Unveiling the Timeless Charm: The Classic Yellow Cake from Jocelyn Delk Adams’ Grandbaby Cakes Cookbook
Embark on a delightful baking journey with us as we delve into the pages of Jocelyn Delk Adams’ celebrated cookbook, Grandbaby Cakes. This culinary treasure is more than just a collection of recipes; it’s a heartfelt tribute to Adams’ rich heritage, interwoven with personal stories and family traditions rooted in Chicago, Illinois, and Mississippi. Her book is a beautiful homage to the power of baking to connect generations and create lasting memories, bringing a soulful touch to every creation.
Jump to Recipe
From the moment you hold Grandbaby Cakes, its charming scrapbook design captivates, making it a joy to browse through. Yet, beyond the aesthetically pleasing layouts and heartwarming anecdotes, lies a wealth of practical and insightful baking advice. Jocelyn Delk Adams masterfully combines nostalgic charm with solid, actionable techniques, making this cookbook an invaluable resource for bakers of all skill levels – from beginners taking their first steps in the kitchen to seasoned pros looking to refine their craft. Each recipe is thoughtfully explained, ensuring success and enjoyment, and building confidence with every bake.
While we eagerly anticipate future culinary creations from Jocelyn, this particular Grandbaby Cakes volume focuses specifically on the art of cake baking. It presents an impressive array of options, ranging from timeless classics that evoke cherished childhood memories to more eclectic and innovative creations designed to surprise and delight. This dedication to a single category allows for a deep exploration of cake-making, offering variations, invaluable tips, and profound insights that cover every possible craving and occasion. It’s truly a comprehensive guide to mastering the sweet art of cake.
Exploring the Grandbaby Cakes Cookbook Chapters and Their Delights
The cookbook is meticulously organized into chapters that cater to every cake enthusiast’s desire: Pound Cakes, Layer Cakes, Sheet Cakes, Baby Cakes, and a dedicated section for Celebration and Seasonal Cakes. This thoughtful categorization simplifies the search for the perfect recipe, whether you’re planning a grand celebration or a simple weeknight treat. Within each of these categories, Jocelyn presents recipes that vary in complexity, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Even the most intricate recipes are broken down into manageable steps, making them approachable and fun for all bakers. This thoughtful arrangement allows bakers to easily find a recipe that suits their mood, skill level, or the specific occasion at hand. As I flipped through its beautifully designed pages, I couldn’t help but bookmark several intriguing options that instantly caught my eye and sparked my culinary imagination.
Among the many tempting choices, some truly stand out for their unique flavor profiles and inventive combinations. Imagine the refreshing fusion of flavors in the Arnold Palmer Cake, which cleverly combines the zesty tang of lemon cake with the comforting sweetness of iced tea frosting – a perfect treat for a warm afternoon or a delightful dessert to share with friends. For those special occasions, or when you find yourself with a bit of leftover bubbly, the Blood Orange Mimosa Cake offers a sophisticated and elegant twist, bursting with vibrant citrus notes. If comfort food is what your soul craves, the Peach Cobbler Shortcake promises a taste of pure Southern hospitality, rich with juicy peaches and tender cake. And for a truly unique and cooling dessert that promises relief on a hot day, the Watermelon-Berry-Lime Icebox Cake sounds like the ultimate summer delight, offering a refreshing escape with every spoonful. These examples perfectly illustrate Jocelyn’s extraordinary knack for blending traditional inspiration with modern flair, creating cakes that are both delightfully familiar and excitingly new.
The Allure of the Classic Yellow Cake: A Timeless Masterpiece from Grandbaby Cakes
While the more unusual cakes certainly piqued my interest and tempted my adventurous side, my initial curiosity and desire for a foundational classic led me directly to Jocelyn’s Classic Yellow Cake recipe. There’s something undeniably comforting, nostalgic, and fundamental about a perfectly executed yellow cake, and I was eager to experience her rendition of this beloved staple. This particular recipe, a testament to timeless baking principles and family tradition, truly delivers on all fronts. It’s not just a good yellow cake; it’s an exceptional one, embodying all the qualities one hopes for in this iconic dessert. It serves as a beautiful demonstration of how simple, high-quality ingredients, when treated with care, precision, and a touch of inherited wisdom, can yield truly extraordinary and memorable results.
