Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing (No Butter, No Oil)
A from-scratch yellow cake with no butter and no oil in the batter at all u2014 heavy cream stands in for both, giving you a tender crumb that holds up beautifully and stays moist for days. Seven ingredients in the cake, no mixer gymnastics, no cake mix. The chocolate icing has one small secret in it: a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese, just enough for a little tang. If you have got a birthday coming up in your family, this is the one.
A Birthday Cake for Both of Them
Both of my parents have birthdays this week. Just five days apart.
My mom always said she wanted to marry an older man. And she did — my daddy is exactly five days older than she is. So every year we get one celebration for the two of them, and this year is a big birthday for them, although I am not going to tell you which one.
When it came time to pick the cake, there was not much to decide. My daddy has always loved a yellow cake with chocolate icing. His mother made a really good one — hers was almost like eating fudge on top of that cake. It would harden up and it was so thick and so good. Mine is not exactly like hers, but a good yellow cake with chocolate icing hits the spot any time of year.
I know you can make fancier cakes. I love a fancy cake — that chocolate caramel turtle cake we did a while back is one of my favorites. But there is something about the simplicity of yellow and chocolate together. It is a throwback to memories from yesterday, and it never disappoints.
We had our birthday dinner, everybody had a slice, and there was plenty left for folks to take a piece home. That is exactly how a birthday cake ought to work out.
What Makes This Yellow Cake Different
There is no butter and no oil in this batter at all. The heavy cream does both jobs — it gives you the fat you would normally get from butter or oil, and it gives you the liquid you would normally get from milk or buttermilk. That is why the batter comes together so quickly: fewer ingredients, less measuring, and a crumb that stays tender for days.
The other thing I do every single time is bake my layers a day or two ahead, wrap them, and freeze them. Twenty-four hours in the freezer makes the cake even more moist and tender, and frozen layers are so much easier to frost. It is the closest thing to a cake decorating secret I have got.
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Rubber spatula
- Small offset spatula or spreader
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Yellow Cake
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Icing
- 1 cup butter, softened 2 sticks, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar 1 pound
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup heavy cream plus more as needed
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Spoon 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour into your measuring cup and level off the top, then add to your mixing bowl. Careful measuring matters in a cake like this u2014 scooping straight from the bag packs in too much flour and you will end up with a dry cake.
- Add the granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder. Turn your mixer on the lowest setting and let it whisk the dry ingredients together for a few seconds.
- Pour the vanilla directly into the heavy cream, then add the cream and the eggs to the dry ingredients.
- Mix on low until the flour starts to work in, then turn it up a little and mix just until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl and give it about 20 more turns around the bowl. Do not overmix u2014 that is what makes a cake tough.
- Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter, shortening, or baking spray (the kind made for baking, not regular cooking spray), then dust flour all over the inside and shake out the excess.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake at 350u00b0F for 23 to 30 minutes, checking with a toothpick starting at 23 minutes. When it comes out clean as a whistle, they are done. You do need to know your oven.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. For the best texture, wrap each cooled layer in plastic wrap and freeze at least 24 hours (up to 2 months) before frosting.
Make the Chocolate Icing
- Beat the softened butter, then add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and cream cheese. That cream cheese is my secret u2014 not enough to make it a full cream cheese frosting, just enough to add a nice texture and the slightest hint of tang.
- Add 1/3 cup heavy cream. Start the mixer slow, then increase the speed as the powdered sugar incorporates. Scrape down the bowl so nothing hides on the sides.
- Add another splash or two of cream if it needs it, then whip 1 to 2 minutes until light and airy. You will notice the icing lightens in color. If it is still too thick, milk will thin it faster than cream.
- Fold in any icing stuck to the side of the bowl by hand so the color is even throughout.
Assemble
- Take your layers out of the freezer a few minutes ahead u2014 still frozen but starting to thaw is the perfect time to work with them. Place the first layer upside down on your serving plate, spread a generous amount of icing over the top, and go ahead and start icing the sides of that first layer while it is easy to reach.
