Preheat oven to 350℉. 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
*Unless otherwise stated, all recipes on this site use salted butter.