Makes: At least 10 servings
Time: About 1 hour
This is my go-to cake for birthdays and special occasions. It’s a great base for lots of frosting and filling combinations, although it is perhaps best loved with Chocolate Buttercream. Plus, it’s easy to convert this recipe into babycakes or cupcakes. For an interesting twist, try substituting orange zest for vanilla extract.
1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of two 9-inch or three 8-inch layer cake pans or a 13 × 9-inch sheet cake pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter until smooth, then gradually add the sugar. Beat until light in color and fluffy, 3 or 4 minutes. Beat in the yolks, one at a time, then add the vanilla or orange zest and the almond extract if you’re using it. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture by hand, a little at a time, alternating with the milk. Stir just until smooth.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, about 35 minutes for layers or about 25 minutes for a sheet cake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it, then invert onto a rack to finish cooling.
4. Frost or glaze if you like and store at room temperature. If you’re not frosting right away, you can wrap each layer tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or wrap in plastic wrap and foil and store in the freezer for up to a few months.
VEGAN YELLOW CAKE Substitute 1 cup soy or almond milk for the milk; stir in 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Substitute baking soda for ½ teaspoon of the baking powder. Omit the eggs and replace the butter with ¾ cup canola oil. Optional: whisk ¼ teaspoon turmeric into the flour mixture for the cake’s signature yellow color.
PISTACHIO-SAFFRON CAKE Try it with Orange Glaze or Whipped Cream infused with rose water: Heat the milk to steaming and steep ½ teaspoon crumbled saffron threads in it until it’s cool, at least 20 minutes. Substitute finely ground pistachios for 1 cup of the flour.
BANANA CAKE Moist banana bread meets indulgent layer cake: Omit the almond extract. Substitute ¼ cup buttermilk for the milk and mix it with 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas. Substitute baking soda for ½ teaspoon of the baking powder. Frost the cake with Cream Cheese Frosting or Chocolate Ganache. If you like, spread or pipe a layer of cooled Banana Pudding or Peanut Buttercream between the layers.
CARAMEL CAKE A southern classic: Omit the almond extract and use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Substitute buttermilk for milk. Reduce the baking powder to 2 teaspoons and add ½ teaspoon baking soda. Frost with Caramel Buttercream.
VANILLA LATTE CAKE Omit the almond extract and use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Frost with Espresso Buttercream; decorate with chocolate-covered espresso beans.