- Set the second layer on top, also upside down, and center it. Spread the remaining icing over the top, then work it down and around the sides, overlapping what you already did.
- Go around the edge and pull in the extra icing, then swirl the top however you like. Wipe any chocolate off the edge of the plate with a slightly dampened paper towel.
Video
Notes
- Heavy cream replaces both the butter/oil and the milk in this cake u2014 that is what gives it the tender crumb without any added fat.
- Freezing the layers at least 24 hours makes the cake noticeably more moist and much easier to frost.
- For three thinner layers, use three 8-inch pans and increase the icing recipe.
- To bake as a sheet cake, pour into a greased and floured 9×13 pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350u00b0F. You will only need about half the icing.
- The two tablespoons of cream cheese are not enough to make this a cream cheese frosting u2014 they just add texture and a slight tang that pairs beautifully with the chocolate.
- Store covered at room temperature 2 to 3 days, or refrigerated up to a week. Let refrigerated slices sit out 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
Tips for the Best Yellow Cake
- Measure your flour the right way. Spoon it into the cup and level off the top. Scooping straight from the bag packs in too much and dries out the cake.
- Room temperature butter matters. Set your two sticks out ahead of time. Cold butter will not whip into a smooth icing no matter how long you run the mixer.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stop as soon as it looks smooth and creamy, then about 20 more turns around the bowl and that is it.
- Freeze the layers. At least 24 hours makes a real difference in texture, and it makes assembly so much easier.
- Want three layers? Use three 8-inch pans instead of two 9-inch, and increase the icing recipe so you have enough to cover all three.
- Scrape the bowl at the end. Icing that sticks to the side does not get whipped and stays darker. Fold it in by hand so the color is even throughout.
- You do not need an offset spatula. A lot of you have told me to get one and I do have one — I just prefer a small spreader. Use whatever gives you the most control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I really make a yellow cake with no butter and no oil?
Yes. The heavy cream provides all the fat this cake needs. You get a light, tender crumb that holds up well, and you never miss the butter.
Can I substitute milk or half-and-half for the heavy cream?
Not in the cake — heavy cream is doing the work of both the fat and the liquid, so a lower-fat substitute would leave the cake dry. In the icing, milk works just fine and will actually thin it more easily than cream.
Why did my cake turn out dry?
Nine times out of ten it is the flour measurement. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level off the top instead of scooping. Overbaking is the other culprit — start checking at 23 minutes.
Do I have to freeze the layers?
No, you can frost the cake once it is fully cooled. But freezing for at least 24 hours makes it noticeably more moist and tender, and cold layers are much easier to work with.
How far ahead can I make this cake?
You can bake the layers up to two months ahead and keep them wrapped in the freezer. I usually make mine a day or two before I need them.
Can I bake this in a 9×13 pan?
Yes. Pour all the batter into a greased and floured 9×13 and bake at 350°F, checking around 30 to 35 minutes. A sheet cake like this only needs about half the icing.
What kind of cocoa powder should I use?
Regular unsweetened cocoa powder is what I use. Dutch-process will give you a darker color and a slightly milder chocolate flavor if that is what you have on hand.
Can I leave the cream cheese out of the icing?
You can, and it will still be a good chocolate buttercream. But those two tablespoons add a nice texture and just a hint of tang that really works with the chocolate. I would try it at least once.
How should I store the finished cake?
Keep it covered at room temperature for two to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you refrigerate it, let slices sit out 20 to 30 minutes before serving so the icing softens back up.
Can I use this icing on other cakes?
Absolutely. It is a good all-purpose chocolate buttercream — it works on a chocolate cake, a white cake, or cupcakes. This recipe covers a two-layer 9-inch cake, so increase it if you are doing three layers.
From My Table to Yours
Thank you so much for joining me today here at Mary Katherine’s Table, and for feeling like family and coming along for our birthday celebration. If you have got a birthday coming up in your family, I hope you will give this one a try.
And remember to go out today and find somebody who needs a little bit of kindness and give them some of yours.
