First comes frosting, then comes cake

This is long overdue but the perfect companion to join the frosting recipe I gave you Friday!

For my aunts wedding, I made the cake and cupcakes. We put together a candy buffet for the guests, and had the cupcakes sporadically placed amongst the jars of goodies. The below pictures are courtesy of my wonderful husband!

The recipes for the cakes came from the Star Tribune. There was an article in the paper the week of the wedding. Talk about perfect!
The main wedding cake was a red velvet cake, and that recipe was not in the paper, but I used the paper recipes for the cupcakes and they were a hit. I thought I would share the recipes because they were wonderful and there is nothing like a homemade cake and frosting. The recipes were a bit time consuming, but not by much and the results were just delicious. I will have a hard time buying box mixes or jars of frosting from here on out.

Yellow Cake

Serves 12 or 24 cupcakes

1c. unsalted butter at room temperature

2 and 1/2 cups flour

1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 and 1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 c. whole milk (you can use 2% or even 1%)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the pans, and dust with flour. For cupcakes, just use liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy (2-3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time, scrapping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three additions and the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until combined but do not over mix!

Transfer the batter to the pans. Bake until toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for15 minutes, and then transfer out to a wire rack to cool completely.

Baking times:

For two 8 inch rounds: 25-30 minutes. For two 9 inch pans: 22 to 25 minutes. For one 9x13 rectangle: 25-30 minutes. For 24 cupcakes: 15 to 20 minutes.

Chocolate Cake

Serves 12 or makes 24 cupcakes

1 and 3/4 cups flour

2 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter pans you plan to use and dust with flour. If doing cupcakes, just use liners.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powered, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; mix on low speed until combined.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scrapping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. (Note, the batter is very runny but don't worry, it works out!)

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cakes tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Happy baking and enjoy!

(correction-top two photos are by my creative mom)