Four Layer Chocolate Birthday Cake With Milk Chocolate Ganache And Nutella Buttercream Recipes

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease and dust with cocoa four 9-inch round cake pans.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa. Stir together. Add the boiling water, allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat. Pour over the flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.
• Combine the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/chocolate mixture.
• Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes.
• Cool completely before icing. Refrigerate the layers after cooling for best results.
• For the frosting: Heat the cream until very hot, and then pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir to completely melt, and then pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Refrigerate to cool.
• Once completely cooled, add the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until light and airy.
• Frost the cake in between each layer, on the top and around the sides.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
• Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until melted, about 5 minutes.
• Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl using an electric mixer.
• Combine buttermilk and eggs in another bowl and add melted chocolate mixture. Beat into flour mixture on low speed for 1 minute; increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Divide batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cake springs back when lightly pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• Meanwhile, bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Immediately remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until it thickens and is smooth. Allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Place one cooled cake layer on a cake plate and spread with a layer of ganache frosting. Lay the second layer on top and use remaining ganache frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Put the cocoa powder and chocolate in a medium bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the sour cream until smooth; let cool to room temperature.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the cocoa mixture in 2 additions. Finish mixing gently with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Tap the pans against the counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until the cakes spring back in the center when gently pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the edges and turn out the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment.
• Make the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over the saucepan (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water); cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, the egg whites are frothy and the mixture is warm, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture cools to room temperature, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add the butter a few pieces at a time, waiting for them to incorporate before adding more. (The mixture will become liquidy, then it will get thick and shiny once the butter emulsifies. It may also look curdled as you add the butter. It's OK: Keep adding butter and beating.) Add the vanilla and beat until combined and fluffy, 3 to 5 more minutes.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally to create 4 layers. Place 1 layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about 2/3 cup frosting on top, then repeat with the remaining cake layers, spreading more frosting in between them. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and sides of the cake (this is the crumb coat - it doesn't have to be perfect), then refrigerate until the frosting sets, about 30 minutes. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it with a bench scraper.
• Make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming, then pour over the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Set aside until cool but still pourable, 20 to 40 minutes (the time will vary depending on the temperature and bowl). Pour the ganache on top of the cake and spread with a small offset spatula, letting it drip down the sides. Let the ganache set 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• CAKE: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter two 9"-diameter cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Heat chocolate, coffee, and ⅔ cup cocoa powder in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water (water should not touch bottom of bowl), stirring until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Let cool, then whisk eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla into chocolate mixture. Using an electric mixer on low speed, mix salt, baking powder, baking soda, and 2 cups flour in a large bowl just to combine. Add brown sugar, oil, ½ cup butter, and ½ cup reserved chocolate mixture and beat on medium speed until flour is evenly distributed and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add remaining chocolate mixture in 2 additions, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed and beating until smooth after each addition. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake cake until top is firm to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer cake pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Let cool completely. Using a serrated knife and moving it back and forth in long, even strokes, carefully halve cakes lengthwise. GANACHE: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour over chocolate; let sit 10 minutes, then whisk gently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and glossy. Let ganache cool, 30 to 45 minutes. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter into ganache until mixture is light and fluffy and has turned matte, about 3 minutes. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on a platter. Using a rubber spatula, spread one-third of ganache over cake, spreading to edges. Place another cake layer, cut side down, on top and spread another third of ganache over cake. Repeat process once more with another cake layer and remaining ganache; top with remaining cake layer (leave top bare). Chill cake 1 to 8 hours. BUTTERCREAM: While cake is chilling, beat egg yolks, egg, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until mixture is pale and thick and falls back onto itself in a slowly dissipating ribbon, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring sugar and 3 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Clip thermometer to the side of saucepan and boil, swirling pan (do not stir), until thermometer registers 238˚F. Immediately remove from heat. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually stream hot sugar syrup into eggs aiming for where the egg meets the side of the bowl (this will prevent hot sugar from splattering). Increase speed to high and beat mixture until light and fluffy and sides of bowl are cool to the touch, 5 to 8 minutes. Add butter a piece at a time, beating to thoroughly incorporate before adding the next piece and scraping down sides of bowl often. Add Nutella and vanilla and beat, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl, until mixture is smooth and homogenous. Spread buttercream all over top and sides of chilled cake, making decorative swirls and swooshes. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Do Ahead: Cake can be assembled 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350˚. Butter two 9"-diameter cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
• Heat chocolate, coffee, and ⅔ cup cocoa powder in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water (water should not touch bottom of bowl), stirring until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Let cool, then whisk eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla into chocolate mixture.
• Using an electric mixer on low speed, mix salt, baking powder, baking soda, and 2 cups flour in a large bowl just to combine. Add brown sugar, oil, ½ cup butter, and ½ cup reserved chocolate mixture and beat on medium speed until flour is evenly distributed and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add remaining chocolate mixture in 2 additions, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed and beating until smooth after each addition. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
• Bake cake until top is firm to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Transfer cake pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife and moving it back and forth in long, even strokes, carefully halve cakes lengthwise.
• Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on a platter. Using a rubber spatula, spread one-third of ganache over cake, spreading to edges. Place another cake layer, cut side down, on top and spread another third of ganache over cake. Repeat process once more with another cake layer and remaining ganache; top with remaining cake layer (leave top bare). Chill cake 1-8 hour.
• Spread buttercream all over top and sides of chilled cake, making decorative swirls and swooshes. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.