The Finest Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

Once I assume again to the entire recollections I had with my Dad, who handed away immediately after I was 18, I’m met with pleasure, consolation and immense love. He wasn’t an ideal mother or father or human, he was extremely flawed and his life was taken too early due to it — however he had a gold coronary heart, and I’ll always remember the way in which he made me really feel. I’m crying as I write this as a result of 15 years later, his reminiscence remains to be with me almost each day. His loving coronary heart, his heat embrace, his large gigantic snicker and presence, and naturally, the recipes we made collectively.

Dad particularly liked to bake sweets and his yellow cake was our go-to dessert. He made it particular with a couple of twists right here and there, and all through the years, I feel I’ve made it even higher. Right now, I’m celebrating him and sharing his reminiscence by means of meals with all of you. I hope you get an opportunity to bake this cake! It’s a giant hug, and further scrumptious with sprinkles on high. A giant thanks to my Dad, who impressed my love of baking — I’ll at all times love you.

What’s yellow cake?

You will have grown up on boxed, store-bought yellow cake and puzzled “wait, what does yellow cake style like?” Should you didn’t already know, white cake and yellow cake are literally totally different when it comes to components, which provides them a special look AND taste:

• White cake usually makes use of all egg whites and no egg yolks, together with a mix of butter and shortening. The dearth of egg yolks means the cake is lighter in colour and has much less fats, which ends up in a spongier, lighter texture.
• Yellow cake has each complete eggs and further egg yolks and is made with all butter (no shortening), giving the cake a yellow colour. The egg yolks add extra fats, giving the cake a denser, extra moist texture.

Components in the most effective yellow cake you’ll ever make

Transfer over, boxed yellow cake, we’re making the actual deal from scratch. My Dad’s unimaginable yellow cake has a couple of particular components that give it essentially the most excellent texture and taste. Don’t overlook about that fluffy chocolate buttercream! Right here’s every part you’ll must make it:

• Flour: be happy to make use of all-purpose flour or cake flour on this recipe. See my notes on the variations beneath!
• Baking staples: you’ll want each baking powder and baking soda, plus salt and vanilla extract. Discover ways to make your personal vanilla right here.
• Butter: as I discussed above, butter is a key part within the texture of yellow cake. I like to make use of salted butter in my baked items, however you may as well use unsalted butter. Should you use unsalted, simply add a pinch extra salt to this recipe.
• Sugar: you’ll want granulated sugar to sweeten the cake.
• Eggs: the important thing to the proper yellow cake? Egg yolks! This yellow cake recipe makes use of each eggs and egg yolks.
• Yogurt: you’ll additionally want some vanilla yogurt for added moisture. I like to recommend utilizing whole-milk yogurt, or at the least 2% yogurt.
• Buttermilk: one other particular ingredient? Buttermilk! The acidity in buttermilk reacts with the baking brokers to provide the cake an exquisite crumb texture and a steadiness with the sweetness. Discover ways to make buttermilk right here with simply 2 components.
• For the frosting: we’re making my Dad’s fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting [LINK], which is made with butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cooled espresso, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt.

Utilizing all-purpose flour vs cake flour

Cake flour will produce a really mild and delicate crumb on this yellow cake recipe, nevertheless it’s not at all times accessible. All-purpose flour will even work completely advantageous! Alternatively, you need to use 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of cornstarch to attain a light-weight and ethereal crumb on this recipe.

A simple swap for buttermilk

As I discussed, you may make your personal buttermilk proper at dwelling utilizing milk and both lemon juice or white vinegar! Try my full tutorial right here.

Should you should not have these components readily available, be happy to make use of complete milk rather than the buttermilk.

Can I make this yellow cake gluten free or vegan?

Sadly, no, I can’t advocate a gluten-free flour substitute on this selfmade yellow cake recipe, nor can I like to recommend swapping the eggs for flax eggs. Sorry!

My favourite cake-baking instruments

Get all of my go-to kitchen necessities right here!

