When It Comes to Classic Taste, This Really Takes the Cake!

With cupcakes being all the rage, feel free to make this recipe and divide into approx. 24 cupcakes. You can just put the liners in the muffin tin. After they are baked if you need to store them for a day or two until you need them, go ahead. Frost right before serving.

Classic Yellow Cake With Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

For cake:

• 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups buttermilk

For frosting:

• 1½ cups butter (3 sticks), at room temperature
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. In your stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, then mix in vanilla.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
6. Mix in buttermilk until just combined (will not be smooth).
7. Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix as this will toughen cake and cause big air bubbles.
8. Spread batter evenly in cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
9. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then invert, remove cakes from pan and let finish cooling.

To make frosting,

1. Place the cocoa in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix with whisk attachment to remove lumps.
2. Add the butter and cream until smooth.
3. Alternate the powdered sugar and milk by adding about a cup of powdered sugar and a tablespoon of milk, mixing, then repeating until all is incorporated.
4. Add vanilla and mix to combine. You may need to adjust  powdered sugar and milk if you need a thicker or thinner frosting.
5. When cake is cool, frost top of one of the layers. Set second layer on top of the frosted layer. Frost top. Frost sides. Decorate if desired.

Quick Tip. To remove bubbles from cake mix so cake will rise evenly drop the cake pans onto the counter from a few inches above counter to release any air bubbles, 2 or 3 times.

Photo and recipe courtesy of  Liz from that Skinny Chic Can Bake