This is the first yellow cake I’ve ever made – been a chocolate cake girl all my life – and I’m wondering why I waited so long. I’ve been wanting to experiment with cake flavors and branch out from my chocolate rut and this was a baby step, staying in my comfort zone with my favorite chocolate buttercream frosting and using a trusted source (King Arthur Flour) for the recipe for the cake layers.
Who knew that this cake would turn out so incredibly light and meltingly soft, baking up like a dream in flat, even layers?
The vanilla flavor in the cake is subtle, playing a supporting role to the intense chocolate flavor of the frosting. I might have mentioned once or twice how much I love chocolate frosting…and yet I’m already dreaming about other directions to go with this cake – vanilla buttercream, fruit fillings, the possibilities are endless. Stay tuned.
The yellow cake recipe is adapted from King Arthur Flour. The buttercream frosting recipe is my own.
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
If you don't have three 8-inch cake pans, you can use two 9-inch pans, but make sure they're at least 2 inches deep so the batter has room to rise without spilling over.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably European-style, at room temperature, plus additional for the pans
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups (8½ ounces/240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon of Morton’s)
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup neutral oil, such as canola
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease three 8-inch round 1½-inch deep cake pans with butter. Line the pans with circles of parchment paper and butter the parchment.
- Step 2 Scald the milk by heating it in a small saucepan over medium heat, just until the surface starts to wrinkle, but do not bring it to an actual boil.
- Step 3 While the milk is heating, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Step 4 Combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. The mixture should be light golden in color, and thick enough that when you lift the whisk out of the batter it falls back from the whisk in thick ribbons.
- Step 5 Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix again until the flour is just incorporated, but don’t overmix.
- Step 6 Once the milk is scalded, remove it from the heat and add the butter and oil. Stir until the butter melts.
- Step 7 Start the mixer running on low speed and gradually pour in the milk mixture. Once all the milk is added, scrape the bowl and mix again, just until the batter is smooth.
- Step 8 Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly. Bake the cake layers on the center rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. When done, the tops of the layers will be look dry and light golden brown, and a tester inserted in the center will come out clean. Transfer the pans to a cooling rack and cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes. To remove the layers from the pans, tip each layer out onto the palm of your hand, remove the parchment from the bottom, and then flip it right-side up onto the cooling rack. Cool the layers completely before frosting with the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 3 cups (340 grams or 12 ounces) confectioner’s sugar
- ¾ cup (64 grams or 2¼ ounces) Dutch process cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1/8 teaspoon Morton’s)
- ¾ cup (12 tablespoons or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ tablespoons (1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons) Lyle’s Golden Syrup, or light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) heavy cream, plus additional if needed
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the chocolate, either in a small bowl in the microwave or over very low heat on the stove, just until melted, stirring frequently during melting. Set the chocolate aside to cool slightly.
- Step 2 Sift the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder together into a medium bowl. Add the salt and toss to combine.
- Step 3 Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat it on high speed for 2 minutes, until the butter is very soft and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate (scraping the bowl or pan completely clean with a rubber spatula to make sure you get all the chocolate), the golden or corn syrup, and the vanilla. Beat on high until blended.
- Step 4 Add ½ the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until they’re incorporated. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat on low until incorporated. The mixture will be very dry and crumbly.
- Step 5 With the mixer running on low, gradually pour in the cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat the frosting until it’s light and fluffy, about 1 minute. If the frosting looks dry or too thick, add a little more cream and beat until you reach your desired consistency.
