Youll likely encounter Classic White, Butter Golden, French Vanilla, and everything in between.
So whats the difference between yellow, white, and vanilla cake?
And how do you decide which one to pick?
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Were here to help.
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
What Is Yellow Cake?
Yellow cake doesnt get its golden hue from food dyes but from the vibrant color of egg yolks.
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
This cake uses whole eggs rather than separated egg whites, which makes the cake rich and tender.
Yellow cakes typically call for all-purpose flour, which gives the batter a thicker, denser structure.
Yolks give the cake a mild custard flavor which holds up exceptionally well to chocolate orcream cheese frostings.
Simply Recipes / Cindy Rahe
That’s a reliable way of distinguishing yellow and white cakes.
Try These Yellow Cake Recipes:
Simply Recipes / Cindy Rahe
What Is White Cake?
Unlike yellow cake, white cake typically uses all egg whites, no yolks.
Simply Recipes / Cindy Rahe
This means less fat and more sponginess as well as a lighter hue.
White cake recipes might also call for a combination of butter and shortening to keep the color bright white.
This makes white cake a good pairing forvanilla frostingand delicatewhipped frostings.
Try This White Cake Recipe:
What About Vanilla Cake?
Both white and yellow cakes are vanilla cakesassuming they contain vanilla extract or paste.
Vanilla cake is a catch-all term for sponge cakes that have a vanilla flavor.
French vanilla cake is also a vanilla cake, but with a more distinct flavor.
It’s actually a reference tovanilla custard.
