Yellow Layer Cake With Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting Recipes

YELLOW LAYER CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE-SOUR CREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment-paper rounds; coat paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until no lumps remain. Combine buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
• Combine sugar, butter, and brown sugar in another large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Using an electric mixer, beat butter mixture until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add yolks and eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl.
• Continue to beat mixture, occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl, until almost doubled in volume and very light, airy, and pale yellow, 5-6 minutes. It's very important that no lumps remain at this stage. (Occasional scraping of the bowl, especially the bottom, helps prevent lumps.)
• With mixer on low, add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, about 3 1/2 cups per pan. Smooth tops.
• Bake, rotating cakes from left to right and top to bottom halfway through, until cakes are light golden brown, the centers spring back when gently pressed, and a tester inserted into the centers comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35-40 minutes.
• Transfer cakes to wire racks; let cool in pans for at least 30 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks, peel off parchment, and let cool completely.
• Using a long serrated knife, remove top dome and any bumps from each cake to create a flat surface. Slice each cake in half horizontally to make 6 layers total. DO AHEAD: Cakes can be baked 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
• For frosting and assembly:
• Stir chocolate and corn syrup in a large metal bowl set over a large saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth; remove from heat. Stir sour cream, salt, and vanilla in a medium metal bowl; set over same saucepan of simmering water. Stir until mixture is warm but not hot, about 2 minutes. Add sour cream mixture to chocolate mixture; stir until smooth and glossy. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Slowly beat in chocolate mixture. Continue beating until no lumps remain, about 2 minutes. Frosting should be smooth and shiny. Cover and chill until slightly firmed up, about 30 minutes.
• Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or large plate. Spoon 1/3 cup frosting over; using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, smooth frosting to edge of cake, creating an even layer. Place another cake layer on top. Repeat with frosting and remaining cake layers. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with a cake dome and store at room temperature.

YELLOW LAYER CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter two round 9-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt together.
• Using a stand mixer, beat egg yolks on high for 5 minutes. With mixer still running, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating until thick, light yellow ribbons form in bowl, about 5 minutes more, scraping bowl two or three times. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts. Sift flour mixture over batter and stir it in by hand until blended. Add melted butter, and stir until completely incorporated.
• In a large, clean bowl, and using the mixer's whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar together on high until frothy. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, and continue beating until whites are stiff but not dry. Stir 1 cup of whites into batter, then gently fold in remaining whites until blended. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until golden and center springs back when lightly touched, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely.
• For macaroon crunch: Toss nuts and coconut together, and spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until golden and crunchy, 10 to 15 minutes, tossing twice. Set aside to cool.
• For chocolate frosting: Sift the confectioners' sugar, cocoa and salt together. Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and margarine on high until light yellow and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. With mixer still running, add corn syrup and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add sugar mixture in two batches, beating well after each. Blend in 3/4 cup cream until frosting is a spreading consistency, adding more if needed. Increase speed to high and beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes more; there will be about 8 cups of frosting. Spoon about 1 cup into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip.
• For assembly: Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally into two equal layers. Spread first layer with about a fifth of frosting, then place second layer on top of it and frost it, too. Repeat with third and fourth layers. Frost sides with all remaining frosting except what is in pastry bag. Pat macaroon crunch on sides of cake (not top) until covered. Using frosting in pastry bag, pipe 6 rosettes on top of cake. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate, allowing cake to stand at room temperature for about an hour before slicing.