Small batch fluffy vanilla cake layered with fudge chocolate frosting. Like the kind you probably had as a kid, only this one isn’t from a box or a can. Makes one 6” cake or 12 cupcakes.

The story

Today, I bring two pieces of nostalgia. First, Veggie Tales. In my determination to continuously be part of the change, I have some food for thought about Black Lives Matter and white privilege from none other than a talking tomato. If you’re not already singing the song in your head (or out loud, no judgment!), I’m talking about Phil Vischer, creator of Veggie Tales and voice of Bob the Tomato. While he is white and I’m trying to amplify black voices, I think he brings strong credibility and experiential wisdom to the issue of white privilege. Plus, he just has a way with teaching life lessons, from the fact that God made us special and loved us very much to the fact that we’ve created a society where simply being white grants you privileges you’re unaware of (but need to notice so we can make things right).

He’s been speaking out quite a bit about BLM, but this article is a great starting point for understanding the issue. (And yes, I linked it three times because it’s good truth and and easy read.)

Second bit of nostalgia, birthday cake.

I don’t know about you, but growing up I thought vanilla cake with chocolate frosting was the official cake of birthdays. It’s classic. Plus, it appeased both vanilla and chocolate lovers alike. My personal favorite was that it used chocolate frosting, which was important when boxed cake and canned frosting was the epitome of a homemade cake. I very much do not like canned vanilla frosting. Like, I’ll scrape it off of and just eat the cake. Or just not have dessert. *gasp*

But man did I love that canned chocolate frosting. And if paired with fluffy vanilla boxed cake, you had a universally accepted—if not loved—birthday dessert.

Now that we’re all grown up and know how easy it is to bake a cake from scratch (to each their own, but I prefer the flavor, texture, and lack of chemicals in from-scratch cakes), it’s nice to know you can achieve a similar classic birthday cake without boxes or cans.

What I love is that you can adjust this cake to be fluffy or old-fashioned. Whatever floats your boat. And the frosting can be fudge-y (my favorite) or milk chocolatey.

Best of all, you can make it mini!

Even after this quarantine ban on parties, I still want to make more mini cakes. We usually have 3-4 celebrations for one birthday, and I find we have far too many leftover desserts at the end of it all. Calories aside, I just can’t condone wasting cake! Plus, mini cakes make great gifts for friends who likely have the same overflow of dessert.

Tips for this recipe

Double or triple as needed

For a two-layer 8”-9” round cake, double the recipe. For a three-layer cake of the same size, you’ll want to triple it. And, obviously, the same goes for making 24 and 36 cupcakes respectively. For a 9x13, you’ll double the batter but not necessarily the frosting (unless you like lots of frosting like me). If you need even more than that, I’d do it in two batches, as most mixers can’t hold that much batter or frosting and most ovens can’t bake it at the same time. It’s best to put fresh batter straight into the oven, so mix two batches if you need more than 3 dozen cupcakes or a three-later 8”-9” cake.

Sub cocoa powder for milk chocolate frosting

I wrote the recipe for chocolate fudge frosting. You can switch the melted chocolate for 2-4 tablespoons cocoa powder to make milk chocolate that’s closer to the traditional American buttercream taste and texture. Or, you can use melted milk chocolate if you want the fudge frosting texture but not a dark chocolate taste.

Don’t over mix the cake

This isn’t one of those “beat for two minutes” batters. You want to combine it and be done. Depending on your climate and the ambient temperature in your house, this may simply require stirring with a spatula. I’ve noticed that in winter I have to beat it on medium for about 30 seconds. The key is to watch for most of the lumps to be gone. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth (some small lumps of flour are okay, kinda like brownie mix).

Use less yogurt for a fluffier cake

My fluffy vanilla cupcakes call for leaving the batter slightly lumpy, like muffin batter. It all depends on what you like. And in my bakery style vanilla cake, I talk about increasing or decreasing the yogurt to get a different texture.

Use the fluffy option if making a large or tall cake or if using a loose filling

While I recommend making this with the chocolate fudge buttercream inside and out, you might want to use a different filling or may want a tall or giant cake (if it’s the last one, can I please come join???). There’s some cringing every time I think about the tragic pairing of a moist cake with a loose filling. It can be done, but you need a very sturdy frosting to create a dam and need to use a very thin layer of filling. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a cake whose layers slice right off each other. Trust me; my husband’ 30th birthday cake had to lean against the wall inside the fridge until we sang to him. 😩

Lesson learned: if using a loose filling like a jam or compote or this Bavarian cream, use a little less yogurt (about half an ounce in this size a batch, or adjust proportionately if making a larger cake) and only beat for 30 seconds to achieve a sturdier cake that won’t slide apart.

You might also like

Mini Classic Birthday Cake

prep time: 30-35 minutes

cook time: 15-20 minutes

total time: 45-55 minutes, plus cooling time for cake

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 egg, room temperature

3 ounces plain, whole milk Greek yogurt, room temperature (regular yogurt or sour cream would work, too)

½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

⅓ cup oil (avocado or grapeseed)

⅔ cup sugar (or ¾ cup for a sweeter cake)

1 cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons flour, sifted

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon fine ground salt

one half batch chocolate fudge buttercream (see note for milk chocolate variation; use a full batch if you want a thickly frosted cake or are doing more than 2-3 layers of cake)

sprinkles to decorate

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 325. Grease two or three 6” cake pans with baking spray or butter and line with parchment paper. (Or, like one 12 serving cupcake pan with liners.) If making the chocolate fudge buttercream (or any buttercream for that matter), take the butter out now to soften.

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (eggs, yogurt, vanilla, buttermilk, and oil) until well-blended and no chunks of yogurt remain and oil is emulsified (meaning no oil bubbles separate when you stop whisking), about 1 minute. Add sugar and whisk for about 30 seconds to partially dissolve the sugar. Add dry ingredients to the wet, stirring gently with a spatula (or the whisk—cause dishes are annoying) until just combined and only small lumps remain. For a slightly denser, old-fashioned cake, mix until no lumps remain.

Divide evenly among cake pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Be careful to check frequently toward the end so as not to overbake. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.

While cake is baking (or cooling, whenever you have time), make the chocolate fudge buttercream. I like to melt the chocolate while the cake bakes then make the actual frosting while the cake cools. If it’s warm where you are or you notice the cake wasn’t completely cool and is melting the buttercream as you frost the cake, you can pop the in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes as you do each layer. Just don’t leave it too long or you’ll cause the cake to turn stale.

Decorate with sprinkles and way you’d like! I used a spoon and the edge of my hand and pinky to get the look in the pictures here. For the striped buttercream, I used a small spatula and just made stripes up the side. If they start to fall as you make them, refrigerate cake for 5 minutes then try again.

Enjoy! Leftovers will last at room temperature for 3-5 days if in an airtight, sealed container.