Back to Basics: Wonder Year Cake

What’s your cake preference? I don’t have one. I like my cake made and served any way.  If you have seen any of my other cakes or cupcakes you know spare and austere are not my usual cake carving way. But on occasions I also like a quiet, unassuming cake in design and flavor.

That said, this is a traditional yellow cake paired with, of course, a traditional chocolate frosting.  It’s the kind of cake that will remind you of your wonder years, when you drank milk out of a straw and a second serving wasn’t accompanied by any caloric contemplation.

So . . . yeah, go ahead and lick the frosting off the plate.

Wonder Year Cake

Yellow Butter Cake

Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 8-inch cake pans with bake spray.

• 3 ½ cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, diced and softened
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• 5 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a stand mixer bowl. Add butter and milk. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 4 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, sour cream and vanilla extract. Add mixture to the batter in 3 additions, mixing for 2 minutes on medium speed after each addition. Scrape down bowl between each addition.

Divide batter evenly between 2 pans. Bake until layers spring back when touched lightly in the center, about 35-40 minutes.

Remove layers from the oven and cool completely in their pans on a wire rack. Release the sides and bottom of the cakes from the pans with a narrow metal spatula. Finish with icing.

Adapted from Culinary Institute of America

Chocolate Swiss Meringue

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Instructions:

Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 150 degrees F while whisking constantly.

Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until mixture cools and doubles in volume.

Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. Add salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Add cooled chocolate and mix to combine.