Recipe: Homemade Classic Yellow Cake

CLASSIC YELLOW CAKE

"If devil's food cake is the yin of the cake world, yellow cake is the yang - together they form the cornerstone of the genre."

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) butter
1 3/4 cups (12 1/4 ounces) sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
2 3/4 cups (11 to 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) milk, buttermilk, or yogurt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until fluffy and light, at least 5 minutes.

Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly blend one-third of the flour into the creamed mixture, then half the milk, another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and the remaining flour. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally throughout this process.

Pour the batter into greased and floured or parchment-lined pans: 2 (9 inch) round pans, 2 or 3 (8-inch) round pans, or 1 (9x13-inch) sheet cake pan.

Bake for 23 to 26 minutes (for 8-inch pans), 25 to 30 minutes (for 9-inch pans), or about 35 minutes for the 9 x 13-inch pan. Remove the cakes from the oven, cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out on a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Makes 2 (9 inch) rounds, two or three (8-inch rounds), or 1 (9x13-inch) sheet cake
Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Book by The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc.