What's The Actual Difference Between White And Yellow Cake Mix?
When you're shopping for boxed cake mix at the grocery store there are many different varieties available, but you're usually guaranteed to at least find white, yellow, and chocolate cake mix. You might assume that the white and yellow are interchangeable terms that both refer to vanilla cake mix, but the truth is the two are different. If you look at the color of the batter and the baked cake, you'll notice that yellow cake mix really is a lot more yellow than white cake mix.
The difference between the two lies primarily in the eggs and flour. Whether you buy the cake mix or make it from scratch, the recipe for yellow cake mix will call for whole eggs. White cake mix, on the other hand, only uses egg whites. The lack of egg yolks makes the color of the cake much whiter, as does the flour. Instead of all purpose flour, white cake is made with cake flour, which is bleached and therefore yields a lighter colored cake compared to yellow cake.
The color isn't the only difference between white and yellow cake
If you were to use whole eggs in a white cake mix, you would definitely end up with a more yellow-looking cake, however, outside of its color, it wouldn't really be one. That's because in addition to giving white cake a lighter color, cake flour also gives it a different texture. Cake flour has lower levels of protein and is milled a lot finer than all purpose flour. As a result, it absorbs more water, rises more, and won't develop as much gluten, ultimately making white cakes softer and fluffier in texture. If you add whole eggs to white cake mix, sure it will be yellow in color, but the texture won't be as dense as a true yellow cake.
The difference in texture also comes from the difference in fat content. Cake made from yellow cake mix typically has more due to the egg yolks, which are a source of fat. The more egg yolks in a cake, the more rich and moist it will be.
What about French vanilla and butter golden cake mix?
In addition to white and yellow cake mix, you'll probably also come across French vanilla cake mix and butter golden cake mix, which are also different from white and yellow cake mix. Unlike the former, where the defining trait is their color and texture, the latter have distinct flavors. French vanilla has a prominent vanilla flavor, while butter golden cake mix tastes, well, more buttery.
Confusingly, both white and yellow cake mix contain vanilla, but this does not necessarily make them French vanilla cakes. French vanilla cakes tend to resemble yellow cakes because the mix calls for whole egg yolks. in fact the whole reason it's called French vanilla is that much like French-style ice cream, it's yolk-based, which also means a French vanilla cake can never be a white cake. However when it comes to the ratios of fat and the amounts of all the other ingredients, it doesn't matter as much. Any vanilla flavored sponge cake that uses egg yolks can be considered a French vanilla cake, whereas with white and yellow cake, the ratios and ingredients are more set in stone.