Vanilla Bean Birthday Cake with Buttercream Frosting

This is the birthday cake that I made for my daughters birthday dinner.  I usually buy birthday cakes, because it seems more special to me to have a professionally decorated cake.  She wanted a yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.  You can never find this kind of cake in the grocery store, they are always chocolate with vanilla frosting, you have to special order yellow cake with chocolate frosting - WHY grocery stores WHY?  I thought, I am going to make it with a box mix but amp up the flavor a bit, then I am going to make buttercream frosting.  I think the cake came out very nice and the flavor was delicious but most of all she loved it.
  HAPPY BIRTHDAY Michele!

I put down strips of waxed paper on the cake plate before putting the cake on it, when frosting no mess gets on the cake plate.  After frosting, carefully slide the strips of  paper out from under the cake and toss. 

 All frosted, decorated, ready to sing Happy Birthday and eat!

Happy Birthday Cake

1 - 15.25 oz. box of Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of canola oil

3 eggs

2 tsp. of vanilla bean paste

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour, or use Bakers Joy to flour two 8" round baking pans.  Pour the cake mix into a mixing bowl.  Add the water, oil, eggs, and vanilla bean paste.  Beat on low for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping as you are mixing.  Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 28- 33 minutes, depending on your oven, or until cake springs back when touched.  Let cool on baking rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.  Cool completely before frosting.

Homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 stick of butter, softened at room temperature

4 cups of confectioners sugar, sifted

1 cup of cocoa powder, sifted

5 Tbsp of milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as you mix.  Add cocoa powder and mix it in.  On medium speed alternately add the confectioners sugar with the milk, a tablespoon at a time to your desired thickness.  Add the vanilla and mix.  Scrape bowl as you are mixing until all is combined. Frost your favorite cake.