Classic Yellow Cake

     My friend Kristen had a birthday this past week, and since I missed her actual birthday at work, I decided to make her a cake for today! My work friends oftentimes end up being guinea pigs as I make things and bring them up to get eaten so they don't stay in my house and I eat it all. I wasn't sure exactly what Kristen's favorite cake was, so I asked one of her friends and she said she was pretty sure she liked chocolate.
     If you are not sure what kind of crowd you have, chocolate is usually a good way to please everyone. This cake takes a simple box cake mix--jazzed up of course--and a homemade chocolate frosting courtesy of the Pioneer Woman.

                                                              Classic Yellow Cake

• 1 box yellow cake mix (I added 4 eggs instead of 3, 1 1/3 cup buttermilk instead of water, a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar, and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil)
• 1 3/4 sticks butter
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder-heaping
• 6 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cake ingredients (minus the extra powdered sugar)

Frosting ingredients



Make the cake according to the box or be non-compliant and follow my instructions or wing it your own way. Pour into a greased 9X13 pan. I used a throw away pan since I was taking it to work, and a little Pam worked great. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Remove and cool slightly.

     While your cake is cooling, start making your frosting.
On the stove top in a medium-large pan, melted the butter.

Once the butter is melted, add the heaping tablespoons and cocoa. Stir to combine then remove from heat.



Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir until completely combined.
**This frosting will be slightly lumpy, but that is ok. I suppose you could sift the powdered sugar to cut back on the lumps, but if you don't mind lumps, I definitely don't mind lumps. The Pioneer Woman adds 1/2 cup pecans to hers to hid the lumps, but I have a couple friends at work who do not like nuts, so I just kept it simple.

Now, pour this chocolately goodness over the slightly cooled cake. Note: It will runneth over! (But that gives you an excuse the get a quick bite off the counter top :)) The icing will set as it cools. Wait until it is almost set before putting the top on the cake to prevent condensation.



 This cake is definitely a crowd pleaser, and at Baptist Desoto Surgery Center, it didn't even make it a full day! Happy eating..and Happy Birthday, Kristen!