Moist Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Every now and then, I get a hankering for a Moist Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting. Here’s one you can make homemade from scratch. And homemade is always better!
(Post modified with new photos on 3/30/23.)
What makes this cake so delicious? Butter. And buttermilk. And did I mention butter? Yeah, this cake is loaded with it. In the cake batter and in the wonderfully, rich chocolate frosting.
If you bake many layer cakes, you may want to invest in some cake pan baking strips to place along the sides of your round baking pans. These cloth strips work well to ensure moist, level cakes with no crowns, splits, or cracked tops. They really do work, and I wish I would have spent the few dollars to buy them sooner.
More Layer Cake Recipes
- Carrot Cake with Pecans
- Chocolate Cream Cake
- Hummingbird Cake
- Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients for Moist Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- butter, softened
- vegetable oil
- granulated sugar
- egg yolks (farm fresh, if possible)
- vanilla extract
- cake flour
- baking powder
- salt
- buttermilk
Chocolate Frosting
- semi-sweet chocolate (melted)
- butter
- vanilla extract
- baking cocoa
- powdered sugar
- buttermilk
A Note about Eggs
So, how do you get that nice dark yellow color in the cake? Use farm fresh eggs for best results. They have lovely dark yellow yolks–or at least that is the case for the ones I’ve used. According to a recent Google search, it is due to what the hen eats. Some farmers may even add marigold petals to boost the orange-yellow color. Wow, I learned something today!
If you don’t have access to farm fresh eggs, you could add a smidge of yellow food coloring. Not too much, though, or your cake might look artificially colored. And you don’t want that.
Instructions for Making this Moist Butter Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 – 9″ round cake pans with waxed paper. Spray with cooking spray. If desired, place cake baking strips on the outside of the pan, following product instructions.
Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and beat the yolks into the batter one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract.
I like to use separate bowls when separating the egg whites from the yolks. Save the egg whites to make an Angel Food Cake or add them to an omelette.
In a small bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing just until blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or when toothpick test comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning onto cooling racks. When cool, frost with chocolate frosting.
Preparing the Chocolate Frosting
To make the frosting, in a large mixing bowl, cream together the melted chocolate and softened butter until smooth and creamy.
Add vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. Slowly add buttermilk and whip together until frosting is light and fluffy.
Icing a Two-Layer Cake
To ice a layer cake, begin with the bottom layer, placing the top side down on the cake plate.
If desired, you may place strips of waxed paper around the bottom of the cake to prevent any icing smudges.
Divide the frosting into thirds, and spread 1/3 on the bottom layer.
Next, place the second layer top side up and spoon 1/3 of the frosting along the edges so that you can frost the sides of the cake. Be sure to fill any gaps between the layers.
Finish by swirling the remaining frosting on the top in a decorative fashion.
Some people like to frost a cake with clean swipes, with no lines showing. Others like to give the frosting a swirl to give the cake more dimension. If you’re really ambitious, use a Wilton cake decorating tool for a professional decorative look.
This frosting recipe will make enough to ice a two-layer cake and will serve 12. This Moist Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting is even better the second day. Store in an airtight cake container. It will keep for several days. Serve with a large glass of milk or with a bowl of peaches.
See more Cake Recipes Here. Browse Desserts Here.
Moist Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large egg yolks farm fresh eggs work best for yellow coloring
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
Chocolate Frosting
- 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate melted
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup baking cocoa
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 - 9" round cake pans with waxed paper. Spray with cooking spray. If desired, add cake baking strip to the outside of the cake pans.
- Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Cake Batter
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Beat the eggs yolks into the batter, one at a time. Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a small bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add flour to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing just until blended.
- Pour into prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or when toothpick test comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning onto cooling racks. When cool, frost with chocolate frosting.
Make the Chocolate Frosting
- To make frosting, in a large mixing bowl, cream together the melted chocolate and softened butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar.
- Slowly add buttermilk and whip together until frosting is light and fluffy.
- Makes enough to frost a two-layer cake.
Icing a Two-Layer Cake
- To ice a layer cake, begin with the bottom layer, placing the top side down on the cake plate.If desired, you may place strips of waxed paper around the bottom of the cake to prevent any icing smudges.
- Divide the frosting into thirds, and spread 1/3 on the bottom layer.
- Next, place the second layer top side up and spoon 1/3 of the frosting along the edges so that you can frost the sides of the cake. Be sure to fill any gaps between the layers.
- Finish by swirling the remaining frosting on the top in a decorative fashion.Some people like to frost a cake with clean swipes, with no lines showing. Others like to give the frosting a swirl to give the cake more dimension. If you’re really ambitious, use a Wilton cake decorating tool for a professional decorative look.
- This cake recipe will serve 12.
Notes
Nutrition