Select your cake dimension

There are a couple of totally different cake pan sizes you need to use to make this traditional yellow cake recipe:

• Three 6-inch spherical cake pans: bake for 30 to 40 minutes
• Two 8-inch cake pans: bake for 25 to 35 minutes
• One 9×13-inch pan: bake for 25 to 35 minutes
• 24 cupcakes: bake for 18 to 22 minutes

How you can make the most effective yellow cake

1. Combine the dry components. Begin by whisking collectively the flour and baking staples in a big bowl.
2. Combine the moist components. Cream collectively the butter and sugar within the bowl of an electrical stand mixer (or in a big bowl utilizing an electrical hand mixer) on excessive velocity till it turns into pale yellow. Scrape down the bowl, then add the entire eggs separately, beating the combination for 1 minute between every egg. Add the remainder of the moist components BESIDES the buttermilk, and blend on medium velocity.
3. Make the batter. Pour half of the flour combination into the moist components whereas the mixer is on low velocity, then add the buttermilk, and eventually the remainder of the dry components. Combine the batter on medium low till simply mixed.
4. Divide, bake & cool. Divide the batter between three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch pans and bake the muffins. Let the muffins fully cool earlier than eradicating them from the pans.
5. Make the frosting. Whip collectively the chocolate buttercream in an electrical mixer or utilizing a hand mixer in a big bowl.
6. Frost & take pleasure in! Use an offset spatula to frost the cake layers as you stack them up, then create a crumb coat on the surface of the cake (extra on this beneath!) I like to make use of a bench scraper to create a skinny layer of frosting across the cake. Chill the cake within the fridge, then end it off by including the remainder of the frosting to the surface. Serve instantly or retailer it within the fridge!

The important thing to superbly frosted cake

As I discussed above, I love to do a crumb coat on my muffins in order that the frosting seems to be stunning and clear. To take action:

1. Use an offset spatula to frost every layer as you usually would, then frost the surface of the cake with a really skinny layer of frosting. I additionally like to make use of a bench scraper to make sure that the frosting is even on the surface of the cake.
2. Place the cake within the fridge for 10-Quarter-hour. That is in order that the crumbs keep on with the skinny layer of frosting and never your essential layer.
3. Frost the surface of the yellow cake with the remainder of the chocolate frosting and serve!

The very best frostings for yellow cake

I, after all, love utilizing my Dad’s well-known chocolate buttercream for this yellow cake, however listed here are some extra frosting recipes you’ll be able to attempt:

Don’t overlook the following pointers for the proper yellow cake

• Comply with the recipe. Baking, as you could know, is a really actual science. Please comply with the recipe components and measurements until in any other case famous to make sure that the cake comes out completely.
• Measure your flour appropriately. On this recipe, be happy to weigh your flour OR use my tutorial right here to precisely measure your flour utilizing the spoon and stage technique.
• Use room temp butter. Ensure your butter is at room temperature in each the cake batter and the frosting. You’ll be able to place your sticks of butter on the counter to come back to room temperature about an hour earlier than you intend to bake this yellow cake.
• Don’t overmix. Be sure to combine the cake batter components till they’re simply mixed — don’t overmix. Overmixing will end in a denser, gummier cake texture.
• Grease your pans. I like to recommend lining your cake pans with parchment paper AND greasing the insides with nonstick cooking spray to forestall any sticking.
• Don’t overbake. Bake the cake layers till a tester inserted into the middle comes out principally clear with only a few crumbs hooked up. Overbaking will end in a drier cake.

How you can retailer & freeze selfmade yellow cake

• To retailer: be happy to retailer this yellow cake with chocolate buttercream lined on the counter at room temp for 1 day, then I like to recommend transferring it to the fridge for as much as 5 days.
• To freeze: be happy to freeze this yellow cake both frosted or unfrosted for as much as 2 months. I like to recommend freezing it unfrosted in particular person layers for the most effective outcomes. First, wrap every particular person layer in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil after which place the muffins in a zip-top freezer bag or hermetic container. Once you’re able to serve it, merely thaw it within the fridge in a single day after which let the cake come to room temperature earlier than serving.

Extra cake recipes you’ll love

Get all of my cake recipes right here!

I hope you’re keen on my Dad’s extraordinary yellow cake recipe! Should you make it you’ll want to depart a remark and a ranking so I understand how you favored it. Get pleasure from, xo!

