thepioneerwoman
Best Birthday Cake
The best birthday cake recipe starts with rich chocolate cake layers, a creamy, vanilla buttercream and gets finished with plenty of colorful sprinkles.
👥 8 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 2h 30m⏳ Prep: 30 min👤 Erin Merhar📖 thepioneerwoman
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●pan
- ●oven
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●knife
📝 Preparation Steps
1
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°. Generously butter the base and up the insides of 2 8-inch round baking pans. Dust each with the 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and tap to coat the pans evenly. (Alternatively, spray each pan with nonstick baking spray.)
Butter, for greasing the pansc. buttermilk3/4sticks unsalted butter (1 1/4 cup), softened2 1/2
2
Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl.
3
Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, oil, and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Add the hot water and whisk well to combine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure all the ingredients get mixed together and there are no clumps.
large eggs, lightly beaten2
4
Divide the batter evenly in the prepared pans and bake for 30 to ⏱️ 32 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for ⏱️ 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the sides of the pan and turn onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely, about 1 1/⏱️ 2 hours.
Butter, for greasing the pansc. buttermilk3/4sticks unsalted butter (1 1/4 cup), softened2 1/2
5
For the buttercream: Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about ⏱️ 1 minute.
Butter, for greasing the pansc. buttermilk3/4sticks unsalted butter (1 1/4 cup), softened2 1/2
6
Add the salt and 3 cups of powdered sugar. Beat on low for ⏱️ 1 minute until the butter and sugar start to combine. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth.
Butter, for greasing the pansc. buttermilk3/4sticks unsalted butter (1 1/4 cup), softened2 1/2
7
Add the remaining 3 cups of powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream. Beat on low for ⏱️ 1 minute until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about ⏱️ 2 minutes.
8
Place one cake layer on a plate. Top with 1 cup of frosting and smooth into an even layer. Top with the remaining cake layer, placing the flat side facing up top. Frost the top and sides with the remaining buttercream.
9
Sprinkle colorful sprinkles all over top and press into the sides of the cake, about 2 inches from the bottom of the cake. Slice and serve, or loosely cover and store in the refrigerator for up to ⏱️ 24 hours, before serving.
Colorful sprinkles
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