Fluffy Yellow Cake with Not-Too-Sweet Chocolate Frosting

  • Fluffy Yellow Cake with Not-too-Sweet FrostingFrosting is a funny thing- some people eat it on its own (and could care less about the cake), and some people find it too intense (I can’t identify with those people but I know they are out there).  Some people prefer it sweet (a.k.a. spreadable sugar), while others just want a touch of sweetness.
    In my goal to make everyone happy, one recipe at a time, this one is for the freakazoids who don’t like their frosting too sweet.

    The cake is light and fluffy and the perfect base for any kind of frosting, really, so it’ll be your utility player for cupcakes and cakes alike.  It’s called yellow because it uses the yolks of the eggs only… but to be honest, I don’t find that it ever ends up that yellow.  No matter- it tastes good, so I won’t question the simpler things in life.

    (What would possess me to make a cake that calls for the little lone yolks alone?  Well, after making a crapload of my new favorite cookie- the Guilt-Free Chocolate Chewy Cookie– I had a plethora of yolks left [because the glorious cookies only call for the sin-free whites].  So I went online looking for yolky desserts.  I had just made Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, so that classic was out.  I made Rich Chocolate Pudding recently, so check that one off the list.  I wasn’t about to make a separate trip to the store for more lemons [to make lemon curd- the sweet, heavenly yellowy goo].  The yellow cake was calling out to me, especially because making cake means that you can add frosting on top, in-between, whatever.  We all know that frosting = happiness.  So I set out to make cupcakes instead of a cake, only because they are portable and I wanted to share the frosting joy with others.  But you- you could make a cake all to yourself, and eat it all by yourself, because after all, the frosting isn’t that sweet.)

    Adapted from JoyofBaking.com’s recipe…

    CAKE:

    3 cups sifted cake flour

    3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

    1 1/3 cups sugar

    6 egg yolks (from large eggs, of course)

    1 cup milk

    1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    FROSTING:

    6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

    1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

    2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

    1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease either two 9″ cake pans or 24 cupcake liners.
    2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and then measure 3 cups’ worth out (or if you have a scale, just sift flour onto your bowl on the scale until you reach 300 grams).  Whisk sifted flour with the baking powder and salt; set aside.
    3. In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy (about 1 – 2 minutes), and then gradually add the sugar, beating for 3 – 5 minutes.  Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each yolk is added and scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.  Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
    4. With the mixer/beaters on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture (in 3 additions) and milk (in 2 additions), starting and ending with the flour.  (So it looks like this: add 1/3 of the flour, then add 1/2 of the milk, then 1/3 of flour, then last 1/2 of milk, then last 1/3 of flour.  Done!)
    5. Divide the batter between your two cake pans and smooth the surfaces; bake for 25 – 30 minutes (or if making cupcakes, scoop into your cupcake liners and bake for 15 minutes), or until a cake tester/toothpick comes out mostly clean of crumbs after poking the center of the cake, and the cake springs back when gently pressed.  Remove the pans from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then gently turn out onto a cooling rack (rightside up).  Cool completely before frosting.
    6. FROSTING:
      Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 2 minutes, stir, and return to microwave for 15-second increments if necessary.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  (If using stovetop, melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a small pan of simmering water.)
      In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy (1 – 2 minutes), then beat in confectioners’ sugar until fluffy (2 – 3 minutes).  Beat in vanilla, then add chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated.  Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 – 3 minutes (frosting should be very smooth).
      If making a cake, frost one layer with 3/4 cups of icing, then place other layer on top and finish the tops & sides.  If making cupcakes, either scoop a generous amount onto each cupcake and spread with a small spatula (an offset one if you have it) or fill a piping bag (or a ziploc bag with the tip of a corner cut off) and squeeze the frosting onto each cupcake.

    Tips:

    • Measuring the flour is something I have become really (oddly) passionate about.  For years I used WAY too much flour (yes, worthy of caps), as I’d pack the flour into the measuring cup like there was no tomorrow.  I have since backed off… and realized WAY better results (yes, worthy of caps) by using the “scoop and scrape” method: using a spoon or separate cup, gently scoop flour into your measuring cup until it overflows, then use a knife to scrape the excess flour off the top.  Two notes: this method requires the use of specifically portioned measuring cups (instead of the big 1- or 2-cup ones with spouts, intended for wet ingredients), and it also requires you to scoop the flour into the cup with a separate spoon or cup- not use the intended cup itself to scoop the flour.  That sounds confusing, and all I really mean is this: if you want a 1/2 cup of flour, don’t use the 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop the flour- you’ll end up packing too much in… so use any other cup or spoon to gently fill the 1/2 cup up, then use the knife to level the flour off the top.  It’s really not as complicated as I just typed.  Sorry about that.
    • Cake flour is needed in this recipe because it has a lower protein percentage than regular flour (like 6-8% vs. 11%)… meaning that the texture will be lighter & fluffier- just what you want.  (If you don’t have it, you can use all-purpose instead but take out 2 tablespoons from your 3-cup measure.)
    • Vanilla request… please make sure to use pure vanilla extract, since the cake is a fairly simple recipe.  You want the vanilla to (subtly) shine through, and the pure stuff will make a big difference to the taste.  I promise.
    • The frosting: as I mentioned, it’s not that sweet (even though it involves 2 cups of sugar)- and it’s because the chocolate is unsweetened to begin with.  A lot of frosting recipes call for semi-sweet chocolate and then add sugar… but not this one.  If you’re feeling frisky, you can add a tablespoon of your favorite flavored liqueur (like Amaretto, Kahlua, Grand Marnier, etc.).  Crazy!
    • Garnish?  Yes, you can shave a bit of bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet on top (or white, why not?)… but die hards would say that this frosting is best enjoyed over a simple cake, unadorned.  The finer (simpler) things in life… gotta love ’em.

     

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    May 5th, 2012 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: , ,

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