Sometimes a girl just needs to bake a cake. A just-because-I-feel-like-it cake. Or if I need to justify baking a cake, I’ll say it was a late celebration of my 6-year blogiversary. In the baby haze that was July, I missed marking the occasion. So there, I did have a reason for baking this cake and eating a majority of it! Vindicated!
You should also make this cake. It’s incredibly easy. One bowl for the cake and only 5 minutes to make the frosting. Do it. Looking for a reason? I’ll give you some options:
- Company is coming.
- Someone has a birthday.
- You’re hungry.
- You don’t want your flour to go bad. (That can happen, right?)
- Your cake stand is getting dusty.
- Those sprinkles aren’t going to eat themselves.
- It’s Thursday.
Look at all of those legitimate reasons.
- Yellow Cake
- 2 1/2 cups AP flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3 eggs
- <span class=”mceItemHidden” data-mce-bogus=”1″><span></span>Chocolate <span class=”mceItemHidden” data-mce-bogus=”1″><span class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”Chocolate ” data-mce-bogus=”1″>Buttercream</span></span> Frosting</span>
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Sprinkles
- <span class=”mceItemHidden” data-mce-bogus=”1″><span></span><span class=”mceItemHidden” data-mce-bogus=”1″><span class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”” data-mce-bogus=”1″>Preheat</span></span> oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour 2, 8″ pans and set aside. I like to use <span class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”use ” data-mce-bogus=”1″>springform</span> pans for this, it makes removing the baked cakes easier.</span>
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
- Beat the butter, milk, and vanilla into the flour mixture using a paddle attachment until completely combined.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time. Beat for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes in preheated oven until the center of the cakes are fully cooked.
- Remove from oven and cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting and cooling completely on wire cooling racks.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: if you would like your entire cake covered in frosting, you’ll need to double this recipe. The quantities I listed will only make enough to frost the top and middle of the cake.
- Using a mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute.
- Add in the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
- <span class=”mceItemHidden” data-mce-bogus=”1″><span></span>Now <span class=”mceItemHidden” data-mce-bogus=”1″><span class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”Now ” data-mce-bogus=”1″>stream</span></span> in the milk and vanilla and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Then increase the speed on your mixer and mix for an additional 2 minutes.</span>
- Frost your cooled cake.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Beat the butter, milk, and vanilla into the flour mixture.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for 2-3 minutes.
Beautiful batter.
Evenly distribute the batter between two 8″ greased and floured baking pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat the butter for 1 minute.
Mix in the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
Stream in the vanilla.
And stream in the milk. Beat for 2 minutes and then increase the speed and beat for 2 additional minutes.
Frost your cooled cakes.
Tell your toddler that even though she’s super cute, she can’t eat the cake with her hands. I get the desire though 🙂
Add sprinkles for the heck of it.
