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By Root 1046 0

—in your repertoire because it makes a grand birthday cake and a great everyday cake, too. The frosting recipe may be even more decadent than what my mom made. It is adapted from a recipe by Martha Pearl Villas and her son James Villas and appeared in one of their cookbooks. I have come to rely on it. The taste is fudgelike and in my house we definitely fight for the spoon!

serves:

12 to 16

prep:

25 minutes

bake:

30 to 35 minutes

cool:

25 minutes

Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pans

Flour, for dusting the pans

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow or vanilla cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1¼ cups milk

½ cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Fudge Marshmallow Frosting (page 479)

Recipe Reminders

MADE FOR

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PREP NOTES

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DON’T FORGET

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SPECIAL TOUCHES

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1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist the bottoms only of two 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray, then dust them with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 1½ minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended and smooth. Divide the cake batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.

Jazz It Up!

Feel free to change my classic yellow cake recipe:

• Add ½ teaspoon of pure almond extract to the batter.

• Substitute orange juice for some of the milk.

• Use unsweetened applesauce instead of the oil or for part of it.

• Use an egg substitute for the eggs.

• Add ¼ teaspoon of maple flavoring to the batter.

• Add a mashed ripe banana then decrease the oil to ¼ cup.

3. Bake the cake layers until they are golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let the cake layers cool for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each cake layer and give the pans a good shake to loosen the cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack, then invert it again onto another rack so that the layers are right side up. Let the layers cool completely, 20 minutes longer.

4. After the cakes have cooled, make the Chocolate Fudge Marshmallow Frosting.

5. Immediately frost the cake as the frosting will harden quickly. Transfer one cake layer, right side up, to a serving plate. Spoon a cup of frosting on top and spread it evenly to the edge. Place the second cake layer, right side up, on top of the first and frost the top and side of the cake, working with smooth, clean strokes.

Keep It Fresh! Store this cake, in a cake saver, at room temperature for up to four days or in the refrigerator for up to one week. Freeze the cake, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to three months. Let the cake thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Temperature Tests

What is the best temperature for baking the classic yellow cake? 325° or 350°F? I baked this cake at 325°F and then again at 350°F to find if there was a more perfect temperature. My conclusion?