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1-2-3-4 yellow cake

1-2-3-4 Yellow Cake

Desserts

A simple American yellow cake: 1 cup butter, 2 of sugar, 3 of flour, and 4 eggs, with milk and vanilla.

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Recipe from Kittycataclysm, MarcGarver, Gentgeen and 37 other contributors (Wikibooks), adapted by Recette de cuisine · · updated on

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This is the 1-2-3-4 cake, a traditional American yellow cake. Its name comes from the proportions by volume: 1 cup of butter, 2 of sugar, 3 of flour, 4 eggs. It couldn’t be easier, and it’s delicious plain or frosted.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time20 min
  • Cook time50 min
  • Resting20 min
  • Total1 hr 30 min
  • DifficultyEasy
  • CostBudget
  • Cooking methodoven
  • Estimated cost$5.34 $0.67 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 7, 2026.

Ingredients

8 servings
  • $2.22
  • $0.24
  • $0.31
  • $0.51
  • $0.53
  • $0.13
  • $1.40

Prices from US supermarkets for 6 of 7 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Butter and flour a large cake pan.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar with a mixer until pale, light, and fluffy. ≈ 3 min
  3. Add the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. ≈ 3 min
  4. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. ≈ 2 min
  5. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with small amounts of milk, until the batter is very smooth. ≈ 4 min
  6. Pour the batter into the pan. ≈ 3 min
  7. Bake until a knife or skewer inserted in the center comes out without wet crumbs (it will take well over 15 minutes).
  8. Let it cool slightly before unmolding. The top will be nicely golden because of the amount of sugar.

The bill

1-2-3-4 Yellow Cake

  • 240 g butter (1 cup)$2.22
  • 240 ml milk (1 cup)$0.24
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract$0.31
  • 450 g granulated sugar (2 cups)$0.51
  • 400 g flour (3 cups)$0.53
  • 3 tsp baking powder$0.13
  • 4 eggs$1.40

Total$5.34

that's $0.67 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

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Before you start

Ingredients

  • 240 g butter (1 cup)
  • 240 ml milk (1 cup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 450 g granulated sugar (2 cups)
  • 400 g flour (3 cups)
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 3 pinches of salt
  • 4 eggs

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