YELLOW CAKE

{vanilla cake}

When I first began working on a yellow cake recipe, a few things were important to me. The cake needed to be buttery, full of vanilla flavor, and have a tender but sturdy crumb. I actually started with an old Bundt cake recipe I had and loved, adding vanilla, more salt, and a few eggs yolks to it. The taste was perfect, but the texture was just too fluffy for my liking. A reader suggested using the “reverse creaming” method, where butter is introdued to the dry ingredients instead of creamed with the sugars. It worked like a charm. I had a cake with a sturdy base and the delicate crumb I was after. makes two 8-inch cakes

3 large eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup sour cream

¼ cup buttermilk

2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour

1½ cups (297 g) sugar

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

½ pound (2 sticks; 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8 by 2-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, sour cream, and buttermilk.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low until combined. With the mixer running on low, add the butter one piece at a time, beating until the mixture resembles coarse sand. With the mixer still running on low, slowly add half the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. With the mixer running on low, add the rest of the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 20 seconds (the batter may still look a little bumpy). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and use a spatula to mix the batter a few more times.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Tap the pans gently on the counter 2 times each to help get rid of any bubbles. Bake 17 to 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cakes are golden brown and pull slightly away from the sides and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.

Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, and let cool completely. Once cool, the cakes can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated overnight or frosted.

VARIATIONS

cardamom cake • Add 2 teaspoons ground cardamom to the dry ingredients.

spice cake (with coffee buttercream ) • Add 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper to the dry ingredients.

vanilla cupcakes • Place liners in two standard 12-cup muffin tins. Fill each cup a little more than halfway full. Bake 16 to 20 minutes, until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. makes 24 to 25 cupcakes

NOTE: This recipe will work with 9 by 2-inch round cake pans and can be baked in two or three pans; for details and baking times, see here .