Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
This perfect yellow cake is soft, buttery, and incredibly moist. Cover it with my favorite chocolate buttercream for a classic and decadent combination.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
YELLOW CAKE
- 2 and ¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ¼ cup (40g) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 and ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (56mL) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature1 and separated2
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature1
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk3 room temperature
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- 4 cups (360g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (72g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ to ½ cup (80-120mL) milk or cream
Instructions
YELLOW CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and flour (or use homemade cake release) two 8" round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 and ¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (40g) cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the oil and beat again until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to insure all of the butter/sugar/oil is evenly dispersed.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 1 and ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (56mL) vegetable oil
- Turn the mixer speed back up to medium-high, then add the five egg yolks one by one, waiting until the previous egg yolk is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again.3 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Turn the mixer speed to low and slowly alternate adding the dry ingredients in three parts and the buttermilk in two parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.1 cup buttermilk3
- Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add the whipped egg whites to the batter then gently fold them into the batter until fully incorporated. Do this slowly so as not to deflate the egg whites nor overmix the cake batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 32-36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool in the pans completely on a wire rack before removing and assembling.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.4 cups (360g) powdered sugar, ¾ cup (72g) Dutch processed cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until smooth (about 3 minutes).1 cup (227g) unsalted butter
- Decrease mixer speed to low, then add the vanilla extract and ⅓ cup of the milk or cream.2 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅓ to ½ cup (80-120mL) milk or cream
- Slowly add the powdered sugar/cocoa powder mixture and continue to mix on low until a cohesive frosting starts to form. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and add more milk or cream as needed, 1 to 2 Tablespoons at a time until desired consistency.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Trim cooled cake layers to create a flat surface. You can do this with a large serrated knife or a cake leveler. Place one layer on a plate or cake stand and cover the top with chocolate buttercream frosting. Spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Place second layer on top, cut surface down. For a sturdier cake, refrigerate at this point for about 10 minutes. When cake is slightly chilled, remove from refrigerator and spread more frosting on the top and around the sides. Serve. Leftovers stay fresh, covered tightly, at room temperature up to 5 days and in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
- Make ahead: prepare cakes and frosting up to 1 day in advance. Cover cakes tightly and keep at room temperature or in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. Refrigerate prepared frosting in an airtight container until ready to use. Unfrosted cake layers may be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before assembling. Frosted cake can be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Room temperature eggs: it is crucial to use room temperature eggs when working with room temperature butter as it incorporates into batter much more evenly. You can read all about the importance of room temperature ingredients in this post.
- Separated eggs: you can combine all of the egg yolks (five total) in one bowl and keep the three egg whites in another separate bowl.
- Buttermilk: if you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own-- see my post about how to make homemade buttermilk.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @freshaprilflours on Instagram or tag #freshaprilflours!
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 405mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 66g | Vitamin A: 856IU | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 2mg