What truly sets this classic yellow cake apart is Jocelyn’s clever and masterful approach to its composition and baking technique. The recipe wisely incorporates a harmonious mixture of both oil and butter. This thoughtful combination is paramount to achieving a cake that is both incredibly moist and richly flavored. Butter, of course, provides that deep, creamy, classic cake flavor we all adore, contributing significantly to its overall richness and a golden crumb. Meanwhile, the addition of vegetable oil ensures a consistently tender crumb and superior moisture retention, effectively preventing the cake from drying out prematurely, even days after baking. Furthermore, the instruction for a low and slow baking temperature contributes significantly to its perfect, delicate texture. This gentle, extended heat allows the cake to bake evenly from edge to center, resulting in a wonderfully fine, delicate crumb structure and preventing the top from doming excessively. This flat top is an ideal characteristic for creating beautifully level layers, ready for effortless stacking and decorating.
Beyond its exquisite taste and texture, this yellow cake possesses a stately and inviting presence. It bakes up tall and proud, forming three perfectly proportioned layers that are robust enough to support a generous amount of frosting without any risk of sagging or collapsing. Its beautiful canary-yellow hue is incredibly inviting, visually promising a slice of pure, unadulterated joy even before the first bite. The delicate, spongy texture of the cake provides the ideal backdrop for the rich, whipped chocolate frosting, which is equally crucial to the overall sensory experience. The frosting’s remarkable fluffiness and deep, intense chocolate notes complement the tender cake perfectly, creating a balanced, harmonious, and utterly satisfying dessert that’s hard to resist. This pairing is a classic for a reason, and Jocelyn’s rendition elevates it to new heights, delivering that cherished, nostalgic flavor you crave, but with the unparalleled freshness, quality, and care that only comes from baking a masterpiece entirely from scratch. Every forkful is a journey back to simpler, sweeter times.
To ensure your absolute success with this truly delightful recipe, here are a few general baking tips to keep in mind, derived from years of kitchen experience. Always make sure to bring your butter, eggs, and sour cream to proper room temperature before you begin mixing. This seemingly small step is vital, as it allows ingredients to emulsify seamlessly and incorporate more air, creating a smoother, more uniform batter and ultimately a finer, more tender crumb in your finished cake. Sifting your dry ingredients – including flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt – together not only removes any potential lumps but, more importantly, ensures that the leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the mixture, guaranteeing your cake rises beautifully and consistently. When it comes to combining your wet and dry ingredients, remember the golden rule: mix just until combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour excessively, which can lead to a tough, dense cake rather than the desired light and tender one. Finally, properly greasing and flouring your baking pans, or lining them diligently with parchment paper circles, is an essential step for easy release and perfectly formed, unmarred cake layers every single time.
If you’re eager to experience this delightful classic yellow cake for yourself, the detailed recipe is thoughtfully provided below. For a broader exploration of Jocelyn’s incredible and inspiring cake repertoire, I wholeheartedly recommend purchasing her magnificent book. It’s a truly worthy and indispensable addition to any baker’s cookbook collection, offering endless inspiration, heartwarming stories, and pure baking joy.
Here’s a link to the book: Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories by Jocelyn Delk Adams.
Reprinted with permission from Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams, Agate Surrey, 2015.
Recipe
Grandbaby Cakes Cookbook Classic Yellow Cake
Anna
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (228 grams)
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar (500 grams)
- 7 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature (240 grams)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
FROSTING
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup heavy cream cold
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Generously grease and flour three 9-inch (23 cm) round baking pans. Ensure the pans are thoroughly coated to prevent sticking and facilitate easy removal of the cake layers.
