Chocolate yellow cake is a birthday classic. This version has three layers of yellow cake frosted with chocolate buttercream and topped with rainbow sprinkles.
We’ve got a big celebration coming up! My husband is turning 30! I’m making him three cakes this year. First up, the birthday cake classic!
(His two favorite birthday cakes I’ve ever made him are this Baseball Cap Cake and Strawberry Basque Cake.)
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
This is attempt number one at the classic yellow cake with chocolate Swiss buttercream.
Over the next few months, I’ll be experimenting with different yellow cake recipes and various chocolate buttercream frostings until I find the best one!
Recommended Kitchen Tools and Equipment
- three 6-inch round cake pans
- piping bag fitted with a small fluted tip
- mini offset spatula
- rotating cake turntable
- stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and whisk attachment
- kitchen thermometer
Yellow Cake
The cake recipe can make one tall 6-inch cake or shorter 8-inch or 9-inch round cake. It makes three 6-inch cake layers or two 8-inch cake layers.
This yellow cake is moist and flavorful. It’s a sturdy cake that would be the perfect kind of cake layers to use for a fondant covered cake or a sculpted cake.
Swiss Buttercream
Swiss buttercream is a stable frosting made by whipping softened butter into Swiss meringue. It’s much silkier and lighter than American buttercream.
This chocolate Swiss buttercream combines together egg whites, granulated sugar, butter, and melted chocolate.
Unlike American buttercream or French buttercream, Swiss buttercream is cooked. Egg whites and sugar are melted together over a double boiler (bain-marie) to 120-160 degrees F.
The resulting buttercream is light, silky, and airy.
Interested in other classic cakes? Try this chocolate cake recipe. It is frosted with a simple American buttercream. It’s great for birthdays and celebrations!
Related Recipes
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Swiss Buttermilk
Ingredients
Yellow Cake:
- 2 ½ cups cake flour, , sifted
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, , cut into tablespoons, softened but cool to the touch
- ¾ cup whole milk,, room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Swiss Buttercream: (makes about 4 cups)
- 6 large egg whites , (about ¾ cup)
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ cups unsalted butter, , cut into tablespoons
- 4.5 oz chopped dark chocolate*, (preferably 70% or darker), melted and slightly cooled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 6-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 2 cups flour (reserve remaining 1/2 cup of flour), sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a paddle attachment, run mixer on low speed. With the mixer running, add cut butter in three additions. Continue to mix on low speed until mixture is crumbly.
- In another bowl, combine milk, eggs, egg white, and vanilla. Add half of liquid mixture to mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until incorporated. Add remaining half of liquid mixture and mix until batter is throughly combined. The batter may look curdled. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and mix until batter comes together. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
- Evenly distribute batter among prepared cake pans and level using a mini offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes. Run an offset spatula along the sides of the cake pan to loosen cake. Invert cake onto a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
Chocolate Swiss Buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together egg whites and sugar. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler. Make sure simmering water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk sugar egg mixture until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F. *Alternatively, if you don't have a thermometer, heat until all the sugar has melted. See notes below.
- Return bowl to the stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat mixture at medium speed until it cools to room temperature and holds medium-stiff peaks.
- Using a paddle attachment, mix on low speed. With the mixing running, add butter one tablespoon at a time. Once all the butter has been incorporated, add pinch of salt. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until buttercream is light and fluffy. Add melted cooled chocolate and mix on low speed until thoroughly mixed.
Notes
- I used 90% dark chocolate. Use at least 70% dark chocolate to balance the sweetness of the buttercream.
- Buttercream: Alternatively, if you don’t have a thermometer, heat until all the sugar has melted.You can test this by dipped your pointer finger into the warm mixture and rubbing it against your thumb. The mixture should be smooth. You should not be able to feel the granules of sugar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Nnnnoooooo! My birthday was YESTERDAY, and I find this recipe today?! Isn’t that just like life?! :^D Aw, well…better late then never. This is the most beautiful yellow cake with chocolate frosting I’ve ever seen! I’m DEFINITELY making this!
Very perfect and pretty. I love 3 layer cakes. Pretty much all my cakes are 3 layers.
Can you tell me, approx how tall is this cake? Looks like a 6″??
Thank you.
That is a perfectly stacked cake! This is gorgeous!
I’m already dying to have a piece! It looks super moist and it’s sooo tall! After all the frosting and finishing touches, how tall exactly was it? Such a perfect birthday cake.
My son asked for a layer cake on his birthday, and this would be perfect!
You always have the prettiest cakes! Love the gif. :)
Triple whammy! This cake is gorgeous! Wish I had it for my birthday :)
Wow! What a gorgeous cake! My favorite combination!
Three layer cakes are so much more fun than two layer cakes! This is the cake I want for my birthday! It’s gorgeous…and that frosting…to die for!
What a gorgeous cake! I certainly would be thrilled with it if someone made it for me on my birthday! Delicious!