Pioneer Woman Yellow Cake With Chocolate Icing Recipe

This Pioneer Woman Yellow Cake With Chocolate Icing is a moist and fluffy recipe, which is made with buttermilk and Dutch-processed cocoa. It’s a classic, foolproof recipe, ready in about 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Pioneer Woman Yellow Cake With Chocolate Icing Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 2¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups (300ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

For the Frosting:

• 20 tablespoons (1¼ cups) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
• 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
• ¾ cup (65g) Dutch-processed cocoa, sifted
• Pinch of salt
• ¾ cup (256ml) light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces (227g) milk or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

How To Make Pioneer Woman Yellow Cake With Chocolate Icing

To Make the Cake:

1. Prep Oven and Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
4. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla extract.
5. Combine Wet and Dry: With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients all at once and mix until just combined.
6. Add Buttermilk: Pour in the buttermilk and beat on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 3 more minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
7. Bake the Cakes: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 33 to 38 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool the Cakes: Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto wire racks to cool completely.

To Make the Frosting and Assemble:

1. Beat the Frosting Base: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sifted powdered sugar, sifted cocoa powder, salt, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth and combined.
2. Add Melted Chocolate: Pour in the melted and slightly cooled chocolate and beat until the frosting is smooth and glossy.
3. Assemble the Cake: Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous amount of frosting over the top. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the entire cake.

Recipe Tips

• How to get the fluffiest cake? Using room temperature ingredients—especially butter, eggs, and buttermilk—is essential. They emulsify together much better than cold ingredients, creating a more uniform batter and a lighter, fluffier crumb.
• Why sift the dry ingredients for the frosting? Sifting the powdered sugar and cocoa powder is a crucial step to remove any lumps, ensuring your final frosting is perfectly smooth and silky.
• How do I avoid a dense cake? Be careful not to overmix the batter once you combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix only until everything is incorporated. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to a tough, dense cake.
• Why cool the cakes completely before frosting? This is a non-negotiable step. If you try to frost a warm cake, the heat will melt the butter in the icing, causing it to become a soupy mess that slides right off the cake.

What To Serve With Yellow Cake

This classic cake is perfect all on its own, but it’s also wonderful with:

• A tall, cold glass of milk
• A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream
• A simple cup of coffee

How To Store Yellow Cake

• Store: A frosted cake can be stored in a cake carrier or covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Yellow Cake With Chocolate Icing Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 660 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 85g
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 34g
• Sugar: 60g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Pioneer Woman Chocolate Devils Recipe
• Pioneer Woman Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

Pioneer Woman Yellow Cake With Chocolate Icing Recipe

Recipe by Marry ThompsonCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

660

kcal

A classic, moist, and buttery yellow cake with a rich, silky, and deeply chocolatey frosting.

Ingredients

• Cake: 2¼ cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1½ cups sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1¼ cups buttermilk.

• Frosting: 20 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa, pinch of salt, ¾ cup light corn syrup, 1 tsp vanilla, 8oz melted chocolate.

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round pans.
• Whisk dry cake ingredients. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs and vanilla.
• Mix dry ingredients into the wet, then add buttermilk and beat until combined.
• Divide batter into pans and bake for 33-38 minutes. Cool completely.
• For frosting, beat butter, sugar, cocoa, salt, corn syrup, and vanilla. Mix in melted chocolate.
• Assemble by frosting between the layers and all over the top and sides of the cooled cake.

Notes

• For the best texture, ensure all dairy and eggs are at room temperature before you begin.
• Do not overmix the cake batter after adding the flour; mix only until combined to keep it tender.
• Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder for a perfectly smooth, lump-free frosting.
• The cakes must be completely cool before you attempt to frost them, otherwise the icing will melt.