Yellow Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting

By brandyc

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 ½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 T. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ¾ cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• Frosting:
• 1 lb. best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 6 T. Dutch-process cocoa butter
• 6 T. boiling water
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• Pinch of salt

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9x2-inch round cake pans; line the bottom 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 the cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to 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 later on a cake plate, and spread top with ¾ 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.

For frosting: 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 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.