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Yellow Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Source of Recipe

From "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook" by Martha Stewart


Recipe Introduction

"This is the kind of classic, all-American layer cake that birthday memories are made of. It's guaranteed to please a crowd."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
◦ 1 � cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
◦ 1 � cups cake flour (not self-rising)
◦ 1 tablespoon baking powder
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ 1 � cups sugar
◦ 4 large eggs
◦ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
◦ 1 � cups milk
◦ Dark Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350� F. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of the cakes to make level. Place one layer on a cake plate, and spread top with � cup Dark Chocolate Frosting. Place the other cake layer on top. Spread the entire cake with remaining frosting, swirling to coat in a decorative fashion.

Cake can be kept in the refrigerator, covered with a cake dome, for up to 3 days. Let cake sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

Makes one 9-inch layer cake





❧ Cupcake Variation:

Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners; set aside. Follow instructions for Yellow Butter Cake, dividing the batter evenly among the prepared cups so that each is about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool. Invert cupcakes onto the rack; reinvert and let cool completely, top sides up. Spread about � cup frosting on top of each cupcake. They can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Makes 2 dozen





❧ Dark Chocolate Frosting:

"If you want to give this frosting extra flavor, add a teaspoon of mint, orange, or coffee extract after the chocolate has been incorporated. To frost a four-layer cake you will need to increase the ingredients accordingly: use 24 ounces chocolate, 4 � sticks butter, � cup sugar, and � cup plus 1 tablespoon each cocoa and boiling water. Alternatively, halving this recipe makes just enough for a standard sheet cake or a dozen cupcakes."

◦ 1 pound best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
◦ 6 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
◦ 6 tablespoons boiling water
◦ 3 sticks (1 � cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
◦ � cup confectioners' sugar
◦ Pinch of salt

Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water. Turn off the heat; stir occasionally until chocolate has melted completely, about 15 minutes.

Set bowl on countertop, and let chocolate cool to room temperature, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl; stir until cocoa is dissolved.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add melted chocolate; beat on low speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture.

Makes about 5 cups