Six Inch Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
This is a basic yellow cake recipe designed for six inch round layer cake pans. Because of the batch size and the fact it involves beaten egg whites, it might be easier to make this with a hand held electric mixer than a stand mixer. However, you can definitely use a stand mixer and just switch from the whisk (for the egg whites) to the paddle.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 T. sifted cake flour 114 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature** (114 grams)
- 1 cup sugar 200 grams
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup sour cream 114 grams
Chocolate Frosting
- 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter softened (114 grams)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon of sour cream room temperature (about 25 grams)
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar sift or aerate before using (300 grams)
- 3/4 cup natural style cocoa powder
- 1 tiny pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 to 6 tablespoons whole milk room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 6-inch round metal cake pans.
- Sift your cake flour and weight it to make sure you are using 114 grams, then sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the salt and stir until thoroughly blended.
- Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then scrape them into a bowl and set aside. Using the same mixing bowl (no need to clean it) and the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and continue to beat for about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl often. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating until blended, then beat in the vanilla.
- Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream, scraping bowl often. When everything is thoroughly blended, beat with the electric mixer for 30-40 seconds, scraping bowl.
- Using a heavy duty scraper, fold in the beaten egg whites.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pans (about 10 oz per pan) and smooth evenly.
- Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched. Let cool for 10 minutes, then carefully turn from pans onto a rack. Make the frosting.
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. The butter should not be too cold, nor should it be melted.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, mix the butter, sour cream, cocoa, salt and 2 tablespoons of the milk until it all starts to come together as a thick sludge.
- When everything is sticking together, add the vanilla. Increase mixer speed and beat until smooth, scraping bowl and adding more half and half (or milk and cream) as needed until you get your desired texture consistency. Spread over the cake.
Notes
You can use 1 stick of butter (114 grams) or a mixture of butter and shortening (58 grams of butter and 48 grams of shortening).
