My Kind Of Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 13x9x1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper; butter parchment. Combine first 4 ingredients in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water; stir until chocolate and butter melt. Remove bowl from over water; stir in salt (mixture will be grainy).
• Beat eggs and 2 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until pale, about 6 minutes; fold into chocolate mixture. Fold in flour, then hazelnuts. Spread batter evenly on baking sheet. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 13 minutes (cake will be thin). Transfer pan to rack. Cool cake completely.
• For filling:
• Combine chocolates in medium metal bowl. Bring 1 cup cream to simmer in small saucepan; pour cream over chocolates and let stand 1 minute. Stir until melted and smooth. Chill mixture until firm, about 2 hours.
• Place bowl with chilled chocolate mixture over saucepan of barely simmering water until mixture is partially melted (do not stir), about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water; add butter to bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until filling is thick and glossy, about 3 minutes. Using clean dry beaters, beat 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream in another medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into filling.
• Cover 14x5-inch cardboard rectangle with foil. Invert cake onto work surface; remove parchment. Cut cake lengthwise in half. Place 1 cake half on foil-covered cardboard. Spread 1/2 cup chocolate filling over. Top with second cake half. Spoon remaining filling into pastry bag fitted with large plain round tip. Pipe filling atop cake in side-by-side lengthwise rows, then smooth top. Chill until filling is firm, about 1 hour.
• For glaze:
• Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add butter; stir until melted. Let stand until barely lukewarm but still pourable, about 20 minutes.
• Place cardboard base with cake on rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Spoon glaze over top of cake, allowing glaze to run down sides. Using offset spatula, smooth glaze over sides. Mound chocolate shards or curls over top and sides of cake. Garnish with hazelnuts and candied orange peel. Refrigerate until glaze is set, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)

Steps:

• For the chocolate cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. In a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment running at low speed, combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Turn up the speed slightly and mix in the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla extract until just combined. In a medium bowl pour 1 1/3 cups boiling water over the cocoa powder and blend well with a whisk. Pour the cocoa mixture into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Divide the batter evenly into two prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pans on a rack 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto racks and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• For the Swiss meringue buttercream:Place a metal mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Put the sugar and egg whites in the bowl and whisk lightly until the mixture reaches 140 degrees F, all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is silky-smooth to the touch. Pour the egg white mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and add the vanilla. Beat until fluffy, glossy white peaks form, 5 to 10 minutes. Lower the mixer to the slowest speed and slowly add the butter and salt. The mixture will slowly thicken up and smooth out into the silkiest buttercream ever!
• For the chocolate ganache: Warm the heavy whipping cream over medium heat until it is just boiling, then pour over the chocolate chips and let sit, 1 minute. Stir the mixture with a whisk until all of the chocolate chips are melted and you have a smooth, creamy texture (you may microwave for 30 seconds and mix again until all of the chips are melted). Add the vanilla extract.
• Assemble the cake: Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate and coat the top with some of the Swiss meringue buttercream (reserve the remainder for another use). Chop up the strawberries and sprinkle them over the buttercream. Place the second layer of cake on top and ice the entire cake with the chocolate ganache. Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch fluted tube cake pan (such as Bundt®).
• Combine cake mix and pudding mix in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer. Add sour cream, vegetable oil, and water; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cake plate and let cool completely, 20 to 30 minutes more.
• Place opened frosting container in a microwave on medium heat, stirring every 30 seconds until just soft enough to pour. Drizzle frosting over cake and sprinkle candy-coated milk chocolate pieces on top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 8-inch round pans with oil and cocoa powder and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, buttermilk and oil. Mix until smooth; batter will be thin.
• Pour evenly into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
• In a large bowl, mix together icings and cocoa.
• Frost cake.

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven, and preheat it to 350. Butter the interiors of two 9-inch round cake pans, dust with a little cocoa powder and tap out the excess. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Working with an electric mixer (use the paddle, if you have one), beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, and beat for a minute after each goes in; beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (start and finish with the dry, and don't worry if the buttermilk makes the batter look slightly curdled). Mix in the melted chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
• Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until a tester poked into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer to racks, let rest 5 minutes and then run a blunt knife around the edges of the pans. Unmold the cakes onto the racks, and cool to room temperature.
• Make the frosting: Sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder. Using an electric mixer (with the paddle, if available), beat the sugar, cocoa, salt and butter on high speed until fluffy. On low speed, add the chocolate. When it's almost incorporated, beat in the buttermilk. It's best to use the frosting immediately.
• If necessary, just before you're ready to frost the cakes, slice a sliver off the top of each layer to create a flat surface. To assemble, place one cake layer, top up, on a serving platter, and cover with frosting. Top with the second layer, top down, jiggling it into the frosting to hold it in place. Frost the top and sides of the cake - go sleek or swirly. If you're using decorations, scatter them over the cake. Chill for at least 1 hour (or for up to 1 day); bring to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Grease the pans and dust with cocoa powder.
• Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
• Beat butter, dark brown sugar, and white sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat on medium-high until fluffy.
• Pour melted chocolate and vanilla extract into the bowl with the sugar mixture; mix on low speed until combined. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing on low speed. Pour in coffee slowly in a steady stream; mix on low speed until smooth.
• Use an electric mixer to beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into batter. Divide batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, making sure not to overbake. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes; turn out onto waxed paper to cool completely before frosting.