
Perfect Yellow Cake Recipe with Chocolate Buttercream
When Bill’s birthday rolls around, he invariably requests this Perfect Yellow Cake Recipe and I love icing it with a dreamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting!
Perfect Yellow Cake Recipe
This Perfect Yellow Cake Recipe with Chocolate Buttercream was hubby’s birthday cake again this year. Even though he is a chocoholic through and through, he picks a cake he knows Miss Katie would love. It’s no wonder she has a sign above her bed that reads “The Queen’s Bed” in curlicued calligraphy. I used the exquisite Smitten Kitchen’s yellow cake recipe. Made with buttermilk, it’s sweet and tender with a fine crumb. The whole family gave this rave reviews!!
Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Whenever I make a yellow cake, it must be paired with a rich, chocolate buttercream frosting! Chocolate rules for the majority of the family and, to tell the truth, this is a magical pairing. So if you have a birthday celebration on the horizon, I recommend this terrific combination, the perfect yellow cake recipe with a fudgy frosting!
Tips for Making a Layer Cake
Making a layer cake can be daunting. First there’s dividing the batter in half, then hoping the layers bake up flat, and finally trying to frost it so it looks like it came out of a bakery! Here are a few tips to get you started:
- PRO-Tip: I like using a kitchen scale to divide my cake batter so that the layers are even.
- If the layers are rounded, trim the tops off so you’ll have a flat surface to frost.
- If you trim the cakes, put the bottom side up so you’ll have less crumbs to deal with as you frost.
- You can also do a crumb coat, which is a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of each layer. Chill so the frosting hardens a bit, then frost as desired.
- Make sure your layers are completely cooled before frosting.
- I place the bottom layer of the cake on the serving plate, then I like to tuck little strips of parchment or wax paper around the perimeter to catch any frosting drips that might land on the cake plate.
More Recipes for Birthday Cakes You’ll Love:
- Birthday Cake Roll from Crazy for Crust
- White Birthday Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Birthday Cake Mix Cookies Recipe from Crunchy Creamy Sweet
- Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Birthday Cake Brownies from Back for Seconds
Perfect Yellow Cake Recipe with Chocolate Buttercream
A classic combination of a fine crumb yellow cake and dreamy chocolate frosting! Perfect for any celebration!
Ingredients
For cake:
- 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups buttermilk
For frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), at room temperature
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line with circles of parchment paper, then butter parchment (I use an oil/flour cooking spray like Bakers Joy)
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In your stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, then mix in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Mix in buttermilk until just combined (will not be smooth). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix as this will toughen cake and cause big air bubbles.
- Spread batter evenly in cake pan. Drop the cake pans onto the counter from a few inches up to release any air bubbles, 2 or 3 times. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then invert, remove cakes from pan and let finish cooling.
- To make frosting, place the cocoa in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix with whisk attachment to remove lumps. Add the butter and cream until smooth.
- Alternate the powdered sugar and milk by adding about a cup of powdered sugar and a tablespoon of milk, mixing, then repeating until all is incorporated.
- Add vanilla and mix to combine. You may adjust the powdered sugar and milk if you need a thicker or thinner frosting.
Notes
Cake adapted from Smitten Kitchen. Frosting adapted from Add a Pinch.
Happy Birthday to you hubby, Lizzy!
You’re the best! There is such a great satisfaction making dessert for our loved ones, especially a home made yummy yellow cake with chocolate fudge home made frosting. Nothing better than a yummy delicious home made cake. Would love to have a slice of that cake:D
Thank you for all your kind caring and support at this difficult time with Lora’s surgery. It meant a lot to us. Yes, Lora is still my baby…and always will be. She is such a good daughter…when she’s in pain, I wish I could take that pain away:-(
xo
Lizzy – it looks beautiful – as do all of your creations! I know I would love this cake too. Yellow cake and chocolate frosting just go together perfect in my book. It was sweet of your hubby to think of what his “little queen” would want..lol.
Brandie
I’m new at blogging and first of all love the title of your blog. Second, this cake looks perfect to me. I’m your newest follower.
An amazing looking cake, so gorgeous!
two perfect combinations of flavor this cake looks fabulous~
Lizzy,
Yum! Yum! Yum! Bill is a lucky man ๐
I showed Alex this post as he was leaving for work and he said, “Your birthday is coming up, that looks like a good cake for the occasion!!!”
I wonder if I should make a copy of the recipe, so he can surprise me ๐
Hugs,
Sandra
Cake looks amazing! Cake is so soft and icing so chocolaty.. ๐ great combination. Happy Bday to your husband and he is really lucky that he has got a great wife who is baking such treats for him ๐
Lizzy this cake sounds wonderful! Especially for a Birthday! The frosting looks so fudgy, and would be perfect with that delicious butter cake! Happy Birthday to your husband! I’ll bet he loved the cake :)!
This looks great! Such a classic dessert!
yum! Love your beautiful glass cake stand.