Last night, my friend Rachel was over having dinner with us and she asked my stepson what is the best thing I’ve ever made. I was fully expecting him to choose tacos, nachos, pizza or maybe hamburgers. I mean, he is a pre-teen boy and would probably love to eat pizza every day. Let me preface this by saying that my husband and stepson are absolute troopers. They happily eat whatever I am testing and never complain, even when my tests don’t turn out in reality as good as they turned out in my head. But, much to my surprise, he said this greek yogurt vanilla cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting is the best thing I’ve made. He’s got a birthday coming up, so I think this cake with some sprinkles might be the perfect way to celebrate! The vanilla cake is sweet, moist and tender and the chocolate cream cheese frosting is the perfect not-too-sweet chocolate frosting with a deep cocoa flavor. I think I’ve just convinced myself to make it again this weekend.
A Case for Scratch Made
A quick search on pinterest or google will yield an almost never ending list of cake recipes and I have tried my fair share of them. There has also been a pretty popular trend the last few years to add things to cake mixes to make them better. While I will admit that doctoring up cake mixes can definitely yield a good cake, there is nothing quite like a fully scratch made cake. If you are a beginner baker and the idea of baking a layer cake is indimidating, start with this one. It is super easy and the batter only requires one bowl. Except for the bowl you crack your eggs into. I always crack my eggs into a separate bowl before adding them. Do you? My mom and grandmother also remove the little white part of the egg. I’m curious. Are there other bakers that also remove the white part of the egg? Not the actual clear egg white. The little cloudy white thing attached to the yoke. I think it’s called the chalaza. Ok, back to cake batter.
Greek Yogurt Vanilla Cake Batter
Using your mixer of choice, beat softened butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes on medium. We aren’t looking for super light and fluffy, but we do want to cream them together. Add the eggs, mixing each addition into the batter for 10-15 seconds to ensure it is fully incorporated. To the same bowl, add the yogurt, vanilla and milk and blend until combined. No oil in this recipe. The butter, yogurt and milk give plenty of flavor and moisture. Then, sift your dry ingredients directly over the bowl of the wet ingredients. I like to add some flour, then the baking powder and salt, then a little more flour to make sure the baking powder and salt are well blended. Mix the batter on medium for 1 minute until all the dry ingredients are fully absorbed. This batter is pretty thick, so don’t be alarmed. Divide the batter evenly between 3 9-inch lined and greased cake pans and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
The Best Part of Cake is the Frosting
If you normally scrape off half the frosting of your slice of cake, I’d say you need better frosting. If someone served just a little plate of this frosting for dessert, I’d be happy with it. It’s fudgy, sweet and a little tangy from the cream cheese. Step aside, butter cream, because cream cheese frosting is the supperior cake companion. Once your cakes have come out of the oven and are cooling, it would be a great time to mix up the frosting. Beat the softened butter and cream cheese for 7 minutes on medium high speed, scraping the sides every few minutes. Add the vanilla and salt to the mixture and beat for 1 minute more. We want light, fluffy, and no lumps in sight. Once we have light and fluffy cream cheese, sift the powdered sugar and cocoa right on top. Mix on low until the powdered sugar and cocoa are fully incorporated. Refrigerate for at least half an hour, but up to 24. Mix on high again for 2 minutes right before frosting your cake.
Final Steps
Once your cakes have cooled, you are ready to frost. Set aside half of your frosting for the outside of the cake and the top. The remaining half is for the middle of the layers. If your frosting is too warm during this process, your cakes can slide, so be sure your frosting is chilled. If at anytime your frosting becomes too warm, pause and pop it in the freezer, stiring every 5 minutes, until it has stiffened up again. How do you know if it is too warm? If it is the texture of canned frosting, it is too warm. If it oozes out of the sides, it is too wam. Divide half of the frosting that is for the layers evenly between each layer. To simplify, one fourth of the frosting goes between cake layer 1 and 2, one fourth between laywer 2 and 3, and the remaining half goes on top and the sides. Once the cake is frosted, store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I like cold cake, so personally, I would serve it cold. However, most bakers would fight me about that, so do what makes you happy.
Let’s bake a cake! To make this Greek Yogurt Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, here are the details…
Greek Yogurt Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 3 9 inch cake pans
Ingredients
Greek Yogurt Vanilla Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup milk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).
- In a large mixing bowl using the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time mixing 10-15 seconds between each addition.
- Add the yogurt, vanilla and milk to the butter, sugar and eggs and mix on medium low for 1 minute to combine.
- Sift the dry ingredients directly over the wet ingredients. Mix on medium low for 1 minute to combine all ingredients. The batter will be thick.
- Divide the batter equally between 3 9-inch greased and lined cake pans.
- Bake on the middle rack at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes at clean. Remove to cooling racks and allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Then turn them out onto the racks to finish cooling.
- While the cakes are cooling, in a large mixing bowl using the whisk attachment, add the softened cream cheese and softened butter. Beat on medium-high speed for 7 minutes, scraping the sides every few minutes. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 30 seconds more.
- Sift the powdered salt, sugar, and cocoa powder directly over the cream cheese and butter. Mix on low for 2 minutes until fully incorporated. Refrigerate 30 minutes up to 24 hours before frosting the cake. Mix on high 2 minutes right before frosting.
- To frost the cake, use 1/4 of the frosting between the first and second layer, 1/4 between the second and third layers, and the remaining half for the top and sides.
- Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Notes
- If your frosting is getting to warm while frosting your cake, place in the freezer, stiring every 5 minutes until stiff enough to work with.
- How do you know if your frosting is too warm? It will be similar in texture to canned frosting.
- Don’t have a stand mixer? Don’t worry. Just use the standard beaters that come with your mixer.
- Store the cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.