HOT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Hot Chocolate Cake – hot chocolate infused cake with homemade marshmallow fluff frosting, silky chocolate buttercream and chocolate shavings. A new layer cake recipe by our contributor, Olivia Bogacki.

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It’s December!! The BEST month of the year, amiright? So much to look forward to, including all the delicious baked goodies that will no doubt be coming your way this holiday season. Festive cakes and cookies, traditional homemade treats, and cozy warm beverages to help get you through the winter months. There is nothing better.

I have very fond memories of winter time when I was little. We lived in the prairies, and it got really, really cold. Hot chocolate was the best thing ever to help warm you up after hours playing in the snow, or following the freezing commute home after visiting relatives. I swear the car didn’t properly heat up until we were almost home!

These days, I generally prefer tea or coffee to hot chocolate, but we always have some stocked in the house, just in case. You never know when you’re going to need a chocolate fix! But in an effort to revive those childhood memories, I am turning a favorite traditional winter beverage into a not-so traditional winter dessert – Hot Chocolate Cake!

This Hot Chocolate Cake takes all the traditional elements of your favorite childhood drink and transforms them into a delicious dessert. There is actual hot chocolate in the cake batter to help amplify the flavor. The marshmallow fluff filling is light as air, and reminiscent of those marshmallows that would bob at the top of your drink until they melted away. The silky chocolate frosting adds an additional hit of chocolate but also emulates the color of hot chocolate perfectly.

Topped off with some piped marshmallow fluff scallops and chocolate shavings, this Hot Chocolate Cake is sure to be a warming winter crowd pleaser for young and old alike.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

HOT CHOCOLATE CAKE

a recipe by Olivia Bogacki

For the Cake:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)

¾ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup buttermilk (room temperature)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup hot chocolate (hot, made with milk)

1. Preheat oven to 350F, grease two 8″ cake rounds. Dust with cocoa powder and line bottoms with parchment.
2. Place all dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sugars and salt) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until well combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Very slowly pour in hot hot chocolate while whisking constantly.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 minutes. Batter will be very thin.
5. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
6. Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

For the Marshmallow Fluff:

1/3 cup water

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light corn syrup

3 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir to combine until sugar is dissolved and do not stir from this point forward. Insert a candy thermometer and cook on med-high.
2. Place egg whites and cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer*.
3. When the sugar syrup reaches 225F, start whipping egg whites until they reach soft peaks (3-4 minutes).
4. When the sugar syrup reaches 240F, remove from heat, turn mixer to medium and very slowly pour in the sugar syrup into the whites in a thin stream. Be careful as it will be hot!
5.  Turn the mixer to med-high and whip until thick, glossy (7-8 minutes).
6. Add vanilla and whip until fluff has cooled.

For the Chocolate Frosting:

5 large egg whites

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

1 ½ cups unsalted butter, cubed (room temperature)

4 ounces dark chocolate (melted, cooled)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer*, whisk until combined.
2. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water to create a double-boiler. Whisking constantly, heat the egg mixture until it registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer. Carefully transfer the bowl onto the stand mixer.
3. Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes until the bowl is no longer warm to the touch and the meringue is fluffy, glossy and holds a stiff peak.
4. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, slowly add cubed butter and mix until incorporated.
5. Add vanilla, chocolate and whip on medium-high until silky and smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.**

NOTE:

* Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk are completely grease free or your meringue may not whip up.

** The buttercream may look like it’s curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.

For the Assembly:

Chocolate shavings (optional)

1. Place one layer of cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Pipe a dam around the edge with the chocolate frosting and fill with approximately 1 cup of marshmallow fluff. Spread evenly.
2. Place remaining layer on top and crumb coat the cake. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
3. Frost the cake with the chocolate frosting, smoothing the sides and top. Place back in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set.
4. Pipe a scallop pattern (using a large round piping tip and a small offset spatula, following this technique) on top and bottom edges using the remaining marshmallow fluff.  Top with chocolate shavings if desired.

Courtesy: Cooking Classy