yellow cake with espresso buttercream
This cake is for all the coffee, cov-fe-fe, lovers out there! We see you and we’ve got a cake for you. From the rich yellow cake to the espresso buttercream frosting, to give you the extra kick.
Happy Barking!
Recipe
Yellow Cake with Espresso Buttercream
Cake:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour, plus 2 tablespoons
1 whole egg
3 egg yolks
Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or extract)
1 stick of butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
Espresso Buttercream:
3/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon espresso powder, plus 2 teaspoons
1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
2 1/2 sticks of butter, room temperature
Directions
Cakes
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare pans: butter the pans, add parchment rounds, butter rounds, and coat with flour, be sure to tap out the excess flour.
Combine heavy cream and lemon juice and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk egg, yolks, vegetable oil, and vanilla bean paste (or extract). Then add the heavy cream mixture once it has sat for the appropriate amount of time.
Cream butter into the flour mixture for 5 minutes: 2 minutes on low; three minutes on medium speed.
Add the egg mixture and combine for 2 minutes: 1 minute on low and 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again on high for 30 seconds to make sure all of the mixture has been combined.
Add to the prepared pans and bake for 45 - 55 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Espresso German Buttercream Frosting
Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together in a medium bowl
Once combined add the eggs and whisk in.
Bring milk and one tablespoon of espresso powder to a simmer over medium heat. Slowly stream the warmed milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously to avoid overheating the eggs.
Once combined, pour the mixture back into the pan over heat and whisk until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. You will want to cook the mixture 1 - 2 minutes more once it has thickened.
Off heat, add vanilla and the additional 2 teaspoons of espresso powder
Place into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap to prevent formation of a film, and allow to cool about 1 hour. Tip: to speed up the cooling process you can place the base into a large dish in a thin layer to cool, you’ll still have to cover with plastic wrap to prevent a film.
Once cool, in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened, room temperature butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the cooled base 1 spoonful at a time on low. Add the additional teaspoon of vanilla, switch to the whisk attachment, and beat on medium until fluffy.
Put it all together: this cake should have flat tops, so no need to remove cake domes. Layer cake with 6 tablespoons of frosting between layers. Then decorate it in your own way!
