Description
Classic yellow cake from Ina Garten combines rich butter, vanilla, and eggs for a moist, tender dessert perfect for celebrations. Home bakers can easily master this beloved American bakery staple that delights with its simple, comforting flavor profile.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (450g) powdered sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (35g) corn starch
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F and thoroughly prepare three 6-inch cake pans by generously greasing and dusting with flour to ensure easy cake removal.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk together flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl, creating a uniform dry ingredient blend that will provide structure and texture to the cake.
- Butter Mixture Creation: Utilize a mixer to cream butter and sugar until dramatically light and airy, then seamlessly incorporate vegetable oil and vanilla extract, blending until the mixture achieves a silky, homogeneous consistency.
- Egg Integration: Methodically add whole eggs and egg yolks one at a time, ensuring each is completely incorporated before the next addition, which will create a smooth, emulsified base.
- Batter Development: Alternate adding the reserved dry ingredient mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, gently folding until a luxurious, uniform batter emerges without overmixing.
- Baking Process: Distribute batter evenly across prepared pans, smoothing surfaces, and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cooling Protocol: Allow cake layers to rest in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling, which prevents moisture retention and ensures optimal texture.
- Frosting Construction: Melt butter and blend with cocoa powder, simultaneously melting semisweet chocolate with milk, then combine with creamed butter, powdered sugar, creating a glossy, spreadable chocolate frosting.
- Cake Assembly: Once layers are entirely cooled, generously apply chocolate frosting between each layer and across the entire cake’s exterior, creating a decadent, professional finish.
Notes
- Butter Selection: Use high-quality unsalted butter at room temperature for optimal creaming and smooth texture.
- Egg Integration: Add eggs individually and mix thoroughly to prevent batter separation and ensure consistent cake structure.
- Pan Preparation: Completely coat cake pans with butter and flour to guarantee effortless cake removal without sticking.
- Temperature Precision: Allow ingredients to reach room temperature before mixing to create a more uniform and well-incorporated batter.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 85mg