Quick Yellow Cake and Chocolate Frosting

Straight from my new KitchenAid Cookbook, comes this super easy yellow cake and chocolate frosting.

It brings me memories of my grandfather and the cakes he would bake for us, sometimes late at night on a weekend he would ask if we wanted some cake and after our joyful replies of yes, he would stroll into the kitchen and dump a little of this and a little of that, pop it in the oven and 30 minutes later we sat around with big slices of warm yellow cake.

I miss him and I miss those cakes and I want my children to one day look back and say "you know, my mom baked cakes that did not come out of a box".

Let's face it, they are convenient but nothing beats a made from scratch cake and that includes frosting made at home too, not from a tub.

Quick Yellow Cake

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Combine dry ingredients in bowl of electric stand mixer. Add shortening, milk and vanilla. Turn to low and mix about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Add eggs. Continuing on low, mix about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl. Increase speed to medium and beat about 1 minute.

Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8- or 9- inch round baking pans. Bake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack. Frost, if desired.

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Chocolate Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 cups powdered sugar
2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, melted

Place butter in bowl of electric stand mixer. Turn mixer to medium-low and beat 1 1/2 minutes or until creamy. Stop and scrap bowl. Add corn syrup. Reduce speed to low and mix well. Stop and scrape bowl.

Continue mixing on low. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until blended. Turn speed to meidum-low and beat about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Reduce speed to low. Slowly add melted chocolate and mix about 1 1/2 minutes. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn speed to medium-low and beat about 1 minute.

Makes frosting for a 2-layer or 13/9/2-inch cake.