Dad’s Extraordinary Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook dinner Time 30 minutes minutes

Complete Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

ServesServes 16 servings

My Dad’s extraordinary yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting is the proper dessert for celebrating birthdays and particular events. With the proper crumb, sweetness, and fluffy frosting, that is actually the most effective yellow cake recipe you may ever make!

Components

• Dry components:
• 2 ½ cups (300g) all goal flour (or cake flour*)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Moist components:
• 1 cup (2 sticks, 226g) salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ¾ (350g) cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup (113g) vanilla whole-milk yogurt (2% or larger for finest outcomes)
• ½ cup (120g) buttermilk (or sub complete milk)
• 1 batch Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the underside of three 6-inch spherical cake pans or two 8-inch spherical cake pans with parchment paper rounds. Spray the parchment paper and sides of the pan with cooking spray. (All of that is important to forestall cake from sticking!)

• Combine the dry components: In a separate giant bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and put aside.

• Combine the moist components: Within the bowl of an electrical mixer, add the butter and sugar and cream collectively on excessive velocity for 1 to 2 minutes or till combination turns into pale mild yellow in colour. (Be at liberty to make use of a hand mixer for this if that’s your desire.) Utilizing a spatula, scrape the bowl down, then add within the eggs, separately, beating for 1 minute between every egg addition. Lastly add the egg yolks, vanilla and yogurt and blend once more on medium velocity till effectively mixed, about 1 minute longer. (NOTE: Don’t add within the buttermilk but.)

• With the mixer on low velocity, add half of the dry ingredient combination to the moist components, then the entire buttermilk, adopted by the remaining dry components. Combine on medium low velocity till simply mixed. (Alternating the flour and buttermilk will create a ravishing crumb for the cake!)

• Bake the cake: Divide the batter evenly between the ready pans and easy the tops. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes within the 8-inch pans or 30 to 40 minutes within the 6-inch pans, till a tester inserted into the middle comes out principally clear with only a few crumbs hooked up.

• Cool the muffins fully earlier than eradicating them from the pan. To take action, run a butter knife across the edges of the pan, then invert them and place them on a wire rack. You may also make them as much as a day forward, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and retailer at room temperature or within the fridge.

• Make the frosting: use my Dad’s well-known Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe for this cake.

• Frost the cake: Unfold about 2 tablespoons of the frosting in the course of a cake stand or platter (it will assist anchor the cake). Invert the primary layer of the cake onto the stand so the flat aspect of the cake is up. High with about ½ cup of frosting. Utilizing an offset spatula, unfold the frosting to the sting of the cake, guaranteeing you’ve gotten a good layer. Place the subsequent layer of cake, flat-side up, on high of the primary layer, and repeat, topping with a further ½ cup of frosting and spreading it to the sting. Place the third layer (if utilizing) flat-side up on high, then frost the highest and sides of the cake with ½ to ¾ cup of frosting, utilizing a bench scraper to create a uniform, very skinny layer of frosting across the cake. It helps to do that whereas slowly spinning the cake stand, and gently urgent the scraper towards the aspect of the cake. (This step is named a crumb coat which is able to enable for a ravishing, seamless look as soon as full.) Switch the cake to the fridge for at the least Quarter-hour, or till the crumb coat layer of frosting has firmed as much as the contact. As soon as the cake is chilled, repeat the method of frosting the highest and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting, utilizing an offset spatula. (For the reason that cake has been chilled, the crumb coat ought to enable for a smoother end.)

• Get pleasure from instantly or retailer the cake within the fridge for as much as 5 days, well-covered to make sure freshness.

Recipe Notes

*Cake flour will produce a really mild and delicate crumb, nevertheless it’s not at all times accessible. All goal flour will even work completely advantageous! Alternatively, you need to use 2 ¼ cups of all goal flour and ¼ cup of cornstarch to attain a light-weight and ethereal crumb!
Should you favor a sweeter yellow cake, use 2 cups of sugar as an alternative of 1 ¾ cups.

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Formidable Kitchen | Pictures by: Eat Love Eats