Technically, any cake can be a birthday cake. But for many of us, “birthday cake” means one thing: a moist yellow cake filled with rich chocolate frosting, a shower of splashand of course, lots of candles.
But too often, yellow cake recipes yield dry, hard, or tasteless cakes—it's hard to get them right. And a birthday party is not the time to use a recipe that might disappoint you.
But not this: We have the best birthday cake recipe. It is ours Classic birthday cakea recipe so good we called it our own Recipe of the year 2019.
What makes it special? It is made using Hot milk method, one of our go-to techniques for the best birthday cake. In this method, milk and butter (and often oil) are heated until the butter melts. That warm liquid is then added to the beaten eggs, sugar and dry ingredients and briefly beaten into a smooth batter. The result is a moist, fluffy, soft cake with a rich buttery flavor. (And as a bonus, you don't need to wait for the butter to soften for the cake batter.)
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
But while this recipe makes a great cake, it has another major benefit: it's extremely reliable. Oil provides a moist crumb, while a full spoonful vanilla extract guarantees abundant taste. (Although make sure to include the option almond extract for the full nostalgic taste of bread.) And we have a secret to make sure the cake is easily released from frying pan always: Use both parchment spray and non-stick spray.
This cake can also be customized depending on the tastes of the birthday party. Add sprinkles to the batter (for a colorful Funfetti Cake) or switch up the flavors by substituting chocolate frosting for Lemon buttercream, Maple Buttercream, White Chocolate Cream Cheese FrostingAND more.
Is it the perfect birthday cake? We think so. But bake and find out for yourself. Check out our classic birthday cake Kye makes below and see what you're missing:
Cover photo by Mark Weinberg; food styling by Liz Neily.
