Best Birthday Cake features a moist and fluffy cake, paired with rich and creamy milk chocolate buttercream. Perfect for celebrating!
How to Make the BEST Birthday Cake
How do I Make MOIST Cake?
For this Best Birthday Cake (and all cakes, honestly), be sure not to over-measure your flour, which can lead to a dry or crumbly cake. I always use my digital kitchen scale to weigh flour, but if you don’t have one use the “spoon and level” method to measure with measuring cups. More on all that here in my Ultimate Guide to Measuring.
Also, be sure not to overmix your cake. This can create a rubbery, dense cake. In the final steps, mix JUST until combined.
Do I Have to Use Whole Milk?
Using whole milk will help to create a tender and moist cake. You can get away with using 2% if necessary, but don’t use skim milk. Whole milk really works best.
Baking the Cake
Keep a close eye on the cake as it bakes to avoid overbaking it. Don’t use dark-colored cake pans for this birthday cake recipe. They tend to overcook and dry out the edges and bottom.
How do I Prevent Cake Layers From Sinking?
To prevent your cake from sinking in the center, be sure to do the following things:
- Use an oven thermometer to ensure the accuracy of your oven. Cakes are delicate and need to be baked at the correct temperature. Bake only on the middle rack.
- Don’t open your oven door while baking. If you must open it, do so towards the end.
- Bake the cake through completely without overbaking it. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. The tops should spring back with lightly pressed. A digital thermometer inserted into the center should be about 210°F.
- Use ingredients at a cool room temperature. This is especially important for butter – learn more about that here.
- Use fresh baking powder. If you live above 3,000 feet, you’ll likely need to reduce the baking powder.
- Beat the butter and sugar very well to incorporate enough air to get a good leavening effect. Make sure the eggs are very well incorporated too. Scrape down the bowl and blade often. Once the flour is added, mix until just barely combined.
- Overmixing at this stage will result in sunken layers and a dense texture.
Can I Use a 9-inch Pan Instead?
This birthday cake recipe calls for 8-inch baking pans, which is what will work best. You can also use 9-inch if that’s what you have – just note that your cake layers will be thinner, and shave about 5 minutes off the baking time.
Can I Make Cupcakes With This Recipe?
Yes, this recipe will make about 18 standard cupcakes. Bake in lined cupcake pans for about 20 minutes. Check out my full guide on how to convert a cake recipe into cupcakes (and vice versa!).
The Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
This chocolate buttercream recipe is one of my all-time favorites. It’s unbelievably rich, creamy, luscious, smooth, and perfectly sweet. It complements the yellow cake perfectly! If you want more frosting to make decorations, double the recipe.
Why is There a Raw Egg Yolk in This Frosting?
The recipe contains a raw egg yolk, not unlike any recipe for homemade mayonnaise or Caesar salad dressing. The fat from the egg yolk not only lends richness and creaminess, it also helps to emulsify the buttercream to make it ultra smooth and silky with no extra work.
Simply make sure to use a very fresh quality egg. I like to use an egg from the farmer’s market.
If you feel too uncomfortable with this or if you plan to serve this cake to infants, anyone elderly, pregnant women, or someone with a compromised immune system, you can use a pasteurized shell egg or just leave the egg yolk out entirely. You will lose some richness and smoothness, but your frosting will still be delicious.
Can I Use a Different Frosting Recipe?
You can also use my Best American Chocolate Buttercream Recipe to frost this cake instead, which doesn’t contain raw egg. If you’re looking for a vanilla buttercream, or a customizable base for a flavored buttercream, check out my Best Buttercream recipe post.
How Can I Make This Cake Ahead of Time?
Wrap unfrosted cooled birthday cake layers completely in several layers of plastic wrap. Place inside a freezer bag. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge (do not thaw at room temperature or you will end up with mushy cake).
The buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let come to room temperature and re-whip on the stand mixer until light and fluffy again.
How do I Store the Best Birthday Cake?
Cover with a cake keeper and store at room temperature for up to 8 hours, then refrigerate. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
I Need to Serve This Outside. How Can I Prevent it From Melting?
Keep the cake refrigerated until your party starts or until you head to the park or outdoor location. This will allow the cake to come to room temperature gradually as it sits outside, but not get too warm that it begins to melt.
Best Birthday Cake
Prep Time: 30 minutes ; Cook Time: 30 minutes ; Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Best Birthday Cake features a moist and fluffy cake, paired with rich and creamy milk chocolate buttercream. Perfect for celebrating!
Ingredients
For the yellow cake:
- ▢ 2 1/3 cups (296 grams) bleached all-purpose flour, measured correctly (*1)
- ▢ 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (*2)
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 12 tablespoons (170 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- ▢ 1 3/4 cups (350 grams) granulated sugar
- ▢ 2 large eggs, at cool room temperature and separated
- ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1 cup whole milk
For the milk chocolate buttercream:
- ▢ 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ▢ 1 large very fresh egg yolk, at room temperature (*3)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ▢ 1 1/4 cups (156 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- ▢ 6 ounces (170 grams) milk chocolate, melted and cooled
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter, flour, and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment circles.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add two egg yolks and the vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the whole milk, beginning and ending with the flour, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
- In a separate clean bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the 2 egg whites until they hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Gently fold into the cake batter. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes in pans before turning out onto a cooling rack. For easier frosting, freeze the cake layers until firm.
Make the buttercream:
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar then salt. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy.
- On low speed, add the melted cooled chocolate and mix until just combined. Don’t whip! Fill and spread immediately on the frozen cake. Serve or let stand covered at room temperature for up to 8 hours.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to measure the flour correctly using a kitchen scale or spoon & level. Too much flour will make for a dry / dense cake. For best results, use bleached flour.
- If you live at a high altitude, you’ll likely need to reduce the baking powder by half or more.
- Use a very fresh egg yolk. If worried about food safety, use a pasteurized shell egg or omit the egg yolk completely.