Yellow Layer Cake With Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

By
Kathy Kingsley
Kathy Kingsley
Kathy Kingsley
A former bakery owner, Kathy Kingsley is a food writer, recipe developer, editor, and author of seven cookbooks.
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Updated on 08/8/19
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
stu_spivack/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
880 Calories
34g Fat
141g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 880
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 44%
Saturated Fat 20g 99%
Cholesterol 170mg 57%
Sodium 361mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 141g 51%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Protein 7g
Calcium 176mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Every home baker needs this classic recipe for ​yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting at hand; it's the perfect cake for a birthday or special celebration—or just to have sitting on the kitchen counter when that need for sweets shows up.

Ingredients

  • Yellow Cake:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
  • 3/4 cup butter unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 8 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole or low-fat milk (more if needed)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Lightly grease two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. Line the pan bottoms with waxed paper.

Make the Cake

  1. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.

  2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well-blended.

  3. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the beater when necessary.

  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly.

  5. Bake the cake layers until they pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Set the cakes in the pans on wire racks to cool for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the racks and remove the waxed paper. Turn the cakes right side up and cool completely.

Make the Frosting

  1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and cocoa powder until smooth.

  2. Gradually beat in 2 cups of powdered sugar until blended.

  3. Gradually beat in the milk and vanilla until well-blended.

  4. Gradually beat in the remaining 6 cups of powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach a desired spreading consistency.

Assemble the Cake

  1. Trim the top of the cake layers with a long serrated knife, cutting off any raised areas.

  2. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate.

  3. Spread 1/2 cup of the frosting evenly over the layer. Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

Tips

• Store the frosted cake at cool room temperature until ready to serve, then refrigerate loosely covered for up to two days.

• The unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped well and refrigerated up to three days or frozen up to three months.

• Be sure all ingredients are at room temperature, especially eggs. If eggs are cold, immerse them in warm water before you crack them.

• To avoid disasters and infinite frustrations, don't experiment with pan size. Use what the recipe calls for.

• Be sure to preheat the oven.

• Bake the cakes in the center of the oven on one rack. Allow at least 2 inches of space around the sides of the oven for good heat circulation.

• Keep freshly baked cakes from sticking to wire cooling racks by spraying the racks with nonstick cooking spray.