This is a charming one-bowl yellow cake recipe that I imagine my Grandma might have made. The recipe comes out of a McCall’s book published 100 years ago in 1910. A recipe that’s stood the test of time.
Old-fashioned cake recipes have a special appeal. They produce outstanding results without relying on bells or whistles. This cake doesn’t rise real high, but has a soft and fluffy texture with a divine flavor that almost doesn’t need frosting.
You can’t go wrong with this one-bowl cake for it’s ease, quickness and impressive outcome. It’s a keeper. I believe everyone should have a good cake recipe at their fingertips they can count on should the need arise. This is mine.
Typically yellow cakes are frosted with chocolate frosting, but being out of chocolate a cream cheese frosting was used, and very lightly.
It’s a well- known fact that I love frosting more than cake but for once I didn’t mind the sparse amount of frosting. It just doesn’t need it. The cake is truly the shining star, tender and billowy like soft, fluffy clouds, and perfectly moist even the next day.
It is packed with flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. The fragrant scent of it alone made me swoon.
Being anywhere in the vicinity of it will draw you like a spider to it’s lair and keep you there enthralled. Totally delectable, completely irresistible and unforgettably delicious, it’ll live in memory as the cake we ate devoured in record no time.
My Mom and I both agreed that whip cream frosting would compliment it beautifully so I’ve included the recipe for that along with the cream cheese frosting.
This is a charming one-bowl yellow cake recipe that I imagine my Grandma might have made.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
- In a large mixing bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add butter, milk and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, occasionally scraping sides of bowl. Add eggs, beat for 3 more minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally among both. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Turn out and cool thoroughly on wire racks. Frost with cream cheese or whip cream frosting. If using whip cream frosting the cake must be refrigerated.
- In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese on low until light and fluffy, gradually beating in the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
- Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until well blended and fluffy. Add more confectioners’ sugar if needed to get it to the right spreading consistency.
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, cover and chill in refrigerator 30 minutes with the beaters.
- Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
tried this today and wow, I loved it so much I sent it to my best friend!!! Definitley going to make again, thank you so much
Thanks for making it Kristin! I’m glad it was a hit!
I made this recipe yesterday but made cupcakes instead for my mother-in-laws birthday. Iced them with chocolate frosting. They turned out delicious! Never buying a yellow cake mix again!
Thanks Marsha! Makes my night hearing that!
You’re welcome Reeni. Just got back from her birthday dinner, everyone loved the cupcakes. They wanted the recipe. Thanks again!
I’m so glad! Thanks for trusting my recipe for an important occasion! Other readers haven’t had such good luck with this recipe but it has never failed me. Thanks again Marsha!
I made this cake today and for me it turned out just okay. I never have good luck with from scratch cakes! :( It did have a corn bread like taste to it when it was finished, which I think is weird and it was crumbly but moist. I read other recommendations to mix the cake an additional 3 minutes, which I didn’t do. Maybe that is the trick and my baking powder is about 8 months old so that could’ve played a factor. On the other hand, my 5 kids and husband thought it tasted delicious and loved it. So there you go. I will definitely try this recipe again!
Thanks Kathy! I’m glad it turned out to be a hit! I don’t know why it is coming out with a cornbread texture because it is always bakes up fluffy, soft and tender for me. It is probably in the mixing.
Can I use my standing mixer? I don’t have a hand mixer. Looks great!
Thanks Tracy! You can use your hand mixer!
Do you mean standing mixer? Is a standing mixer okay to use? I am assuming I would follow the same steps?
Oops sorry Tracy I meant standing mixer! I would just follow the same steps!
I baked this cake this afternoon with some chocolate cream cheese icing. It didn’t turn out quite like I expected it to though. The texture was kind of like cornbread? Not moist at all. I baked it as a 9×12 sheet cake, maybe that was the problem, or maybe it’s just not what I’m used to. It tasted alright, just not what I thought it would be.