Deluxe Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake Layers Recipes

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350°F; grease two 9-inch-round by 2-inch-high cake pans with softened butter; dust pans with flour and knock out excess.
• Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, and hot water in medium heatproof bowl; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 inch of simmering water and stir with rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sugar to chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in small bowl. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment. Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30 to 45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about ten seconds after each addition. Add about one-third of flour mixture followed by half of buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and 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 and fold batter once or twice with rubber 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 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool cakes to room temperature before frosting, 45 to 60 minutes.
• TO MAKE FROSTING: Melt chocolate in heatproof bowl set over saucepan containing 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Increase heat to medium; add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt and stir with heatproof rubber spatula until sugar is dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes. Add melted chocolate, butter mixture, and cream to clean bowl of standing mixer and stir thoroughly to combine.
• Place mixer bowl over ice bath and stir mixture constantly with rubber spatula until frosting is thick and just beginning to harden against sides of bowl, 1 to 2 minutes (frosting should be 70 degrees). Place bowl on standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir with rubber spatula until completely smooth.
• TO FROST CAKE: Place one cake layer on serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting evenly across top of cake with spatula. Place second cake layer on top, then spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Cut into slices and serve.

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.)

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:

• Adjust rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, and insert parchment paper or waxed paper to line the bottoms. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside. Place the cocoa in a 1-quart mixing bowl. Add the 1/2 cup lukewarm water, and whisk to combine; set aside to cool. Pour the buttermilk, the 1/2 cup water, and the vanilla into a liquid cup measure. Crack the eggs into a small bowl, and whisk together to combine the yolks and whites.
• Place the butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, preferably fitted with a flat beater. Cream the butter on medium speed until the butter is smooth and lighter in color, about 30 to 45 seconds. Reduce the speed to low, add the sugars in a steady stream. When all the sugar is added, stop the machine, and scrape the mixture clinging to the side of the bowl into the center. The mixture will appear sandy. Increase the speed to medium again, and cream until the mixture is light in color, is fluffy in texture, and appears as one mass, about 5 to 7 minutes. With the mixer still on medium speed, pour the eggs slowly at first. Continue to cream, scraping the sides of the bowl at least once, until the mixture appears fluffy and velvety. Stop the machine and spoon in the cooled cocoa mixture, resume at medium speed and mix just until incorporated.
• Using a rubber spatula, stir in one-fourth of the flour mixture. Then one-third of the buttermilk mixture, stirring to blend together. Repeat this procedure, alternating dry and liquid. With each addition, scrape the sides of the bowl, and continue mixing until smooth, never adding liquid if any flour is visible.
• Pour the batter into the pans and spread it level. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the baked surface springs back slightly when touched lightly in the center and the sides contract from the pan.
• Place the cake pans on a rack to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. With mitts, tilt and rotate pans gently tapping them on the counter to see if the cake releases from sides.
• Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream just to the boil. Remove from heat. Pour over chocolate and whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth and shiny.
• ASSEMBLING THE DESSERT:
• Split each layer of cake in half horizontally and place one layer, cut side up, on a cardboard round. Spread with one-third of the ganache filling. Center a second layer on top of the first, and spread it with one-third of the ganache filling. Place another layer, cut side up, on top, and spread with remaining filling and turn he last layer upside down, and center it over the filling.
• Frost the cake with the whipped cream. Place the cake on a wire rack, then set it on a sheet pan that will fit the dimensions of your freezer. Place in the freezer for 40 minutes only, (this is just enough time to chill the whipped cream frosting so it's firm to the touch, not soft.) While the cake is in the freezer, prepare the dark chocolate glaze. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream just to the boil. Remove from heat. Pour over chocolate and whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool to body temperature.
• Set the cake on its wire rack over a baking pan with sides (like a jelly roll pan) on top of a turntable (or lazy susan.) Pour almost all of the chocolate glaze over the center of the cake. Using a long, flexible metal icing spatula, use just a few strokes to spread the glaze over the top of the cake so the glaze runs down over the sides. Rotate the turntable as you spread. Use the spatula to scoop up excess glaze to touch it to any bare spots on the sides of the cake to cover them. Place the cake on a serving plate. Refrigerate until 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Using a serrated knife, dipped into hot water after each slice, cut dessert into wedges.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-3-inch cake pans. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Sift together flour and baking powder. With the mixer set on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour; scrape down sides twice.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites with pinch of salt on high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in a large spoonful of the beaten whites into the batter to lighten the mixture. Fold the lightened batter into the remaining egg whites. Divide the batter equally among the prepared pans. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Remove the pans to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack to cool completely.
• If cakes are not level, use a serrated knife to trim tops off. Carefully slice each cake horizontally into three equal layers, about 3/4 inch thick. (You will have six layers.) To assemble, place one sliced layer on an 8-inch cardboard cake round. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat with remaining layers, placing the final layer bottom side up. Cover cake with remaining frosting. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 4 or 5 - 8 inch round cake pans.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, 1/2 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour alternately with the 3 cups milk; beat well. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into each prepared pan, and spread evenly. You will need to bake the layers in two or three batches.
• Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, just until the layers are dried out. Do not brown.
• To make the frosting: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 3 cups sugar, 1 cup butter, cocoa, water and 2 cups evaporated milk. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring frequently, then boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and beat for one minute with an electric mixer. Stack cake layers with icing in between, letting the icing run down the sides of the cake. Smooth the sides and top with the remaining icing.

Steps:

• 1. Leave butter out for several hours to soften. You can even leave it out overnight.
• 2. CAKE: Cream together butter, sugar then add eggs. Add vanilla then flour, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Now add food coloring and mix well. Add milk as needed to acheive the consistency cake batter should be.
• 3. Measure out 4-5 tablespoons of batter into each greased & floured cake pans. This will take several bakings until all batter is used up.
• 4. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until edges begin to brown. This will take approximately 8-12 minutes. Turn out layers and cover with a slightly damp cloth.
• 5. ICING: In a heavy 4 quart saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa & salt. Stir in milk, Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until full rolling boil. Now boil without stirring to a soft ball stage.
• 6. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Ice between, on sides and on top of cooled layers. You can stick a few toothpicks into layers to preven layers from sliding.
• 7. Note: I use a skewer or ice pick to poke a few holes in layers as I ice them when putting cake together. Also keep spooning icing back on cake as it puddles in bottom on cake plate.
• 8. **A lot of people like this icing but I particulary like the icing I use on Opel's Chocolate Stack Cake so go over to this recipe and check it out.