Makes: 16 servings
Prep: 30 mins
Freeze: 20 mins
Bake: 25 mins at 350°F
[post_ads]Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
- 2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 eggs
Chocolate-Cream Frosting:
- 2 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Garnish:
- Chocolate curls, candied violets (optional)
Directions
- Adjust oven rack to top of lower third of oven. Place sugar in small heavy-duty plastic food-storage bag; seal; freeze 20 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 9 x 2-inch round metal cake pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper; grease paper; flour pans and paper.
- Pour boiling water over cocoa in bowl; stir to dissolve. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla until smooth; mixture should be cool.
- Place large mixing bowl and beaters in freezer 5 minutes.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt onto waxed paper. Repeat 2 more times.
- To cream, beat butter in chilled bowl with beaters 3 minutes, until light in color. With mixer running, add chilled sugar in stream. Beat 3 to 4 minutes, until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each; beat 1 to 2 minutes, until airy.
- Fold in two-thirds of flour mixture; fold in cocoa mixture. Repeat with remaining flour mixture. Pour into prepared pans.
- Bake in 350 degrees F oven 25 minutes or until centers spring back when touched. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out to cool. Peel off waxed paper.
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Meanwhile, prepare Chocolate-Cream Frosting:
- Melt semisweet chocolate, unsalted butter and 1/4 cup of the heavy cream in saucepan over very low heat; stir until smooth. Cool. Beat the 1 cup cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla in bowl just until soft peaks form; do not overbeat to prevent graininess. Fold third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture just until combined. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining whipped cream just until combined.
- Place cake layer on serving plate. Spread top with one-third of frosting. Place second layer on top; spread with third of frosting. Repeat with remaining layer and frosting. Garnish. Refrigerate until serving.
Nutrition Information for 3-Tier Feather-Light Chocolate Cake Servings Per Recipe: 16
PER SERVING: 368 cal., 20 g total fat (11 g sat. fat), 104 mg chol., 232 mg sodium, 46 g carb. (2 g fiber), 5 g pro.
See Also
