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When it came time to select contenders for our birthday cake recipe showdown, I knew I needed to start by checking out the winner of The Pancake Princess’ yellow cake bake-off. After thoroughly testing and rating 12 different recipes, she gave first prize to Divas Can Cook’s Fluffy, Moist Homemade Yellow Cake.
Divas Can Cook is a food blog run by MoniqueKilgore and features recipes that span from snickerdoodles to margaritas. Although I was previously unfamiliar with the blog, I quickly fell in love — especially after reading about the winning cake recipe. It looked like a delicious take on a classic yellow cake, lightened up with whipped egg whites and finished with a fluffy chocolate buttercream. Here’s what happened when I gave it a try.
Get the recipes: Fluffy, Moist Homemade Yellow Cake and Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
How to Make Divas Can Cook’s Homemade Yellow Cake
Divas Can Cook’s birthday cake recipe is a classic yellow cake that I decided to frost with her accompanying chocolate frosting recipe. You’ll start by creaming together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add in egg yolks (not the whites!) along with vanilla extract and mix until fully combined. In a separate bowl, mix together your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture along with buttermilk, alternating between the two as you mix. Mix the batter until smooth, then set aside.
In another large bowl, whip the reserved egg whites until stiff, then gently fold them into the batter. Divide between two greased and floured cake pans and bake. Let cool completely.
While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a large bowl mix the butter until fluffy, then add heavy cream and mix once more until combined. Mix in vanilla extract, melted chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. Mix until light and fluffy, then stir in salt. Once the cakes are cooled, go ahead and assemble your cake however you like with the prepared frosting. That’s it!
My Honest Review of Divas Can Cook’s Cake Recipe
I would be thrilled to receive this yellow cake on my birthday. Whipping the egg whites gave the cake a fluffy, light-as-air texture (without being angel food-like) that was unlike any of the others I tried. Whipping the eggs did make the recipe a bit more challenging compared to some of the others, but the results seemed worth it. It was a delicious cake with a subtle vanilla flavor, and despite its light texture it still held up nicely when frosted.
But while the cake itself was great, the frosting totally stole the show! I used Divas Can Cook’s whipped chocolate buttercream recipe, and it was hands-down the best frosting out of all the recipes I tried. It was soft and creamy without being runny, and it had a bold chocolate flavor (thanks to a combination of cocoa powder and melted chocolate). It was the easiest frosting to work with, allowing me to effortlessly create beautiful waves across the cake. I definitely plan to make this frosting again in the future.
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If You’re Making Diva’s Can Cook’s Birthday Cake, a Few Tips
- Thoroughly grease and flour your cake pans. Don’t skip this step. It helps the cakes release from their tins without any issues.
- Use cake flour, not all-purpose flour. The cake flour in this recipe helps make it light and tender. It can be found in the baking section of most well-stocked grocery stores, but if you can’t find it, you can make your own by combining cornstarch and all-purpose flour.
- Don’t over-whip the egg whites. Both under-whipping and over-whipping the egg whites can cause the cake to sink. As soon as the egg whites hold a stiff peak, stop whipping. It’s much easier to over-whip egg whites than you might think.
- Add additional heavy cream or powdered sugar to the frosting to adjust the consistency. Depending on how hot your kitchen is and the ingredients you use, you might need to adjust the consistency of your frosting. If it’s too thick, thin it out with additional heavy cream. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Rating: 9/10
Have you ever made Divas Can Cook’s birthday cake recipe? Tell us what you thought!
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