YELLOW CAKE WITH AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM

Yellow Cake with American Buttercream image

Provided by Duff Goldman

Categories dessert

Time 1h35m

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 stick (8 tablespoons) plus 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk
4 sticks (2 cups) butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt
5 to 6 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk or cream, plus more if needed

Steps:

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans and line with waxed paper or parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, then set aside. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the granulated sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, and beat until thoroughly mixed. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating for 1 minute. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely on the wire rack.
For the buttercream: In a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment, beat the butter with the vanilla and salt. A little at a time, mix in 5 cups of the confectioners' sugar and the milk and whip until smooth, adding more milk or up to 1 cup more confectioners' sugar if needed.
Frost the top of one cake and place the second cake on top. Then spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Serve at room temperature.