Yellow Cake

100 Recipes by America's Test Kitchen (#69 p230)

Cake
  • Oven to 350°, middle rack.
  • Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
  • Line with parchment.
  • Grease parchment.
  • Flour pans.
  • Measure buttermilk and eggs first so they come up to room temp.
Dry
Whisk in large bowl.
10 oz cake flour
10 1/2 oz sugar
1 1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
Wet
Whisk in medium bowl.
1 c buttermilk, room temp
6 egg yolks, room temp
10 T butter, melted and cooled
3 T vegetable oil
2 t vanilla extract
Egg Whites
  • Stand mixer with whisk, medium-low until foamy, 1 min.
  • Medium-high, soft billowy mounds, 1 min.
3 egg whites, room temp
1 pinch cream of tartar
  • Gradually add to mixer.
  • Glossy, stiff peaks, 2-3 min.
  • Transfer to bowl.
1 3/4 oz sugar
Batter
  • Add flour mixture to empty stand mixer bowl.
  • Mixer on low, gradually pour in buttermilk mixture.
  • Mix until almost incorporated (a few streaks of dry flour will remain), 15 sec.
  • Scrape down, medium-low, until fully incorporated, 10-15 sec.
  • Rubber spatula, mix in 1/3 of whites.
  • Fold in remaining whites until no white streaks remain.
Bake
  • Divide evenly between prepared cake pans.
  • Smooth tops with spatula.
  • Gently tap pans on counter to release air bubbles.
  • (Rotate pans after 10 min.)
  • Bake until toothpick in center comes out clean, 20-22 min.
  • Cool pans on wire rack, 10 min.
  • Remove cakes from pans, cool completely, 2 hr.
  • (Cooled cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap for one day.)
  • Frost.
To Freeze
  • Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, freeze 1 month.
  • Defrost at room temp.
Frosting
Food processor until smooth, scraping down as needed, 30 sec.
20 T (2 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
4 oz confectioner's sugar
2 1/4 oz Dutch cocoa
1 pinch salt
Add until just combined, 5-10 sec.
3/4 c light corn syrup
1 t vanilla extract
Scrape down bowl, add, process until smooth and creamy, 10-15 sec.
8 oz milk chocolate, melted and cooled (semisweet or bittersweet work too)
Assemble
  • Line edges of cake platter with parchment.
  • Dab of frosting in center to glue bottom layer.
  • Add bottom layer and frost just the top with 1 c frosting.
  • Place second layer on top and frost like the first layer.
  • Frost the sides.
  • Remove parchment.