Devils Food Cake With Chocolate Buttercream Recipes

Steps:

• Beat the butter and mayonnaise in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on high, until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add the melted chocolate. Continue mixing on low speed until all of the chocolate is incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Turn off the mixer and add one-third of the sugar. Mix on low to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat until all of the sugar has been incorporated. Add the salt and continue to beat until the frosting is smooth and lightens slightly in color, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 hours or refrigerate for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before using chilled frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 3 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottoms of each with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together boiling water and cocoa powder in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla. 3Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour and cocoa mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture (batter may look curdled).
• Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean and layers begin to pull away from sides of pans, 20 to 25 minutes total. Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove wax paper, and cool completely.
• Put 1 cake layer, rounded side up, on a cake plate and spread with about 1 cup buttercream. Top with another cake layer, rounded side up, and spread with another cup buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer and frost top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream.

Steps:

• Cake:.
• In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder, espresso powder, and chocolate.
• Pour in the boiling water and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Stir in the vanilla and let cool; then stir in the buttermilk.
• In another bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the butter and oil together until light and fluffy.
• Add the sugars and beat until creamy.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.
• Add one-third of the flour mixture and beat at low just until combined.
• Beat in half of the chocolate-buttermilk mixture just until combined.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Beat in another one-third of the remaining flour mixture for no more than a few seconds, just until combined.
• Add the remaining chocolate-buttermilk mixture, beating just a few seconds.
• Finally, fold in the remaining one-third of the flour mixture by hand, using a large rubber spatula, just until no streaks of flour remain.
• Divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans that have been greased and lined with parchment.
• Bake at 350°F 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Transfer to wire racks and let cool 5-10 minutes.
• Invert the cakes onto the racks and peel the parchment paper from the layers.
• Let cool completely before frosting.
• Halve each cake layer horizontally using a long serrated knife (plain dental floss works for me) for a total of four thin cake layers.
• Place one layer cut-side up on a serving plate and top with 1 cup of the mousse buttercream, spreading it evenly.
• Continue stacking the cake, spreading 1 cup of the buttercream in between each layer and placing the layer cut-side down.
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream.
• Chocolate Mousse Buttercream:.
• Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder in the metal bowl of a stand mixer.
• Fill a large saute pan or skillet with water and bring to a simmer over mediium-high heat.
• Place the mixing bowl in the simmering water and whisk the egg mixture constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is thick, fluffy, and very hot, 3-4 minutes.
• Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the mixture -- it should be anywhere between 120-140°F.
• Remove the bowl from the simmering water and, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium-high speed until they are tripled in volume and form soft peaks and the bottom of the bowl is completely cool to the touch, about 10 minutes (it took 45 minutes with a hand mixer -- don't try it!).
• Beat in the vanilla and salt.
• While the eggs are mixing, unwrap the individual sticks of butter and rewrap them loosely in plastic wrap.
• Pound the butter 5-6 times with a rolling pin, until it is soft and malleable but still cool.
• With the mixer speed still on med-high, add the butter 2 T at a time, to the egg mixture, beating in each addition until it is incorporated.
• Don't panic if it seems liquidy or looks curdled; it will magically emulsify.
• When the buttercream is smooth and glossy with a subtle brown tint from the cocoa powder, turn off the mixer and carefully fold in the melted chocolate.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 8-inch round baking pans, line the bottoms of each with a round of parchment paper and grease the paper. Use a little cocoa powder to coat the insides of the pans, rotating pans so the cocoa comes up the sides, then tap out excess.
• In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and 2/3 cup boiling water. Whisk in milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. With the mixer running on low speed, beat in a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half the cocoa mixture. Add remaining portions, alternating between two mixtures. Beat until smooth.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake until the centers of the cakes are firm to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes; turn them out onto the rack to cool completely. (Peel off parchment paper if it sticks to the cakes.)
• Make the buttercream: Fill a medium pot halfway with water (or use a double-boiler) and bring to a simmer. In a heatproof bowl that fits over pot, whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 140 degrees on a candy or instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer, whip until completely cooled and thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter a little at a time, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Beat in vanilla bean seeds and pepper.
• Using a serrated knife, slice each cake in half horizontally. Place one bottom layer on a large platter or cake stand. Top evenly with a thin layer of buttercream. Repeat, alternating between cake and frosting, ending with a layer of cake. Cover cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare fudge frosting. (Cake can rest in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.)
• Make the frosting: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, heavy cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Set bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice. Use a hand mixer or an immersion blender with the whisk attachment to whip until mixture is thick and cool, about 5 minutes. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake.

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper rounds. Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water. Cool to barely lukewarm.
• Sift flour and next 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Whisk milk and yogurt to blend in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, butter, and lavender in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in melted chocolate until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; remove parchment and cool completely.
• For buttercream frosting:
• Stir 8 ounces chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until smooth. Cool until barely lukewarm but still pourable. Mix cocoa powder and 7 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until smooth and thick but still pourable, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if necessary. Cool.
• Beat butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and orange peel in large bowl to blend. Add melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth. Beat in cocoa mixture. Gradually add remaining 3 2/3 cups powdered sugar and beat until frosting is smooth. Mix in Grand Marnier.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over top of cake. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. Mound chocolate curls in center of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.)
• *Dried lavender blossoms are available at natural foods stores and at some specialty foods stores and farmers' markets.