The other night my sister attempted the Four Tier Chocolate Layer Cake from Junior Masterchef Australia. It didn't quite work out. I'm not sure what happened, all I know was that when I came home from yoga class, the cakes were in the oven, struggling very hard to rise.
I decided to try a recipe I came across before at Smitten Kitchen.
It was gorgeous. It instantly became my go-to chocolate recipe.
The recipe from SK is for 2 10-inch layers filled with raspberry filling and coated in chocolate ganache. Hop over there for those recipes. For mine, I made 2 6-inch layers (each was then cut into 2 layers making 4 in total) and I had enough for about 30 cupcakes. I say about because I think a few disappeared the second they came out the oven; I kinda lost track. I used a chocolate cream cheese frosting with mine.
Double Chocolate Layer Cake
For cake layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar (I only used 1 3/4 cup of sugar for a dark chocolate flavour)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1) Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease two 10- by 2- inch round cake pans (6- by 2- if you want a smaller cake with cupcakes). Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.
2) Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
3) Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.
4) Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. The cupcakes took around 20 minutes.
5) Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
50g butter, softened
250g cream cheese
160g icing sugar mixture, sifted
25g cocoa, sifted
While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese frosting. Place the butter and cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 6–8 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar and cocoa and beat for a further 6–8 minutes or until light and fluffy.
For cake layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar (I only used 1 3/4 cup of sugar for a dark chocolate flavour)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
 |  |  |
1) Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease two 10- by 2- inch round cake pans (6- by 2- if you want a smaller cake with cupcakes). Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.
2) Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
3) Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.
4) Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. The cupcakes took around 20 minutes.
5) Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
50g butter, softened
250g cream cheese
160g icing sugar mixture, sifted
25g cocoa, sifted
While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese frosting. Place the butter and cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 6–8 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar and cocoa and beat for a further 6–8 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Hmm.. I actually measured how much frosting had to go in between each layer, but for some weird and wonderful reason, the bottom-most layer seems to be... disappearing. It was still nice though.
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