Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Frosting

Enjoy the best vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Soft and fluffy, it is made with moist, melt-on-your-mouth butter cake and decadent chocolate ganache. It's simply yummy and delicious.

There is nothing quite like a good old-fashioned vanilla cake. But when you add chocolate frosting to the scene, it is a whole new level of deliciousness.

We all love a classic chocolate ganache cake, but switching things up can be a total game-changer.

Jump to:

• Vanilla cake with chocolate frosting recipe
• Ingredients
• Recipe variations
• How to make vanilla cake with chocolate frosting
• Expert Tips
• Storing and freezing
• Recipe FAQ
• Love layer cakes? Try these next!
• Need to adjust your baking pan size?
• Recipe card
• Comments

The contrast of the light and fluffy vanilla cake layer with chocolate frosting is a match made in heaven. It is simple yet oh-so-satisfying.

So why not take a chance and try something new? Bake a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting and indulge in the ultimate chocolate experience.

Vanilla cake with chocolate frosting recipe

• This homemade vanilla cake with chocolate ganache is made with a few simple ingredients.

• The cake doesn't require fancy equipment like a double boiler and any decorating skills - no need for a pastry bag, either.

• You can create the best fillings for vanilla cake by swapping dark chocolate for white or milk chocolate.

• It is a perfect recipe for celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Find the recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

• Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. Make sure to bring them to the kitchen counter about 1 hour before you start baking. Alternatively, you can immerse the eggs in warm water for a few minutes.

• Sugar: Use white granulated sugar or replace it with caster or baker's sugar. Add vanilla sugar for the best cake flavor.

• Unsalted butter is added to improve the flavor, taste, and texture of the cake.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour or plain flour in the UK.

• Potato cornstarch improves cake texture by lightening the gluten in AP flour.

• Baking powder is a leavening agent that helps raise the cake. Opt for aluminum-free baking powder.

• Chocolate: Choose high-quality dark chocolate with 70% cocoa content. The quality of the chocolate greatly affects the taste of the ganache. Select top-quality chocolate bars or chocolate callets, like Callebaut chocolate chips. It is best to avoid using chocolate chips meant explicitly for baking.

• Cream: The recipe calls for heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with a minimum fat content of 30%.

Recipe variations

• Vanilla cake batter: The most common cake flavor is vanilla, but don't be afraid to try other options like coconut or almond extract and rose or orange flower water.

• Chocolate frosting: Dark chocolate ganache frosting is the most decadent among chocolate frostings. But try to experiment with whipped ganache, velvety chocolate buttercream, or cocoa powder-infused chocolate frosting.

• Cake layers: Choose your preferred number of cake layers: triple or two-layered chocolate cakes are equally delicious.

How to make vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Butter and flour an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper round. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder twice in a separate bowl.

Step 2. To make the cake batter, place the softened butter, granulated, and vanilla sugar in a large bowl or a bowl of your stand mixer. Beat with an electric hand mixer at high speed for 10-15 minutes until whitish (photo 1).

Step 3. Switch the mixer to low speed and continue whisking the creamed mixture. Add one egg at a time and beat until the egg is mixed up. Add the next one only when the previous one has been used up.

Pro tip: You may get a slightly grainy mixture. Avoid increasing the mixer speed in an attempt to resolve this issue. Adding flour will fix any slight graininess in the mixture.

Step 4. Remove the mixer's bowl from the mixer and add the sifted dry ingredients one tablespoon at a time.

Use a rubber spatula to combine; gently mix with large movements from the bottom up. Continue until the flour mixture is incorporated into the batter (photo 2).

Step 5. Pour it into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula (photo 3). Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out dry (photo 4).

Step 6. Remove the cake from the oven and flip it on a cooling rack lined with parchment. Allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes, avoiding excessive condensation on the paper. Then turn the cake over again, and let it cool down completely.

Step 7. To make chocolate shavings use a short knife or a vegetable peeler to shave a chocolate bar. Alternatively, make chocolate curls out of melted chocolate (photo 5).

Step 8. To make the chocolate frosting, chop the chocolate into small pieces. Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan and warm it up. With the first bubbles, add hot cream to the chopped chocolate and let it stay for 1 minute.

Step 9. Use a wooden spatula, and mix the chocolate mixture until the chocolate is melted. Add softened butter and blend until smooth (photo 6).

Let the chocolate frosting stay at room temperature to thicken, stirring occasionally. It should reach a spreadable consistency (it takes about 30-40 minutes).

Step 10. To assemble the cake, use a serrated knife or a cake leveler to cut the cake into three cake layers about ½ inch (1 cm) thick.

Pro tip: This ensures an equal thickness with the chocolate frosting layer. If preferred, cut the cake into three equal layers.

Step 11. Place the first cake layer on a cake board, and spread ¼ of the frosting (photo 7). Then add the second layer and cover it with another ¼ of the frosting. Finish by placing the third layer.

Step 12. Cover the entire cake (the top and sides of the cake) with the chocolate icing using an offset spatula. Sprinkle the top of the cake with chocolate shavings (photo 8).

Expert Tips

1. To easily slice the cake, heat the knife with hot water, dry it completely, and clean the blade after each cut.
2. Make a cake ahead of time: Bake the sponge cake in the evening and keep it covered with plastic wrap overnight. Make the ganache filling and assemble the cake the following day.

Storing and freezing

Keep vanilla cake with chocolate ganache in a cool room under a glass dome for 2-3 days.

If needed, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Make sure to bring it to room temperature 30 minutes before serving to soften the ganache.

Can you freeze this cake? It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just make sure to let the ganache set at room temperature for a few hours, then in the fridge for about an hour.

After that, cover the cake with cling wrap and aluminum foil, and pop it in the freezer. When you are ready to serve it, leave it on the counter to thaw for a few hours.

Recipe FAQ

Love layer cakes? Try these next!

If you love this layer cake, enjoy more delectable layer cakes on the website:

• Chocolate Ganache Cake
• Sans Rival Cake
• Uruguayan Cake Chaja
• Jordgubbstårta (Swedish Strawberry Cake)
• Triple Berry Cake
• Fresh Fruit Cake

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.