Moist Golden Yellow Cake with Rich Chocolate Frosting

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*Please make sure the Clearjel you purchase is labeled as INSTANT.

Instant Clearjel is commonly sold online and at specialty markets. It’s a small pantry item that makes a big difference in texture.

This golden vanilla cake pairs beautifully with other frostings and fillings. Use a classic vanilla buttercream for a traditional yellow cake, or add fruit compote for a bright filling. The golden cake with vanilla frosting and strawberry compote was a popular wedding flavor at Amycakes Bakery.

Thanks for reading. ❤️

Golden Chocolate Cake (Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream)

For the most consistent results, weigh ingredients using grams on a kitchen scale.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 233 g (1 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp instant Clearjel or 3 Tbsp vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup water
• 1 Tbsp + 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar

Creamed Ingredients

• 200 g (1 cup) sugar
• 1 stick (4 oz) salted butter, room temperature
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• 3 egg yolks

Whipped Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar

Chocolate Buttercream & Decorations

• 1 batch prepared fluffy chocolate buttercream
• Optional: chocolate ganache drizzle and gold crystal sprinkles

Instructions

Make the Golden Vanilla Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 1/4 sheet pan with parchment and spray the parchment and sides with cooking spray.
2. Sift and whisk the dry ingredients until well blended.
3. Combine wet ingredients (buttermilk, water, vanilla, vinegar) in a separate bowl or pitcher.
4. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add oil and corn syrup and mix until combined. Add the 3 egg yolks and blend until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
5. On low speed, alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the creamed mixture in thirds, mixing just until blended. Avoid overmixing.
6. In a clean bowl, whip the 2 egg whites with cream of tartar to stiff peaks.
7. Fold half the whipped whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites until no streaks remain.
8. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula.
9. Bake on the middle or upper rack at 325°F for 18 minutes, then reduce oven to 300°F and bake another 8–10 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or paring knife comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs. Cool completely.
10. Wrap the cooled cake in parchment and plastic wrap and freeze in the pan for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Freezing makes clean cutting and layering much easier.

Layer, Decorate and Serve

1. Layer the cake from frozen the day before serving, or use refrigerated layers if assembling the same day.
2. Cut rounds with cake rings using a sawing motion. For a 1x batch, cut three 6″ layers (two full rounds and one made of two halves). Use scraps to fill gaps for a level layer.
3. Fill layers with a little over 1/4″ of prepared fluffy chocolate buttercream. Apply a thin crumb coat to the exterior and chill briefly to set.
4. Finish frosting, decorate as desired (ganache drizzle and gold sprinkles suggested), then chill if needed. Remove from the fridge 2–3 hours before serving so the cake returns to room temperature for the best texture.

Notes

1. Instant Clearjel must be whisked thoroughly with dry ingredients to avoid clumps. Ensure you purchase the “instant” version; cook-type Clearjel behaves differently.
2. Baking in a sheet pan yields an even, flat cake and lets you choose your finished cake size after baking with cake rings.
3. Simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water) is optional but helpful for sealing moisture in cakes that will be refrigerated or frozen. Brush lightly after cutting the cake with rings.