Yellow Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Use a pastry brush to lightly grease and flour two (9-inch) round baking pans. Tap out any excess flour and set aside.
• Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and soda.
• Add wet ingredients. Add the eggs, yolks, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and oil. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with beater attachment. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Combine on low/medium.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick when inserted comes out mostly clean, with some moist crumbs. Be careful not to overbake the cakes! Baking times vary based on your individual ovens. Watch the cakes carefully towards the end of baking.
• Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out of cake pans and cool completely on wire cooling racks. Let cool completely before frosting.
• Make the buttercream while cakes cool. In a large mixing bowl, using either a stand mixer with whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer. Combine powdered sugar, vegetable shortening (or softened butter), cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract on low to medium speed. Pour in evaporated milk. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Once incorporated, beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes. Add ½ cup more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin. Add a few tablespoons more of evaporated milk or heavy cream if frosting too thick.
• Assemble and frost. Place one cooled cake on your stand or serving plate. Top with an even layer of frosting using an icing spatula. Top that with the second cake. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Use the icing spatula to make a swirl pattern on the top.
• Refrigerate the cake either uncovered or covered in a cake holder for 1 hour prior to serving. This will help set the frosting. Serve immediately after refrigeration or store refrigerated for 2-3 days.