Chocolate Layer Cake
Description
SO great – I made a note that this was the girl’s 2nd birthday cake, along with these, and since chocolate is their most favorite thing, I figured they’d appreciate the effort this year. I made the cakes a few days before, cut them in half when they were cooled, figured out the layer order and then wrapped them well and froze them. On birthday day, it was then maybe 45 minutes from start to finish to ice the cake, just keep in mind that the chocolate for the frosting needs to be melted and cooled. I borrowed this recipe from Canadian Living – enjoy!
Ingredients
Chocolate Layer Cake
Cake
1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1 t. EACH baking soda and baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
Butter two, 8-inch round cake pans, line them with parchment and butter them again. Preheat the oven to 350.
Using your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar for a few minutes until the mixture is fluffy, then beat in the eggs – one at a time – scraping down the sides as needed, then beat in the vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together the 5 dry ingredients, then stir them into the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 additions of buttermilk. Pour the batter evenly into your prepared pans, smooth the tops and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The tops should bounce back to a light touch and a toothpick should come out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for about 15 minutes, then turn them out and place them on racks to cool completely.
To cut them in half, I use the toothpick method. Place several toothpick in the middle along the sides of each layer and use a long serrated knife to carefully and slowly cut them in half, keeping the knife just on top of the toothpick guideline. I’ve never had a problem, and frosting can hide most mistakes anyway.
The Greatest Frosting Ever
6 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped, carefully and slowly melted in the microwave, and cooled
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. whipping cream
1 T. vanilla
3 to 4 c. icing sugar
Instructions
Using your electric mixer, beat the butter for a few minutes until fluffy, then slowly and carefully drizzle in the cream and keep beating. Beat in the vanilla, then carefully beat in the icing about 1 cup at a time – I ended up using about 3 1/2 cups – and then pour in the cooled chocolate and beat until smooth. Slide strips of wax paper under your first layer of cake and frost away. I took my cakes out the freezer a couple of hours ahead (leaving them wrapped) so they were still fairly firm and nice and cold when I iced the cake. Decorate as you wish and dig in!
- Category: Cakes
