Categories: Cakes - Frosting - Icing
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. fine salt
- 3/4 cup plain full-fat yogurt OR buttermilk OR sour cream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled OR 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- For the syrup:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 2 Tbsp. coffee liqueur
- For frosting:
- 1 1/2 cup malted milk powder
- Pinch salt
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar, divided use
- 2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Directions
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Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms and sides of 2 (8 or 9-inch) round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper and dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk well to combine. Stir in the yogurt, melted butter, water, vanilla and eggs until combined and no dry streaks remain. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cakes are domed, light golden brown and a wooden pick comes out clean or with dry crumbs.
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Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cream and salt over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and coffee liqueur; set aside while the cakes bake.
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As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, using a long skewer or the tip of a paring knife,
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pierce each cake at 1-inch intervals. Pour or brush the warm syrup evenly over over the cakes. Be sure to use all of the syrup. Place cakes, in pans, on wire racks to cool until they are no longer wet to the touch, 1 to 2 hours.
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Once cool and dry, make the frosting:
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Combine the butter, malted milk powder, salt and 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until incorporated. Add the remaining sugar, beating on medium, until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until incorporated. Add the remaining sugar, beating on medium, until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and beat until frosting is light and fluffy.
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Run a knife or offset spatula around the edge of the cakes to loosen. Invert cakes to remove from pans. Place one layer on a cake plate or stand: spread about 1/3 of the frosting over the top. Top with the second cake layer and frost top and sides of cake with the remaining frosting.