HexClassic Birthday Cake with Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting
What You Need
Ingredients
Preparation
Not to brag, but this is pretty much the perfect birthday cake. It’s got a celebration-worthy combination of rich, yellow cake layers and creamy chocolate frosting, plus sprinkles or chocolate chips to make each slice extra special. With the mixer attachment, it’s nearly as easy as boxed cake but a million times as delicious.
*This recipe originally ran stateside on HexClad.com.
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Make cake. Position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 350ºF. Lightly grease 2 HexClad Hybrid Round Cake Pans - 9” round (23 cm round) with butter, line with parchment and lightly butter the parchment; set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sprinkles, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add sugar and butter and beat on medium until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce to medium-low and add eggs and yolks one at a time, waiting 15 seconds between each egg to allow it to fully incorporate before adding next. Mix in vanilla extract.
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Reduce speed to low. In three additions, add dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Continue mixing just until no more patches of flour remain. Turn mixer off and scrape down paddle and side of bowl once more to ensure batter is well-mixed.
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Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 28 to 32 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes in pans before inverting cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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Make frosting. Clean and dry mixer bowl and return to machine base with paddle. Add butter and beat on medium until smooth, about 1 minute. Add confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder and beat on medium-low until incorporated. With mixer on low, slowly drizzle in chocolate, followed by buttermilk, vanilla extract and salt. Increase to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 20 to 30 seconds.
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Assemble cake. If cakes domed at all, use a serrated knife to carefully slice off top of dome to create flat layers.
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Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate and spread with 1 cup frosting. Place second cake layer on frosting, then use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of both cakes. Scatter more sprinkles around top edge of cake then let stand until icing sets, about 1 hour, before serving.
MAKE AHEAD TIPS
Wrap baked and cooled cakes in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Let refrigerated or frozen cakes return to room temperature before frosting.
Refrigerate frosting in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour to soften, then beat for 10 seconds in mixer before using to ensure it’s spreadable.
NOTE
To melt chocolate, heat 1 inch of water in HexClad 2QT Hybrid Saucepan over medium-high until boiling. Lower heat to medium-low, place medium metal bowl over pot and add chocolate. Cook, stirring often, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.
