Why This Recipe Works

Your young chef can feel like a professional baker as they layer and frost this decadent chocolate layer cake. Our recipe is much easier than most because you don’t need to cut a cake in half horizontally to form layers—just bake two 9-inch cakes and layer them with a bit of frosting in between. Speaking of frosting, our recipe makes plenty of plain vanilla frosting that kids can color any shade they like. Ask them what food coloring hues they would have to mix to create orange, green, and purple frosting. (Answers: red and yellow, blue and yellow, blue and red)

Before You Begin

We highly recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder in this recipe. If you use natural cocoa powder, the cake will be drier in texture and lighter in color. You can use 5 cups of store-bought vanilla frosting instead of making the vanilla frosting, if you like. The frosting can be tinted any shade you want—just stir in a few drops of food coloring after making the frosting.

Instructions

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray inside bottom and sides of each 9-inch round cake pan with vegetable oil spray. Line each cake pan with 9-inch round piece of parchment paper.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In large bowl, whisk together milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Add flour mixture to liquid mixture and use rubber spatula to stir until just combined and no dry flour is visible. Do not overmix.

Use rubber spatula to divide batter evenly between parchment-lined cake pans and smooth tops. (Spread batter out to edges of each pan to create even layer.)

Place cake pans in oven. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of each cake comes out clean, 34 to 36 minutes.

Use oven mitts to remove cake pans from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cakes cool completely in pans, about 1 hour. (This is a good time to make the frosting!)

For the vanilla frosting: In bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if using handheld mixer), combine softened butter, cream, vanilla, and salt. Lock bowl into place and attach paddle to stand mixer, if using.

Start mixer on medium speed and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Stop mixer. Use rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl.

Start mixer on low speed. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar, a little bit at a time, and beat until smooth, about 4 minutes.

Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop mixer. Remove bowl from stand mixer, if using. (Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to use it, let the frosting soften at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Then, rewhip the frosting using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer on medium speed until the frosting is smooth—this will take 2 to 5 minutes. The frosting can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours before using.)

Remove cakes from cake pans and discard parchment paper following photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Remove Cakes from Cake Pans,” below.

Assemble and frost cake following photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Frost a Layer Cake,” below. Cut cake into wedges and serve.