Four Layer Chocolate Birthday Cake With Milk Chocolate Ganache Nutella Buttercream Recipe 445

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:

• Make the cake: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter four 9-inch-round pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Combine the granulated sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until thick and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and beat on high speed until the batter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low speed, beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Tint with gel food coloring (see below).
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake, 2 pans at a time, until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in the pans, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla, increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until thick, 2 more minutes. Beat in the milk, a little at a time, until the frosting is spreadable.
• Assemble the cake: Spread about 1 1/2 cups frosting between the cake layers, then cover the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting and coat with toppings (see below).
• How to Color the Batter:
• Use gel food coloring for cakes: You don't need to add as much, and the colors are brighter.
• Solid: Tint the batter 1 color; divide among 4 pans.
• Striped: Divide the batter between 2 bowls; tint each one a different color. Divide each color between 2 pans.
• Ombre: Divide the batter among 4 bowls; tint in varying shades of the same color. Pour into 4 pans.
• Rainbow: Divide the batter among 4 bowls; tint each one a different color. Pour into 4 pans.
• The Toppings:
• Mini Marshmallows: You'll need about one 10 1/2-ounce bag. For a multicolored look, use fruit-flavored mini marshmallows.
• Chocolate Rocks: You'll need about 3 cups. Find them at specialty candy stores, or order online.
• Ombre Coconut: Divide one 7-ounce bag coconut among 3 resealable plastic bags. Add an increasing number of drops of the same food coloring to each bag and shake.
• Nonpareils: Use rainbow or single-color nonpareils; you'll need about 3/4 cup. Set your cake on a cake plate in the sink or on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch loose nonpareils.

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 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:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment. Spray the parchment and dust with flour.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
• Beat together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at time and beat until incorporated. Add the sour cream and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Then add the vanilla.
• Stir together the instant espresso powder with the hot water in a spouted measuring cup. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the espresso.
• Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake until a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes to the rack to cool completely.
• Slice a thin layer from the top of each cooled cake with a serrated knife to remove the domed top. With a serrated knife, slice the layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Spread buttercream on the cut side of a layer and sandwich another layer on top. Repeat with the remaining frosting and layers, leaving the last top layer unfrosted.
• Apply a thin crumb-coat of frosting to the entire cake and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes to set. Use the remaining frosting to generously frost the cake.
• Put the egg whites and sugar into a large bowl set over a double boiler. Whisk constantly until the sugar melts and the mixture is very thin and warm.
• Pour the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Turn to low speed and continue beating until cool, about 10 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to medium speed and whisk in the butter in small pieces. (The mixture may look curdled before it comes together.) Add the vanilla extract. Re-beat the mixture as needed to keep it smooth as you frost your cake.

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.