Yellow Cake with a Chocolate Buttercream Frosting makes a perfect birthday cake. This recipe doesn’t come from a box, either! This classic cake is everything you’d want to celebrate your birthday– or for any occasion. It’s perfect in every way– tender, moist and delicious. The frosting is chocolatey, silky with a surprise ingredient that really amps up the chocolate flavor.
Layer cakes are one of my favorite desserts to bake. Baking my own birthday cake is an annual tradition for me. Two of my favorites are my Sprinkle Cake, or Cherry Vanilla Cake. For a friend’s birthday, I offered to bake a birthday cake for her. Yellow Cake with chocolate frosting came immediately to mind. So, here’s the cake that I presented to her!
The recipe is pretty standard– butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. For the dry ingredients, all-purpose flour, leaveners and buttermilk. Ah, yes, buttermilk is a friend to cakes that guarantees moisture. I do add an optional ingredient that gives my cakes extra oompf. It’s a tablespoon of Lorann’s Buttery Sweet Dough Bakery Emulsion. (Of course, this ingredient is completely optional.)
Two 9″cake pans, lined with pre-cut parchment paper is my layer cake setup. I do use Baker’s Joy baking spray, so that the cake doesn’t stick. I also use baking strips, so that my cakes bake more level.
Baking time is about 20 minutes. Though it’s always best to check a few minutes earlier. If the toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs, it’s time to remove the cakes and let them cool.
Magic! The cakes released without any problems. Time to make the frosting.
We’re making a buttercream frosting. The ingredient are butter (natch), powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa, vanilla, heavy cream and– Rich Chocolate Ovaltine Powder. In my case, I bought Classic Malt, because I love the flavor the best. Your choice. Ovaltine is readily available at my supermarket. If you can’t find it, don’t fret. The frosting will still be good without it.
For best results, sifting the dry ingredients is worth the extra step. Add the chocolate powder and Ovaltine to the cream.
When working with powdered sugar, be sure to add the powdered sugar sloooowly! Or, you could place a dish towel over the stand mixer to prevent a powdered sugar dust storm.
Buttercream frosting is so easy to make, that I can’t imagine buying that “stuff” in a can! If the frosting is too thick, add a wee bit more cream. If the frosting is too thin, add small increments of powdered sugar. This frosting is so good! I love the little bit of malt flavor. It’s subtle but flavorful.
A turning cake stand makes frosting a cake so much easier. I bought this one, that also came with an assortment of cake frosting tools. I took a Wilton Cake Decorating Class, years ago. It helped me to overcome my fear of pastry bags and tips.
So, here’s my frosted cake. Sprinkles made the cake festive. Done! The cake needed to chill for a few hours, since I’d be transporting it.
Being a food blogger, my friends and family aren’t surprised when a slice of cake is either missing, or just cut, when they see it for the first time! How else can I show you what it looks like?! In this cake, no taste bites were taken in advance.
TASTING NOTES: This cake was a gift, but still– there was that moment when I hoped the cake would be a success. Fortunately, I got rave reviews! Personally, I was pleased with the results. The frosting exceeded my expectations. This recipe is going in my arsenal for perfect cakes.
Perfect Yellow Birthday Cake and Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
- 2 9" cake pans OR
- 1 9×13 sheet pan OR
- 24 cupcake liners
- 1 Stand Mixer OR
- 1 electric hand mixer
- 1 2-cup measuring glass or cup
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp Lorann's Buttery Sweet Dough Bakery Emulsion optional ingredient
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks; softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/3 cup (plus 1 tablespoon) heavy cream
- 1/3 cup Rich Chocolate Ovaltine powder optional "secret" ingredient, but really amps up the flavor! NOTE: I used Classic Malt, because I love the flavor.
Instructions
For the cake:
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch cake pan or 2 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, (or electric hand beater) fitted with a paddle attachment (you can also use a large bowl and electric hand beaters) cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, 1 minute between each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients all at once to the butter and egg mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add the buttermilk and beat on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until batter is fully combined (don't over beat).Pour batter into prepared pan or pans.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the top springs back lightly when touch. Test the cake by inserted a skewer into the center of the cake. (Cake is done when just a few crumbs are left on the skewer.)
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan completely before frosting. If making a layered round cake, remove the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Let cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Butter mixture will be very thick. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Turn mixer on low and carefully add the powdered sugar (to prevent a sugar explosion) while adding milk and vanilla extract. As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
- In a 2 cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Turn mixer speed to medium and pour half of the cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add remaining cream mixture or until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Beat until soft and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Slather cake generously with frosting.
To store frosting:
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Bring to room temperature before frosting cakes and cupcakes.
Notes
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