Old Fashioned Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I posted a picture of a slice of this cake on my Instagram and Facebook and apparently alot of you like this kind of cake!  Does it bring back memories of Grandma making it for you for your birthday?  Because that’s exactly what it’s referred to when I found the recipe on Pinterest. It’s from the blog Modern Honey and she calls it the “Best Ever Yellow Birthday Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting!  White cake with white buttercream is my first choice on all occasions, but this cake will gladly be my runner-up!

It’s ultra rich and moist.  I think the longer it sits, the better is gets.  It slices perfectly, too.  It makes enough for three layers, but I chose to only bake two.  I think you could also convert it to a 9×13 cake as well.  There is just something so pretty, though, when you serve a layer cake.

Yellow Birthday Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
Author: Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey

Ingredients
4 Large Eggs
⅔ cup Whole Milk or Buttermilk (I used buttermilk)
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2¼ cups Flour
1½ cups Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ teaspoon Salt
1 cup Butter, softened, cut into cubes
2 Tablespoons Oil
⅓ cup Vanilla Pudding Mix (instant)

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
1½ cups Butter, softened
1 cup Cocoa
5 cups Powdered Sugar
⅓ cup Cream, Half n Half or Milk

*This recipe can make a two layer cake or a three layer cake (the layers will be thinner). If you would like to make an extra large triple layer cake, 1½ times the recipe and use three 8 or 9 inch cake pans.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla.
3. In a standing mixer, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
4. Beat the butter into the flour mixture, one cube at a time. Continue to beat until it resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Add the ½ of the egg-milk mixture and oil and beat the batter is light and fluffy. Add remaining egg-milk mixture and vanilla pudding and mix just until combined.
6. Take a spatula and scrape the sides of the bowl.
7. Spread into greased pans and smooth tops with a spatula.
8. Bake for 16-22 minutes, depending on the depth of pans. If the cake layers are thin, they will cook for less time than the thicker layers.
9. Let cakes cool. Run a knife around edge of cake pan and flip over. Frost with milk chocolate frosting.
10. To make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
11. In mixing bowl, cream together butter, cocoa, powdered Sugar, and cream until light and fluffy. You may want to add more cream or milk depending on consistency. Once cake has cooled and has been removed from pans, frost each layer with frosting.
12. Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, sprinkles, M & M’s or whatever your heart desires.
13. This is one baked good that gets even better the next day, if covered

I liked this cake so much I made two!  One for co-workers and one to share with neighbors…and maybe sneak another piece or two for me!