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The viral yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting takes a box of cake mix and makes a few simple tweaks for the tallest, most tender box cake you’ve ever made! With just 10 minutes of hands-on time and 6 simple ingredients, you can have a delicious cake for birthdays, parties, or any day of the week.
I’ve discovered some of my favorite easy recipes thanks to social media. Cinnamon rolls with heavy cream are a forever favorite around here, and my family still cannot get enough of the Grillo’s pickle dip.
So when a video by Kendric of Simply Blvck Apothecary went viral with his yellow cake mix hack, I obviously had to try it. After all, you all know how much I love easy cake mix recipes.
While I love my doctored cake mix recipe for making things like cupcakes and bundt cakes, I wanted to see how this slightly different recipe held up for a yellow sheet cake.
You’ll only need 6 ingredients and 10 minutes of hands-on time to make this recipe. The result is a tall, moist cake with a tender crumb that you’d never guess only took a couple of minutes to throw together. Finish it with a smooth layer of rich chocolate frosting and you’ve got the perfect simple birthday cake or snacking cake for weeknight dessert cravings.
What we’re changing from the box and why it matters
The ingredients and method for this easy yellow cake recipe are similar to what the box of cake mix already calls for, but the changes are important. Let’s talk about why they work so well.
- Use 4 eggs instead of 3. The extra egg provides moisture, helps the cake rise more, and gives it a bit more structure without making it tough.
- Use melted butter instead of oil. In addition to giving the final cake a more buttery flavor, cakes made with butter also tend to have a more delicate crumb. While oil does tend to make for a more moist cake than butter, the extra egg helps with that.
- Use milk instead of water. Milk is richer and the added fat—even just the small amount present in the milk— adds moisture and tenderness.
- Bake in a 9×11-inch pan instead of 9×13-inch. This is an unusual pan size, although it is much more common to find in disposable pans. But the slightly smaller pan helps increase the height of the cake even more.
- Bake at 315°F instead of 350°F. While this does increase the baking time, baking the cake at a lower temperature allows it to rise more evenly. You get a smoother top that’s perfect for frosting instead of a domed cake.
Pan size notes
Kendric’s recipe calls for using a 9×11-inch pan instead of a 9×13-inch pan. This is sometimes a harder pan size to find, but is sometimes included in pan sets or labeled as a toaster oven baking pan.
You can also pretty easily find disposable cake pans in this size. And if you’re headed to a party, that may be the most convenient option, anyway!
If you only have a 9×13-inch pan and still want to make this yellow cake with chocolate frosting, go ahead and use the pan you have. The cake will still be much taller than a standard box yellow cake and will still have a great texture.
If using a 9×13-inch pan, bake it for about 45 minutes at 315°F.
Recipe Tip
For a perfectly baked cake that is light and fluffy and not dry, remove the cake from the oven when the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center still has a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Don’t wait until the toothpick comes out completely clean.
Frosting options
The printable recipe card below includes Kendric’s original frosting instructions: Microwave a can of prepared chocolate frosting just until it’s melty and spreadable, then spread it over the cake. It’s the same method we use when making classic eclair cake and strawberry eclair cake.
If you want to use homemade frosting, you have some options, though. For that classic birthday cake with chocolate frosting combination, my chocolate buttercream recipe is perfect.
You could also go with vanilla buttercream frosting or even whipped cream frosting if you don’t want to go the chocolate route, though!
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Preheat oven to 315°F. No, that’s not a typo, 315°F is correct.
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Spray a 9×11-inch (also not a typo) cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, eggs, melted butter, milk and vanilla with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow or butter cake mix , 4 large eggs, ½ cup salted butter, 1 cup milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 35-37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Remove pan from the oven and set on a cooling rack to cool completely.
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Melt frosting in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and stir well. Spread the frosting over the whole cake up to the edges of the pan. If desired, top with sprinkles.
16 ounces prepared chocolate frosting
Ingredients
- I prefer to use Duncan Hines cake mix for this recipe.
- I have made this cake with whole milk and 2% milk and it worked great both ways.
Baking pan
- If you only have a 9×13-inch pan, bake the cake for about 45 minutes at 315°F.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 386kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Sodium: 421mg, Potassium: 145mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 39g, Vitamin A: 349IU, Calcium: 115mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Divide the batter between two 8-inch round cake pans or 9-inch round cake pans. Keep them at the same baking temperature of 315°F, but start checking them for doneness around 25-30 minutes.
Buttermilk would add an extra tanginess to the cake and should bake up just fine if you happen to have it on hand!
This particular recipe really does need 4 whole eggs for the right texture. If you only have 3 eggs, try my easy yellow cake recipe that uses a slightly different method to doctor up the cake mix.
