Classic Yellow Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting from 'Grandbaby Cakes'
Every week, Yahoo Food spotlights a cookbook that stands out from all the rest. This week’s cookbook is Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams. Read more about Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week here.
Photograph by Jocelyn Delk Adams
Classic Yellow Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting
Serves 18-22
Trust me, this traditional yellow cake is no plain Jane—in fact, it’s an icon. What makes this cake so special are its classic flavors and staying power.
This recipe has evolved quite a bit from the original one Big Mama developed. I have been tinkering, testing, and perfecting it for years, and I am proud to say that my rendition yields a simple yet delicious canary-yellow cake that’s moist, tender, and bursting with the rich taste of fresh butter, eggs, and vanilla. It is the ideal backdrop for a fluffy yet smooth chocolate frosting. While there are tons of recipes for yellow cake with chocolate frosting out there, this one brings home that nostalgic flavor you remember, with the added payoff¸ that only baking from scratch can give.
Grandbaby Notes:
This cake is fantastic as is but absolutely heavenly when you use high-quality butter.
If you ever want to lighten this cake, you can use Greek yogurt or even milk instead of the sour cream.
If you have some extra time on your hands, separate the eggs and whip the whites into stiff peaks. Add just the egg yolks in place of the whole eggs when making the batter. After the batter is mixed, gently fold in the egg whites. The baking time is a bit longer (30 to 38 minutes), but the result is a very light texture.
Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
7 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Frosting
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch salt
1 cup heavy cream, cold
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Cake
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Liberally prepare three 9-inch round cake pans with the nonstick method of your choice.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add the granulated sugar. Cream together for an additional 5 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and slowly add the flour in 2 batches. Add the salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Be careful not to overbeat. Add the sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. The finished batter should be pale yellow and have a silky texture.
Evenly pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 27 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a layer comes out clean—but just barely. It is crucial that this cake not be overbaked! The layers should have a rich golden color and a spongy texture.
Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks. Let cool to room temperature. Lightly cover the layers with foil or plastic wrap so they do not dry out.
For the Frosting
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the butter and beat for 2 minutes on high speed.
Turn your mixer down to low speed and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
Once everything is fully incorporated (the frosting will look crumbly), turn your mixer back up to high speed. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Whip until the frosting is fluffy and smooth.
To Assemble
Once the layers are completely cooled, place 1 layer on a serving plate. Spread just the top of the layer with 1/3 of the frosting. Add the second layer and spread with another 1/3 of the frosting. Add the final layer, bottom-side up, and spread with the remaining frosting. Frost the top and the side of the cake. Serve.
Reprinted with permission from Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams (Agate Surrey, 2015).
More decadent chocolate cakes:
Cake of the Day: Double Chocolate Cloud from ‘A Modern Way to Eat’
Vegan Dark Chocolate-Avocado Cake from ‘Clean Green Eats
30-Minute Chocolate Cake for Two
