Old Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake Americas Test Kitchen Recipe 385

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350*. Grease and flour 2 round cake pans. Combine chocolate, cocoa, & water in medium heatproof bowl; set bowl over saucepan with 1 inch simmering water and stir with spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Add ½ c. sugar to chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1-2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool. Whisk flour, baking soda, & salt in medium bowl. Combine buttermilk & vanilla in small bowl. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk eggs & yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 1 ¼ c. sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy & lightened in color, 2-3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment. Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30-45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with spatula as needed. Add softened butter 1 Tbsp. at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about 1/3 of flour mixture followed by 1/2 of buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture & all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down sides of bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer & fold batter once or twice with spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; smooth batter to edges of pan with spatula. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool cakes to room temperature before frosting, 45-60 minutes. FROSTING: Melt chocolate in heatproof bowl set over saucepan containing 1 inch barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat & set aside. Meanwhile, heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Increase heat to medium; add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, & salt and stir with heatproof spatula until sugar is dissolved, 4-5 minutes. Add melted chocolate, butter mixture, & cream to clean bowl of standing mixer and stir to thoroughly combine. Place mixer bowl over ice bath & stir mixture constantly with spatula until frosting is thick & just beginning to harden against sides of bowl, 1-2 minutes (frosting should be 70*). Place bowl on standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until frosting is light & fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Stir with spatula until completely smooth.

Steps:

• Break chocolate into pieces; place in small saucepan with 1/3 cup water. Stir constantly over low heat until chocolate has melted. Cool. (This can be successfully done in microwave. Go slow so as not to burn the chocolate.).
• Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl until very light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Blend in chocolate.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with 1 cup water on low speed. Beat just until well-blended. Pour batter into well-greased and floured cake pans.
• Tip: outline a piece of waxed paper the size of the bottom of the cake pan and cut with sissors to size and place in bottom. No need to grease or butter pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees. Cake is done if toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans by inverting onto wire rack. If using waxed paper liner, remove and discard. Cool cake layers completely before frosting.
• Baking Times:.
• Two 8-inch layer pans -- 35-40 minutes.
• Two 9-inch layer pans -- 30-35 minutes.
• Two 8- or 9-inch square pans -- 30-35 minutes.

Steps:

• 1. For the Cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and dust with flour.
• 2. Beat egg whites and whole egg in large measuring cup with fork to combine. Add cream of coconut, water, vanilla, and coconut extract and beat with fork until thoroughly combined.
• 3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed to combine, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on lowest speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, then beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
• 4. With mixer still running, add 1 cup liquid. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer still running, add remaining 1 cup liquid in steady stream (this should take about 15 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then beat at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. (Batter will be thick.).
• 5. Divide batter between cake pans and level with offset or rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown, cakes pull away from sides of pans, and toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes (rotate cakes after about 20 minutes). Do not turn off oven.
• 6. Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes, then loosen cakes from sides of pans with paring knife, invert cakes onto racks and then re-invert; cool to room temperature.
• 7. While cakes are cooling, spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until shreds are a mix of golden brown and white, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool to room temperature.
• 8. For the Buttercream: Combine whites, sugar, and salt in bowl of standing mixer; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 1/2-inches of barely simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is opaque and warm to the touch and registers about 120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.
• 9. Transfer bowl to mixer and beat whites on high speed with whisk attachment until barely warm (about 80 degrees) and whites are glossy and sticky, about 7 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and beat in butter 1 piece at a time. Beat in cream of coconut and coconut and vanilla extracts. Stop mixer and scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Continue to beat at medium-high speed until well-combined, about 1 minute.
• 10. To Assemble the Cake: Follow illustrations in chart below. Cut into slices and serve. (Wrap leftover cake in plastic and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving.).
• ASSEMBLING THE CAKE.
• 1. With a long serrated knife, cut both cakes in half horizontally so that each cake forms two layers.
• 2. Put a dab of icing on a cardboard round cut just larger than the cake. Center one cake layer on the round.
• 3. Place a large blob of icing in the center of the layer and spread it to the edges with an icing spatula.
• 4. Hold the spatula at a 45-degree angle to the cake and drag it across the surface to level the icing. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining cake layers.
• 5. To ice the sides of the cake, scoop up a large dab of icing with the tip of the spatula and spread it on the sides with short side-to-side strokes.
• 6. Sprinkle the top of the cake with coconut. Then press the coconut into the sides, letting the excess fall back onto a baking sheet.

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Combine water, chocolate and coffee powder in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts and coffee powder dissolves. Remove from heat. Cool.
• Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in chocolate mixture. Mix flour and baking soda in medium bowl. Add to butter mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in sour cream.
• Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer pans to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)
• For frosting:
• Melt butter and chocolate in small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Transfer to large bowl; cool. Add sugar, cream and vanilla; beat until smooth. If necessary, refrigerate until firm enough to spread.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over top. Top with another cake layer. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over top. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over sides and top of cake in decorative swirls. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at cool room temperature.)