Ah the joys of baking at high-altitude!  Never being able to trust a recipe, always having to adjust the flour, sugar, moisture and leavening, using arcane charts that always leave you guessing.  That’s why I always appreciate a kitchen-tested recipe, like this one for High-Altitude Yellow Cake.

This recipe is adapted from the old Swan’s Down High-Altitude baking booklet.  It produces a moist, flavorful cake that’s so easy to make, you can try it with the kids.  I’ve included regular, 5000 ft. and 7000 ft. versions.

For 5,000 ft:

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High Altitude Yellow Loaf Cake

This is a very old recipe for a simple, yellow loaf cake, adjusted for 5000 ft (1500 meters).  

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: High Altitude Yellow Cake, High-Altitude Baking

Servings: 9 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cake Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter or Lard
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 5 lg Egg Yolks

Instructions

• Grease and flour a loaf pan.  Preheat oven to 350F.  
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. 
• In a mixing bowl beat butter just until softened. Add dry ingredients, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the milk and mix just until moistened.  Then beat on medium for 2 minutes.
• Add remaining milk and beat on medium for 1 more minute.
• Pour batter into pan and tap on counter to smooth it out.  Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  
• Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out and cool completely on a rack.
• Frost the top with your choice of icing – I often use a lemon butter cream.  

For 3,000 ft altitude:

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Yellow Loaf Cake

This is a very old recipe for a simple, yellow loaf cake, adjusted for 3000 ft (900 meters).

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Yellow Loaf Cake

Servings: 9 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cake Flour
• 1 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter or Lard
• 2/3 cup Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 5 lg Egg Yolks

Instructions

• Grease and flour a loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
• In a mixing bowl beat butter just until softened. Add dry ingredients, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the milk and mix just until moistened. Then beat on medium for 2 minutes.
• Add remaining milk and beat on medium for 1 more minute.
• Pour batter into pan and tap on counter to smooth it out. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out and cool completely on a rack.
• Frost the top with your choice of icing – I often use a lemon butter cream.

And for 7,000 feet:

Print Recipe

High Altitude Yellow Cake Recipe

This is a very old recipe for a simple, yellow loaf cake, adjusted for 7000 ft (2150 meters).

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: High Altitude Recipes, High Altitude Yellow Cake

Servings: 9 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cake Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 1 cup -LESS 2 tbsp Sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter or Lard
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 5 lg Egg Yolks

Instructions

• Grease and flour a loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
• In a mixing bowl beat butter just until softened. Add dry ingredients, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the milk and mix just until moistened. Then beat on medium for 2 minutes.
• Add remaining milk and beat on medium for 1 more minute.
• Pour batter into pan and tap on counter to smooth it out. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out and cool completely on a rack.
• Frost the top with your choice of icing – I often use a lemon butter cream.

Here are some good choices for loaf pans that will last a lifetime:

Baking Silicone Glazed Aluminized steel Loaf Pan, 9″ x 4-1/2″ x 2-3/4″ DeepFox Run 4481 Non-Stick Loaf PanFat Daddio’s Anodized Aluminum Bread Pan, 9″ x 5″ x 2-1/2″ H

Leave a message and let me know how it worked for you.