Yellow Layer Cake
Source of Recipe
From "Martha's American Food" by Martha Stewart
Recipe Introduction
"Close your eyes and imagine a picture-perfect cake, and surely one of the following comes to mind: each consists of layers of rich moist cake filled and generously covered with thick frosting. These cakes represent a real departure from the tradition of cake baking inherited from the Europeans, who relied on whipped egg whites to lend loft to more demure sponge cakes and who used glazes to moisten the airy layers. With the advent of chemical leaveners, American bakers could increase the amount of butter in their cakes and still get a glorious liftresulting in a new kind of cake with ultra-moist layers. 'Butter cakes,' such as the ever-popular yellow layered cake, quickly became the American standard, one that is easily adapted to feature other flavors. Just consider carrot cake surrounded by cream cheese frosting, and coconut cake iced with billowy seven-minute frosting; their appeal is all too apparent and impossible to resist. Some people prefer the cake part, others the frosting, but all agree that each is improved by its proximity to the other."
List of Ingredients
◦ 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, 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
◦ Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)
Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment. Butter parchment and dust with flour; tap out excess. Sift together flours, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.
With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of 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 batches, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.
Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen and turn out cakes onto rack. Let cool completely, top side up.
Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Split each cake horizontally to make four layers total. Place one of the bottom layers on a serving platter and spread with frosting. Place another cake layer on top; spread with frosting. Repeat with another cake layer and more frosting, then place remaining cake layer on top. Spread entire cake with a thin layer of frosting (called a "crumb coat"); refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Spread with a final layer of frosting in a swirling fashion. Refrigerate cake at least 1 hour before slicing. (Cake can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate; let sit at room temperature before slicing and serving.
Serves 8 to 10
❧ Chocolate Frosting:
◦ 1 pounds semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
◦ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
◦ cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
◦ 1 pound plus 4 tablespoons (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
◦ cup confectioners' sugar
◦ Pinch of salt
Heat chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until completely melted, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine cocoa and the boiling water; stir until cocoa is dissolved.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate; beat on low speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in cocoa mixture. Use immediately.
Makes 7 cups
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