Yellow Buttermilk Sheet Cake
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A tender yellow cake with a soft crumb that bakes evenly in a 9x13 pan. Uses buttermilk for moisture and acidity to awaken texture. Subtle vanilla warmth, mix of butter and oil for richness and lift. Loosen batter slowly, avoid overmixing. Oven temp and pan prepping crucial. Tapping pan to pop air bubbles, crumb should spring back lightly. Toothpick test must catch moist crumbs, never wet batter. Cooling fully on rack so bottom doesn’t sweat. Simple twist involves swapping half the all-purpose flour with cake flour. Timings shifted a little to avoid dry edges.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
33 min
Total:
45 min
Servings:
12 servings
#baking
#cake
#buttermilk
#yellow cake
#sheet cake
#dessert
Yellow cake can go flat, dry, or gummy if you don’t balance fats and liquids right. Learned this the hard way with first attempts overbeat or underbaked. Buttermilk is magic here. Adds subtle tang, acidity makes baking soda react more fully, yielding a tender crumb. Butter gives flavor depth; oil keeps moistness longer. Vanilla? Essential but modest — you want light fragrant notes, not overpowering. Baking powders and sodas can cause weird textures if wrong ratio or rushed mixing. Tapping the pan to pop air bubbles—never skip, or crumb won’t be even, pockets form. Cooling fully on rack prevents sogginess that kills bottom crust sound. Subbing half flour with cake flour lightens it, softens crumb without losing structure. Oven temp is lowered slightly; hot air crisps edges too fast otherwise. Watch batter consistency, smooth and thick but pourable. I keep whisk, spatula, offset handy for scrapes. Good yellow cake is underrated but tricky until you nail these tricks.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 2/3 cups buttermilk
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
About the ingredients
All-purpose flour standard but cake flour sub gives more tenderness; for a twist, replace 1 cup of all-purpose with cake flour and reduce baking powder by ¼ tsp for balanced rise. Butter should be just softened, not melting or cold, so it creams properly with sugar. Vegetable oil adds moisture and softness; olive oil can substitute but watch delicate flavor. Buttermilk can be freshly made by adding 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice to milk; let sit 5 minutes. Vanilla extract must be pure for full flavor, no artificial. Eggs at room temp blend better for even texture; cold eggs can cause batter to seize or lumps. Baking powder and soda freshness crucial—stale leavening agents cause flat cake. Salt levels low but essential to balance sweetness and expand flavors. Sugar is regular granulated; fine sugar can make crumb finer but may speed mixing. Greasing pan thoroughly then flouring prevents sticking and creates subtle crust edge. Baking spray with flour is easiest but use butter and flour rubbed in for classic touch. Always sift flour with leavening to avoid lumps and dead pockets of powder or salt clusters.
Method
- Heat oven to 345 F instead of 350 to avoid crust cracking. Rack center. Grease 9x13 pan with baking spray then dust lightly with flour. Pat edges dry if extra flour on sides. Set aside.
- Crack eggs plus extra yolks in med bowl. Whisk fast with buttermilk and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. No lumps or separation. Rest.
- Combine dry: sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt for uniform lift. Add sugar and mix with paddle on low speed for 30 seconds. This helps prevent sugar pockets.
- Add softened butter chunk by chunk and oil in steady stream. Increase speed slowly so mixture creams evenly into dry. After 1 minute batter looks sandy then creamy. Switch mixer to slow, add liquid mix gradually in three additions scrapping sides often.
- Once mixed, stop, scrape, continue beating medium speed 2 1/2 minutes until batter light, voluminous, no visible flour streaks. Avoid overmix to keep crumb tender.
- Pour batter in prepared pan. Drop pan on counter 3-4 times to release trapped air. Don’t shake pan or batter will get dense spots.
- Bake 30-35 minutes. Jiggle pan gently at 25 min mark to sense center wobble—should feel slightly springy but set. Insert toothpick near center after 30 min; moist crumbs, never wet batter. If too wet, add 3-5 min and check again.
- Once done, remove from oven and cool on wire rack completely to prevent soggy bottom. Use thin offset spatula to loosen sides if necessary after 15 min.
