This recipe for Yellow Celebration Cake with Chocolate Frosting makes an extra light and fluffy version of this simple classic – topped with mini eggs, it’s a showstopping Easter cake or with simple sprinkles, it’s a traditional birthday cake.
How is it that I’ve never shared a yellow cake recipe with chocolate frosting before?? I mean it’s such a classic cake! Okay, I’ve shared lots of vanilla cakes but who doesn’t love this classic combination – light fluffy yellow cake with fudgy chocolate icing!
I’ve played around with a lot of different yellow cake recipes, but I’ve always wanted to find a way to make it as light and fluffy as the mixes I grew up on, but with homemade flavors. I have finally achieved my perfect yellow cake! Vanilla Cream Sponge Cake is the obvious classic, but this is just a little more special
I created a chiffon-like cake to create a fluffy yellow layer cake reminiscent to the cake mixes I grew up on, but with homemade flavors.
Using a lot of whipped egg whites to get big volume and texture and for moisture, I used a combination of melted butter and vegetable oil. And the tenderness comes from the sugar and buttermilk.
The trick for making the cake as yellow as possible (without using food coloring) is brown eggs. Brown egg yolks have a much deeper color, resulting in a truly yellow cake.
whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks
Then gently fold them into the batter.
The egg whites make the cake super light, fluffy and moist – reminiscent of the yellow cake mix I grew up on.
While the outside of the cake is golden brown.
For the frosting, I used a combination of, melted chocolate, butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and to cut down on sweetness, sour cream. This created a rich, creamy frosting that has just the right amount of sweetness.
To decorate the cake and make the lines and ridges in the frosting, I used a cake comb.from Amazon (#paidlink). It’s a pretty simple tool that gives lovely results (I’m sure with a bit of practice, I’ll get better and better at it. You just run it around the cake to form the ridges. I used a turntable (#paidlink).which made it really easy. Then to add the Easter look I used Cadbury Mini Eggs (#paidlink)., which are just chocolate eggs with a candy coating.
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Let's Make Yellow Celebration Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2½ cups flour
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup butter melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs separated room temperature
- 3 large egg yolks room temperature
For the frosting:
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ⅔ cup sour cream
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 9 inch round pans.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl mix together the sugar, vanilla, melted butter, buttermilk, oil, and all six egg yolks. Set aside.
- Using a food processor or mixer, whip the egg whites (from the 3 separated eggs) until stiff peaks are formed, set aside.
- Beat the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture together until combined and smooth.
- Gently fold in the egg whites until combined.
- Separate evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cakes rest in the pans for 5-10 minutes before gently turning them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the frosting:
- Melt the butter and chocolate chips in a small pan on over a low heat stirring gently until melted.
- Once completely melted, remove from the heat and let cool.
- Add the cocoa, vanilla extract and 1 cup of the powdered sugar.
- Beat in the sour cream and another cup of the sugar until smooth.
- Add more sugar a little at a time if needed until you reach the desired consistency.
- Spread over the cooled cakes before serving.
Lee says
So delicious, I made it for a birthday cake, everyone loved it
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Lee, it does make a great birthday cake doesn’t it?
Amy Wolf says
Very good yellow cake recipe. Made it for our Easter meal this year. But I’m sorry to tell you that you left out from the directions of when to add the sugar and the vanilla. I’m sure most know who bake regularly to add the sugar with the dry ingredients, and the vanilla with the liquid ingredients, but just in case they don’t they should be added.
Erren says
Oh no! Thanks so much for letting me know about the error! I’m so glad you liked it!
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling says
Definitely a perfect cake! I love any excuse for extra frosting! 😉
Catalina @ Peas & Peonies says
Looks adorable! And it is a very cute idea for Easter!