This saffron yellow cake with chocolate swiss meringue frosting is a fancy, overachiever version of a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Make this saffron yellow cake when you want to celebrate something or impress someone!
how to make your "yellow cake with chocolate frosting" recipe a little more special
my favorite birthday cake is a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. to amp up the yellowness in the cake, i thought, why not steep the butter in saffron??
saffron is pretty expensive, so the way to stretch this investment spice is to use only a bit, but steep it in the butter overnight so it really infuses its flavor.
how to make a saffron yellow cake
the basic idea here is that we're making a standard yellow cake but infusing the butter with saffron overnight so it gets a really nice floral flavor. if you don't have the whole night to steep the butter, its okay.
- Prepare the saffron butter. In a small saucepan, melt butter and 1 teaspoon of saffron. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and cover. Let it sit overnight.
- The next day, make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with cake spray and a parchment liner.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine together 4 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, and 1 ¼ cup of the buttermilk. Mix to combine. With the mixer on its lowest speed, add the saffron-infused butter (from the night before) and then increase speed and mix until it’s all light and fluffy and well-incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups cake flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in thirds, and only mix until just combined so as to not over-activate the gluten.
- Pour the batter into the 3 prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting the cake.
how to make chocolate swiss meringue frosting
swiss meringue frosting is a bit of a science project. you're basically stabilizing egg whites and sugar at a high temp, then blending in butter. you will need a pot, candy thermometer, and your life is easier with a stand mixer.
- Prepare your tools - a wide pot with water, a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, and the bowl of a stand mixer with a candy thermometer.
- Heat/stabilize the sugar and egg whites. Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in said bowl of a stand mixer. Set this bowl on/in the water, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 185°F (85°C). Once ready, transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at high speed for 10 minutes. (I set a timer and let it run).
- Add butter to turn the egg whites + sugar into frosting. With the mixer still running, add butter in, a little at a time until it’s all combined. Mix in vanilla extract on low speed until well combined.
- Add chocolate. Add in the cocoa powder in ⅓rds. Scrape down sides to ensure it’s all incorporated.
- Finish your cake. Frost the frosting onto the 3 layer cake.
more layer cakes
- How to turn a boxed cake mix into a fancy layer cake
- Vanilla layer cake with fresh roses
- Chamomile cake
Saffron Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
This saffron yellow cake with chocolate swiss meringue frosting is a fancy, overachiever version of a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Make this saffron yellow cake when you want to celebrate something or impress someone!
Ingredients
- Saffron Yellow Cake
- Adapted from Hummingbird High
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoons saffron
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Chocolate swiss meringue frosting
- Adapted from Serious Eats
- 6 eggs’ egg whites
- 11 ounces about 1 ⅔ cups light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 16 ounces unsalted butter 4 sticks softened to room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 14 ounces a little less than 2 cups good-quality powdered cocoa
Instructions
- Prepare the saffron butter for the cake the night before you're baking/decorating. In a small saucepan, melt butter and 1 teaspoon of saffron. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and cover. Let it sit overnight.
- The next day, make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with cake spray and a parchment liner.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine together 4 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, and 1 ¼ cup of the buttermilk. Mix to combine. With the mixer on its lowest speed, add the saffron-infused butter (from the night before) and then increase speed and mix until it’s all light and fluffly and well-incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups cake flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in thirds, and only mix until just combined so as to not over-activate the gluten.
- Pour the batter into the 3 prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting the cake.
- Prepare your tools for the frosting - a wide pot with water, a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, and the bowl of a stand mixer with a candy thermometer.
- Heat/stabilize the sugar and egg whites. Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in said bowl of a stand mixer. Set this bowl on/in the water, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 185°F (85°C). Once ready, transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at high speed for 10 minutes. (I set a timer and let it run).
- Add butter to turn the egg whites + sugar into frosting. With mixer still running, add butter in, a little at a time until it’s all combined. Mix in vanilla extract on low speed until well combined.
- Add chocolate. Add in the cocoa powder in ⅓rds. Scrape down sides to ensure it’s all incorporated.
- Finish your cake. Frost the frosting onto the 3 layer cake.
Notes
Its okay to not steep the butter overnight w the saffron if you don't have the time. But you must let the cake layers cool completely!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!