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Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Name: Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2.25 cups cake flour; 2.0 tsp baking powder; 0.5 tsp baking soda; 0.5 tsp fine sea salt; 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1.5 cups granulated sugar; 3.0 large eggs; 2.0 large egg yolks; 1.0 tbsp pure vanilla extract; 1.0 cup buttermilk, room temperature; 1.0 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks); 3.0 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted; 3.0 tbsp heavy cream, plus more as needed; 0.25 tsp fine sea salt; 4.0 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm; 2.0 tsp VanillaGoods pure vanilla extract

Buttery yellow cake layers and a dark chocolate buttercream: the birthday cake most people picture. Nothing between the layers but more frosting.

Make it your own in the Dessert Builder

What it's made of

Cake layersClassic Yellow Cake Layers

FrostingDark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Makes 12 servings Active 1 hr 10 minChill or rest 1 hr 0 minParts 2

Contains milk, egg, wheat, soy (check labels)

Each part is a full recipe as written; the Dessert Builder scales them to fit this layer cake and merges the shopping list. Open it with the button above to adjust servings or swap any part.

Ingredients

Classic Yellow Cake LayersCake layers · makes 12 slices

2.25 cupscake flour (255.0 g)
2.0 tspbaking powder (8.0 g)
0.5 tspbaking soda (3.0 g)
0.5 tspfine sea salt (3.0 g)
0.75 cupunsalted butter, softened (170.0 g)
1.5 cupsgranulated sugar (300.0 g)
3.0 large eggs (150.0 g)
2.0 large egg yolks (36.0 g)
1.0 tbsppure vanilla extract (15.0 ml)
1.0 cupbuttermilk, room temperature (240.0 ml)

Dark Chocolate Buttercream FrostingFrosting · makes 24 cupcakes

1.0 cupunsalted butter, softened (2 sticks) (227.0 g)
3.0 cupsconfectioners' sugar, sifted (360.0 g)
3.0 tbspheavy cream, plus more as needed (45.0 ml)
0.25 tspfine sea salt
4.0 ozdark chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm (113.0 g)
2.0 tspVanillaGoods pure vanilla extract (10.0 ml)

Method

1. Classic Yellow Cake Layersfull recipe

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 8-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and butter the paper; dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high 4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and yolks one at a time, then the vanilla. Add the flour in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, mixing just until combined.
Divide between the pans and bake 28 to 32 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in the pans 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely before filling.

2. Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frostingfull recipe

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes.
With the mixer on low, add the confectioners' sugar and salt about 1 cup at a time, then add the cream, dark chocolate, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add more cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed for a smooth, spreadable frosting.
Use right away, or cover and keep at room temperature for up to 2 hours; beat briefly before using.

3. Put it together

Bake the Classic Yellow Cake Layers and cool the layers completely, at least 1 hour. Level the tops with a serrated knife if they domed.
Make the Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Spread a thin coat of frosting over the whole cake and chill 20 minutes, then frost with the rest.
Chill until the frosting is firm, then let the cake sit at room temperature 30 minutes before slicing.