Just Because Cake

One of the ways my husband receives love is via food.  I know that sounds crazy, but after living with him for awhile now, I've come to realize that it's true.  He is so happy and thankful when dinner is ready when he gets home from work.  It could sound very 1950s, but there is no expectation for me to slave away in the kitchen all day.  He just appreciates that comfort of being able to sit down and eat together.  Lucky for him, I like to cook and bake in my spare time.  Today he came home for lunch and he told me that a "yellow cake with chocolate frosting" sounded good to him.  Of course to him, he thinks of a box cake mix because if he gets the hankering for that, he will occasionally go to the store to pick it up.  It's funny though because he is picky about his frostings and he has to make his own chocolate frosting from the norm:  butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cocoa, and milk.  So after he went back to work today, I of course made him a cake because I had the time and because I love him.  But it was not from a cake mix, I assure you.  I feel like it's just as easy to whip up a from-scratch cake than it is to follow directions on a box.  But that's just me.  And I always have the ingredients in stock, so why not use them up?

This recipe was quick and I didn't even bother lugging the Kitchen Aid onto the counter.

Classic Buttery Yellow Cake  (adapted from "The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book")

1/2 c. milk (room temp)
4 eggs (room temp)
1 T. vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
2 sticks butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a cake pan. I made it simple and used a 9x13.  Whisk together 'wet' ingredients in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together 'dry' ingredients.  Beat the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles crumbs.  Beat in half of the milk mixture and combine well.  Add the remaining of the milk mixture and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.  Scrape batter into pan, evening out.  Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes (for a 9x13 pan).  Let cool.

Simple Chocolate Frosting  (using items you probably already have in your pantry)

1 stick of butter, softened
2 1/4 c. powdered sugar, sifted
about 1/4 c. milk (I used half and half because we are short on milk)
vanilla extract
3/4 c. cocoa

Thoroughly combine with an electric mixture until light and fluffy.