Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Servings: 1 cake
Ingredients
For the Yellow Cake
- 2 sticks, or 1 cup of salted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar + ¼ cup, divided
- 4 eggs separated and at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2½ cups cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1¼ cups whole milk
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 6 ounces melted milk chocolate
- 2 sticks, or one cup of salted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp warm water
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Butter three 8" or 9" round cake pans on the bottom, line with parchment paper, then butter the top of the parchment paper and sides of the cake pans. Set aside.
- In a bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light yellow and fluffy, about three minutes.
- Separate eggs and set egg whites aside. Add the egg yolks one at a time to the butter/sugar mixture, mixing in each yolk fully before adding the next.
- Mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
- Measure out the milk and set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to the sugar/butter mixture incrementally, starting with ⅓ of the flour, followed up with ⅓ of the milk. Repeat with the flour, then the milk, and so on until all ingredients have been incorporated. Mix the cake batter until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs whites with ¼ cup of sugar until the eggs are fluffy, bright white and glossy. and hold a stiff peak. This will take about 5-8 minutes.
- Fold ⅓ of the egg whites into the cake batter with a spatula, then the remainder of the egg whites. Use a gentle hand and try to refrain from deflating the egg whites as they are folded into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three cake pans and bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- When the cakes have cooled completely, make the frosting. Start by chopping and melting 6 ounces of milk chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Add the melted chocolate to a bowl or stand mixer along with the butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt and warm water. Mix for 2 minutes. Next, add the powdered sugar. Mix slowly at first, then turn the mixer to high speed and whip the frosting until smooth and fluffy; about 3 minutes.
- Liberally frost the cake between the layers and on the top and sides. For a final touch, use a swirling motion to add swooped designs to the frosting for an elegant, traditional looking cake.
- Now dig in!