The Greatest 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 best way he made me really feel. I’m crying as I write this as a result of 15 years later, his reminiscence continues to be with me practically each day. His loving coronary heart, his heat embrace, his large gigantic chuckle and presence, and naturally, the recipes we made collectively.

Dad particularly cherished to bake sweets and his yellow cake was our go-to dessert. He made it particular with a number of twists right here and there, and all through the years, I feel I’ve made it even higher. As we speak, I’m celebrating him and sharing his reminiscence via meals with all of you. I hope you get an opportunity to bake this cake! It’s a giant hug, and additional scrumptious with sprinkles on prime. 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?” In the event you didn’t already know, white cake and yellow cake are literally completely different by way of elements, which provides them a distinct 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 additional 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 perfect yellow cake you’ll ever make

Transfer over, boxed yellow cake, we’re making the actual deal from scratch. My Dad’s unbelievable yellow cake has a number of particular elements that give it essentially the most good texture and taste. Don’t overlook about that fluffy chocolate buttercream! Right here’s all the things you’ll have to make it:

• Flour: be at liberty to make use of all-purpose flour or cake flour on this recipe. See my notes on the variations under!
• Baking staples: you’ll want each baking powder and baking soda, plus salt and vanilla extract. Learn to make your personal vanilla right here.
• Butter: as I discussed above, butter is a key element 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. In the event 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 no less than 2% yogurt.
• Buttermilk: one other particular ingredient? Buttermilk! The acidity in buttermilk reacts with the baking brokers to present the cake an exquisite crumb texture and a steadiness with the sweetness. Learn to make buttermilk right here with simply 2 elements.
• 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 gentle and delicate crumb on this yellow cake recipe, but it surely’s not at all times accessible. All-purpose flour will even work completely high quality! Alternatively, you need to use 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of cornstarch to attain a lightweight and ethereal crumb on this recipe.

A simple swap for buttermilk

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

In the event you would not have these elements available, be at liberty to make use of complete milk instead of the buttermilk.

Can I make this yellow cake gluten free or vegan?

Sadly, no, I can not suggest 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 number of completely 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

The best way to make the perfect yellow cake

1. Combine the dry elements. Begin by whisking collectively the flour and baking staples in a big bowl.
2. Combine the moist elements. 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 one after the other, beating the combination for 1 minute between every egg. Add the remainder of the moist elements BESIDES the buttermilk, and blend on medium velocity.
3. Make the batter. Pour half of the flour combination into the moist elements whereas the mixer is on low velocity, then add the buttermilk, and at last the remainder of the dry elements. 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 truffles. Let the truffles utterly 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 & get pleasure from! 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 under!) 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 fantastically frosted cake

As I discussed above, I love to do a crumb coat on my truffles in order that the frosting seems to be lovely 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 stick with the skinny layer of frosting and never your predominant layer.
3. Frost the surface of the yellow cake with the remainder of the chocolate frosting and serve!

The perfect 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 possibly can attempt:

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

• Observe the recipe. Baking, as you might know, is a really actual science. Please comply with the recipe elements and measurements until in any other case famous to make sure that the cake comes out completely.
• Measure your flour accurately. On this recipe, be at liberty 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. Make sure your butter is at room temperature in each the cake batter and the frosting. You possibly can place your sticks of butter on the counter to return to room temperature about an hour earlier than you intend to bake this yellow cake.
• Don’t overmix. Be sure you combine the cake batter elements till they’re simply mixed — don’t overmix. Overmixing will lead to 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 lead to a drier cake.

The best way to retailer & freeze selfmade yellow cake

• To retailer: be at liberty to retailer this yellow cake with chocolate buttercream coated 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 at liberty 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 perfect outcomes. First, wrap every particular person layer in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil after which place the truffles in a zip-top freezer bag or hermetic container. If 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! In the event you make it be sure you depart a remark and a score so I understand how you appreciated it. Take pleasure in, xo!

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