Ho Ho Yellow Cake (Print Version)

Tender yellow cake layered with fluffy vanilla cream and finished with a rich chocolate ganache glaze.

# What You'll Need:

→ Yellow Sheet Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup whole milk

→ Cream Filling

10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 1 cup powdered sugar
12 - 1 cup heavy cream, cold
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - 1/8 teaspoon salt

→ Chocolate Ganache

15 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
16 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
17 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla extract.
04 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Stir until just combined.
05 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
06 - Allow cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
07 - Beat butter and powdered sugar until smooth. In another bowl, whip heavy cream with vanilla and salt to stiff peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into butter mixture until fluffy.
08 - Carefully remove cake from pan and slice horizontally into two even layers using a serrated knife.
09 - Spread cream filling evenly over the bottom layer, then place the top layer over it.
10 - Heat heavy cream and butter in a saucepan until just simmering. Pour over chocolate chips in a bowl, let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy.
11 - Pour ganache over the cake and spread evenly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks far more impressive than it actually is to make, which means you'll want to bake it again and again.
  • The combination of tender cake, cloud-like cream filling, and rich chocolate creates an experience that feels fancy enough for special occasions but homey enough for Tuesday afternoons.
  • It actually keeps beautifully in the fridge, so you can make it ahead and enjoy it stress-free.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are everything in this recipe—cold eggs and butter will make your batter separate and your final cake will be tough instead of tender.
  • Don't skip cooling the cake completely before assembly; I learned this the hard way when warm cake squished all the cream filling out sideways.
  • When you whip the heavy cream for the filling, go just to stiff peaks and stop—even one extra second of whipping and you'll have grainy, separated cream instead of clouds.
03 -
  • Invest in an offset spatula for spreading the filling and ganache—it makes everything smoother and more professional-looking, and honestly changes how confident you feel assembling this cake.
  • If you're nervous about slicing the cake into two layers, chill it completely, mark a line gently with a toothpick where you want to slice, then use a serrated knife with gentle sawing motions rather than pressing down hard.
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