-
In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the room temperature unsalted butter on high speed for approximately 2 minutes until it becomes light and fluffy. Gradually add the granulated sugar, continuing to cream the mixture for an additional 5 minutes until it achieves a very pale yellow color and a remarkably fluffy consistency. This extended creaming incorporates air, which is crucial for a light cake. Add the large eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Remember to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are evenly combined.
-
Reduce your mixer speed to its lowest setting and slowly add the sifted cake flour in two equal batches, mixing gently until just combined. Next, incorporate the salt, baking powder, and baking soda. It is paramount to avoid overbeating the batter at this stage, as overmixing can develop gluten and result in a tough cake. Finally, add the room temperature sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl one last time and mix the batter just until all ingredients are barely combined. The finished batter should be smooth, pale yellow, and possess a beautiful silky texture.
-
Evenly distribute the prepared batter among the three greased and floured pans. Bake for 27 to 32 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of a cake layer comes out clean—but just barely. This “just barely” clean is vital; it indicates the cake is cooked through but retains maximum moisture. Overbaking is the arch-nemesis of a moist cake! The baked layers should boast a rich golden color and a beautifully spongy texture when gently pressed.
-
Allow the freshly baked cake layers to cool in their pans for a full 10 minutes. This crucial resting period helps them set and prevents them from breaking when handled. After 10 minutes, carefully invert the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely to room temperature. Once cooled, lightly cover the layers with aluminum foil or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out while you prepare the frosting.
FOR THE FROSTING
-
In the clean bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, add the room temperature unsalted butter. Beat it on high speed for 2 minutes until it is light, creamy, and visually lighter in color.
-
Reduce your mixer to low speed. Gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix slowly to avoid a cloud of sugar and cocoa powder in your kitchen.
-
Once all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the frosting appears crumbly, increase your mixer speed back to high. Pour in the cold heavy cream and vanilla extract. Whip the mixture vigorously until the frosting transforms into a wonderfully fluffy, smooth, and spreadable consistency, perfect for adorning your beautiful yellow cake.
TO ASSEMBLE
-
Once the cake layers are completely cooled to room temperature (this is absolutely critical for frosting success and stability!), place one cake layer on your chosen serving plate or cake stand. Spread approximately one-third of the prepared chocolate frosting evenly across the top of this layer. Refer to basic frosting techniques for smooth application if needed. Carefully place the second cake layer on top, aligning it perfectly, and spread another one-third of the frosting. Finally, add the third and final layer, making sure to place it bottom-side up for a perfectly flat top surface. Use the remaining frosting to generously cover the top and elegantly coat the sides of the entire cake, creating a magnificent finished presentation ready to impress.
Notes
If you ever wish to lighten the texture or flavor of this cake slightly, you have excellent alternatives for the sour cream. Full-fat Greek yogurt or even regular whole milk can be used as substitutes. Greek yogurt will add a similar tang and richness while potentially reducing fat content, and milk will result in a slightly less dense crumb. When substituting, start with the original amount and adjust liquid slightly to achieve the correct batter consistency, if necessary.
For bakers looking to achieve an even lighter, airier, and more delicate texture, Jocelyn offers a wonderful advanced tip: separate the eggs. Begin by whipping the egg whites into stiff, glossy peaks in a separate, impeccably clean bowl. When preparing the cake batter, use only the egg yolks in place of the whole eggs during the initial mixing stages. Once the main batter is combined and smooth, gently fold in the whipped egg whites with a spatula. This technique incorporates more air into the batter, yielding a cake with a remarkably delicate and cloud-like crumb that almost melts in your mouth. Be aware that this method typically requires a slightly longer baking time, usually ranging from 30 to 38 minutes, so keep a close eye on it and test for doneness with a toothpick.
Reprinted with permission from Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams, Agate Surrey, 2015.