The Best Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

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Up until now, my number one recipe was Shirley Corriher’s Magically Moist Yellow Cake which is made using something called the two-stage mixing method where you mix the butter and liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. This cake, using ratios listed on Ochef.com, uses a more traditional mixing method, but has the same tight crumb, moist texture and butter flavor. Plus, it’s one you can memorize easily so you won’t have to go looking for your yellow cake recipe (or a new one) every time you’re in the mood for a yellow cake.

The key to good cake is precision, so I’ve tried to make my instructions more detailed then usual. Eggs need to be at room temperature, as does sour cream. Butter needs to be cool, but not too soft and definitely not melting. Cake flour should be sifted (especially if it’s all lumpy like mine) and, well, those are the only “musts” I can think of other than must try.

By the way, if you’re wondering why the layers look kind of funny, it’s because I made one layer, cut it in half, and stacked it to make a semi-circle cake. Talk about icing a moving target! I only recommend this if you’re a crazy person who bakes every day and can’t use a whole cake, so the recipe I’m sharing is for the full two layers.

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Ingredients

  • Cake:
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 1/4 cups( 9 ounces) cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup room temperature sour cream
  • ..............................................
  • Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting:
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2-4 tablespoons of milk or as needed

Preparation

Step 1

Separate the eggs while cold and let them come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set the rack in the center (if it’s not already) and spray two 8-inch round metal cake pans with some good flour-added baking spray.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks just begin to form — not too stiff or they’ll be hard to fold. Set them aside to wait.

In the main mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with whisk, beat the butter on medium high speed until light and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually add the sugar, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice and beating until light and creamy. Add egg yolks and continue beating for another minute or two, scraping sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low (or remove from stand mixer stand and do this by hand, which is how I do it) and add flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. When mixed, fold in the egg whites with a big, heavy-duty silicone scraper.

When batter is well blended and there’s no trace of egg white, divide evenly among the pans. Set pans on a heavy, even baking sheet and bake on center rack for 40 to 45 minutes or until cakes test done.

Good texture, lots of sour cream flavor!!
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To make the frosting, mix together the butter, cocoa powder and 2 1/2 cups confections’ sugar until the come together. Add a little salt. Bring mixer speed from low to high, scraping sides of bowl, until well mixed, then gradually add the sour cream. Add milk. Taste, and add the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners sugar if you feel you need it.

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