to combine. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and oil and beat on low until smooth. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the egg yolks, a few at a time, beating well after each addition, followed by the whole eggs. Beat on medium-high until the mixture is very light and thick, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.

Add about one third of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the flour has almost disappeared.

Add half of the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated, then add the remaining flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the remaining buttermilk. When the last traces of flour disappear, stop the mixer and remove the bowl. Use a flexible spatula to scrape down the sides and fold the batter several times to make sure it's evenly mixed.

Divide the batter among the three pans.

Smooth the batter in an even layer all the way to the sides.

Transfer the pans to the oven, placing two on the upper rack and one on the lower rack, staggering so the pan below doesn't have another pan directly above it.

Bake until the cakes are risen and just starting to pull away from the sides, the tops are golden brown, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes, switching racks and rotating the pans front to back after 25 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely in the pans. Cut around the sides with a paring knife or offset spatula, then invert the layers onto a wire rack and peel away the parchment paper. Reinvert the layers onto a cardboard cake round or cutting board.

Use a long serrated knife and long, even strokes to slice off the domed tops of the cakes, keeping the blade parallel to the work surface. This creates level layers for easier stacking and assembly.

(I personally did not need to level my cake layers!) I also did not decorate my cake for a couple more days and so I wrapped them in plastic wrap and placed them in the fridge.

Once I was ready to decorate layered my cakes with Buttercream Frosting and strawberries. Traditionally a yellow cake uses Chocolate Buttercream Frosting but birthday girl gets what birthday girl wants!

If you plan on saving this recipe for later via Pinterest, feel free to use this image!

Please tag me if you end up making this recipe, I would LOVE to see how it turns out!!