Yellow butter cake with chocolate buttercream frosting

I have never tried the combination of a yellow cake with chocolate icing. Being the ardent chocolate lovers that we are, it is always chocolate on chocolate for us. However, this time when I was asked to bake a cake for someone else's birthday, I decided to try the combination. To my pleasant surprise, it did turn out wonderful. Not too chocolaty that it will be over the top, nor too simple that it will taste bland. I did not use any food colour, the perfect yellow colour is due to separated egg yolks that lend their beautiful sunny tinge to the cake.

Ingredients -

• 210 gm flour, approx 1 and 3/4th cup

• 210 gm or 1 cup powdered sugar

• 4 medium eggs, yolks and whites separated

• 140 gm softened butter

• 60 gm edible oil

• 1/4th cup yogurt or milk

• 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• A pinch of salt

For the topping -

• 100 gm butter

• 200-250 gm gm icing sugar

• 3/4th cup cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 40 gm Dark chocolate, chopped and melted on a double boiler

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:

1. Separate egg whites and yolks

2. With a clean beater, beat egg whites till soft peaks form. The whites should resemble clouds and should hold shape.Keep aside

3. Lightly whisk egg yolks and keep aside

4. Prepare 2 baking tins, lined with baking paper and sides greased with butter

5. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients - flour, salt, baking powder

6. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar and oil

7. Add dry ingredients to the butter batter and mix. Add egg yolks, followed by another batch of flour mix. Add yogurt and finish with the last flour mixture. Add vanilla

8. Fold in egg whites gently, losing minimum volume

9. Divide the batter in 2 pans and bake for 30 mins. Check by inserting a tooth pick, if required bake in installments of 2-3 mins, till the cakes are done

10. If the cakes start browning on top (post 25 mins) cover with a tin foil and continue baking

11. Cool the cakes on a wire rack.

To make the icing:

1. Beat butter and half of the cocoa powder together, till the mixture is a bit light in colour

2. Gradually add sugar and continue beating

3. Add vanilla extract, remaining cocoa powder and milk in gentle splashes to get the correct consistency

To assemble the cake:

1. Prepare the cakes for icing - chop off the domes to get even surfaces. In a small bowl, take about 1/3rd cup of water, add 1 teaspoon vanilla and brush on the sides and rims of the cakes - this helps the cakes retain moisture and hold the icing.

2. Place one cake with flat side on the plate. Spread about 1/3rd of the icing on the centre layer. Sandwich the 2nd layer

3. Use another third of the icing to ice the sides

4. With the remaining icing, frost the top

5. Use a palette knife, dipped in hot water to get smooth edges and top

6. You can reserve a table spoon of the icing, whip with addition of 1-2 teaspoons of sugar - this will give a stiffer icing which can be used to pipe designs on the sides