Chocolate Stripe Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 2-by-9-inch round cake pans with shortening. Line with parchment cut to neatly cover the bottom and sides of the pans.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, espresso, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix on medium speed. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans and continue baking until an inserted skewer comes out clean, another 15 minutes. Cool on a rack, unmold and return to the rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream icing: With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg whites and powdered sugar for 5 minutes. Add the butter and vanilla and beat for 10 minutes, until fluffy. (Makes 3 pounds.)
• For the caramel icing/crumble: Mix the sugar, buttermilk, shortening, butter and baking soda in a 3- or 4-quart cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook to the softball stage (235 to 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer), swirling the pan to keep the ingredients moving.
• Remove from the heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and spreadable. Spread on a silicone mat and set aside. When cool, break into a crumble.
• To create the striped filling: Put one-third of the vanilla buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 1/3-inch tip. Put an equivalent amount of raspberry jam into a second piping bag, also fitted with a 1/3-inch tip.
• When the cakes are completely cool, pipe a dollop of buttercream into the center of one of the layers. Pipe concentric circles around the first dollop, working outward and alternating between circles of raspberry jam and buttercream¿this will be your bottom layer.
• Lightly place the remaining cake layer on top of the 'piped' bottom layer. Use the remaining buttercream to ice the entire cake.
• Add the crumbled caramel by patting small handfuls onto the top of the iced cake.

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with nonstick spray. Dust the bottom and sides of each pan with Dutch-process cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
• Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed to combine. Add the eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, sour cream, oil, vanilla, salt and 1 cup of hot water. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the wire rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• Trim the domes of the cake rounds with a large serrated knife so the tops are flat.
• For the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over simmering water in a medium saucepan. Remove from the simmering water and let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, drizzle in the chocolate and beat until completely blended. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Place one cake, cut-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over the top. Place the remaining cake, cut-side down, on top. Spread the top with 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with 3/4 cup of the frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat. (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, swirling decoratively.

Steps:

• Cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep); line with parchment. Butter parchment, then dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. Repeat process with a 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt on low speed until just combined. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; beat to combine. Add water; increase speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer 1 cup batter to prepared cake pan and remaining batter to prepared jelly-roll pan, spreading both batters evenly with an offset spatula. Bake until set and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks and let cool 15 minutes. Invert cakes from pans; reinvert onto racks and let cool completely.
• White Chocolate Ganache: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium; pour over chocolate. Let stand 3 minutes. Gently stir with a spatula until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until set but still spreadable, about 1 hour. If ganache is too firm, let stand at room temperature or beat with a mixer until softened.
• Trim edges of rectangular cake. Top with ganache; spread evenly to edges. Using a ruler, cut cake evenly into quarters; stack on top of one another, gently pressing down to adhere layers. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Using a ruler, cut cake lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips, then cut each strip in half (they should be about 3 1/2 to 4 inches tall).
• Transfer 9-inch cake to a 10-inch springform pan. Place cake strips around perimeter of cake, flush with edge of pan.
• Spread ice cream over cake in pan; cover and freeze overnight. Just before serving, remove cake from freezer; unlatch pan, remove cake, and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Steps:

• Bake cake as directed on in a 9x13 pan.
• Remove from oven.
• Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the cake at 1/2 inch intervals.
• In large bowl, combine pudding mixes and powdered sugar.
• Gradually stir in 4 cups of cold milk.
• Beat at low speed for one minute.
• Quickly pour 1/2 of the thin pudding evenly over the warm cake.
• Allow remaining pudding to thicken and spoon and spread over the top of the cake.
• Chill at least 1 hour.
• Serve each piece with a dollop of cool whip.
• You can experiment with different flavors of cake and pudding if you like.