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yellow cake
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Yellow Cake

Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl
Makes 1 - 8" or 9" double layer cake. This can serve anywhere from 10 to 18 people, depending on how it's sliced!
Prep Time55 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Birthday Cake, Cake, Layer Cake, Yellow Cake
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 712kcal
Author: Anna

Ingredients

Yellow Cake

  • 2 cups cake flour, not self-rising
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature, leave them out of the fridge for 30 minutes and they should be fine.
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • ¾ cup whole milk, I used almond milk once and the cake was still good, but a little denser.

Cocoa Frosting

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

Yellow Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF, and make sure the rack is in the center of the oven.
  • Line just the bottom of 2 round cake pans (8" or 9") with parchment paper.
  • Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and whisk together or sift together. Set aside.
  • With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 - 5 minutes. Stop halfway through mixing and scrape down the bowl.
  • Add the eggs one at time, beating slightly after each addition.
  • Mix in the vanilla until blended.
  • Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and milk alternately in 3 batches; starting and ending with the flour mix.
  • Mix until batter is just smooth, do not over mix.
  • Pour batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
  • Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
  • Cake is done when a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven, and set the pans on a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the pan. Cool for 7 - 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to finish cooling. Peel parchment paper off of cake. (You can also peel the parchment when the cake is still warm.)
  • Frost when cake is completely cool.

Cocoa Frosting

  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, on low speed, mix together the melted butter and the cocoa until thoroughly blended.
  • Add the salt and mix until incorporated.
  • Alternate adding the powdered sugar and milk, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl, until completely incorporated. (When adding the powdered sugar, start the mixer on low speed and then raise the speed to high. If you start on high the sugar will fly out of the bowl!)
  • Stir in the vanilla.

Notes

Gr8 Do Ahead Tip:
Cake can be made and frosted a day ahead of time. Keep covered.
You can also make the cake itself several weeks ahead of time, wrap in plastic wrap, then foil and freeze. Unwrap before defrosting then proceed with icing and decorating.
 
This nutritional information is only an estimate. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 117g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 472mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 92g | Vitamin A: 829IU | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg
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