Cooking tips
Don’t rush mixing. Dry ingredients sifted first for even dispersion. Butter and oil must incorporate fully before adding liquids—ensures emulsification; skip this and batter breaks or curdles. Add egg-buttermilk mix in gradual thin streams so flour hydrates evenly. Scrape bowl sides multiple times; unincorporated flour leads to pockets or dense bites. Beat further to aerate but not overdo—overbeating toughens crumb and can cause tunneling. Pour batter carefully, do not slosh pan around after tapping. Oven placement mid rack gives even heat; top or bottom rack creates uneven browning or undercook. Visual cues key: Cake springs back lightly when poked; crust golden but not overly dark. Toothpick should come with moist crumbs, never gooey batter. Cool completely on rack, no foil or tight wrap plugged in immediately. This ensures moisture evaporates and bottom does not steam, keeps texture light. If pan sides stick, gently run thin offset spatula around after partial cooling or risk tearing. For storage, wrap airtight only once fully cool. Leftovers last better reheated briefly to restore softness.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Lower oven temp from usual 350 to 345 F avoids crust cracking. Pan placement mid rack matters for even heat. Grease then flour pan well. Pat edges dry if flour sticks. Prevents sticking plus subtle crust edges form. Tapping pan drops air bubbles - never skip or pockets form. Batter consistency sandy then creamy over first minute mixing. Watch texture not just time.
- 💡 Butter softness key. Too cold? Won’t cream well. Melted? Batter breaks. Add softened butter chunk by chunk with oil slow stream. Mixer speed matters. High speed early helps sugar pockets break. Slow till fully emulsified then add liquids gradually in three thin additions. Scrape often. Flour hydration uniform or batter tough. Overmix toughens crumb but under-beat lumps form. Timing 2 1/2 minutes medium speed gets light airy.
- 💡 Buttermilk’s acidity wakes baking soda; tang sharpens crumb. Fresh buttermilk best or homemade with vinegar/lemon juice sit 5 mins. Vanilla extract must be pure or flavors dull. Egg temp impacts batter; room temp blends smooth, cold causes lumps or curdles. Three additions of liquid mix help flour hydrate properly. If mix looks sandy still add more mixing but avoid overdoing.
- 💡 Watch baking time 30-35 min. Jiggle pan at 25 mins to sense springy yet set center. Toothpick test near center after 30 mins only. Moist crumbs yes; wet batter no. If too wet add 3-5 mins then check again. Cake springs back lightly when poked. Don’t rely on timers alone. Cooling on wire rack stops soggy bottom. Use offset spatula to loosen sides after 15 min if stuck. No foil wrap immediately.
- 💡 Sub half all-purpose with cake flour for softer crumb, reduce baking powder by 1/4 tsp. Oil adds moistness longer than butter alone. Olive oil works but watch flavors. Flour sifted with leavening avoids lumps and dead powder pockets. Sugar granulated but fine sugar makes finer crumb faster mixing. Salt low but essential to balance sweetness. Eggs plus yolks add richness for structure plus tenderness simultaneously.
Common questions
How important is oven temperature?
Critical. Oven at 345 instead 350 stops crust cracks. Higher heat crisps edges too fast. Mid rack placement ensures even baking heat. Lower temp slows dry edges forming. Check pan position always.
Why tap pan before baking?
Air bubbles form while mixing. Tapping pan 3-4 times pops bubbles. No tapping means crumb uneven, pockets form. Dropping edges gently; don’t shake or batter gets dense spots. Helps rise even and crumb fine.
What if cake is too wet inside?
Add 3-5 minutes bake time. Toothpick test key. Batter moist crumbs yes; wet gooey no. Could be leavening off or oven temp low. Could mix under or pan placement off. Check baking soda/powder freshness first.
Best storage methods?
Cool fully on wire rack, no foil while warm. Wrap airtight once cold only. Keeps softness. Reheat briefly to restore texture. Avoid fridge if possible; dries cake. Freezer wrapped tight lasts weeks. Thaw room temp for best results.
