Tiered Chocolate Buttercream Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on high speed until light, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in thirds, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix the batter only until blended.
• Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before frosting.
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 6 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/4 pounds (5 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons Triple Sec or other orange liqueur
• 1 tablespoon orange food coloring
• Combine the sugar with 2/3 cup water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and, without stirring, bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan and allow the mixture to boil until the sugar dissolves. Uncover and continue boiling until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Pour the syrup into a heat-proof measuring cup.
• Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs form stiff peaks. With the mixer on high speed, slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites. Continue beating on high speed until the mixture is absolutely at room temperature, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and then add the vanilla and liqueur. (If the mixture becomes runny, the meringue was too warm and the butter melted. Chill slightly and beat again.) Add the food coloring and combine.
• Yield: 6 cups

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter one 4 by 3-inch cake pan, one 6 by 3-inch cake pan and one 8 by 3-inch cake pan. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter and flour the pans.
• Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on high speed until light, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in thirds, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix the batter only until blended.
• Divide the batter between the three pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack of the oven as follows: for the 4-inch pan 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean; for the 6-inch pan 70 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean; and for the 8-inch pan 85 to 90 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean . Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes each on a cooling rack, carefully remove from the pans and allow to finish cooling.
• Place the 8-inch cake on a serving plate, flat side up. Frost the top and sides of that layer with buttercream. Place the 6-inch cake in the center of the top of the 8- inch cake, flat side up, and frost the top and sides. Place the 4-inch cake in the center of the top of the 6-inch cake, flat side down. Frost the top and sides of that layer with buttercream. Spread any remaining buttercream over the cake evenly.
• Chop the chocolates and place them in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan simmering water. Stir until melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
• Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Return the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak.
• Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, vanilla, espresso, and rum, if using, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again.

Steps:

• Chop the chocolates and place them in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan simmering water. Stir until melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
• Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Return the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak.
• Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, vanilla, espresso, and rum, if using, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again.

Steps:

• Bake a single batch of cake batter in 2 (9-inch) pans, then a double batch in 2 (12-inch) pans. Assemble with a double batch of lemon buttercream. Insert some straws in the center of the 12-inch layer and cut them even with the top of the layer. Place the 9-inch layer on top. Use some of the buttercream to pipe a border at the base of the cake. Decorate with fresh raspberries.
• FILLING AND ICING A CAKE Though there are many techniques for filling and frosting a cake, they all have one common goal: to cover the cake neatly and efficiently. Many professional cake decorators use a turntable. The cake is placed in the center of the turntable and the icing is applied to the sides of the revolving cake. Others hold and turn the cake on one hand and spread the icing with a spatula held in the other. Both of these methods work well and easily, but require a certain amount of practice and dexterity to achieve. If you only intend to finish a few cakes a year, by far the easiest method is to put the cake on the platter from which it will be served and spread on the frosting from the top down, as in the following instructions:
• 1. For a single-layer cake, turn the cake upside down on the serving platter so that its flat bottom is up.
• 2. Brush all excess crumbs off cake, platter and work surface.
• 3. If you wish, cover the platter with narrow strips of waxed or other paper inserted under the edge of the cake to keep it free of drips. Pull the strips of paper away (pull from a short end) after cake is frosted. (Or, turn the cake over onto a piece of stiff cardboard, roughly 1/4-inch larger all around than the cake, then slide frosted cake from cardboard to platter. This method is better if you wish to finish side of cake with chocolate shavings, nuts or other solids.)
• 4. To frost with ganache and buttercream, apply a thin layer over the cake with an offset metal icing spatula. Spread it first on top then on the sides to seal the outside of the cake and prevent the cake's crust from crumbing up into the frosting. Chill cake for 10 minutes to set this first coat.
• 5. If you are frosting a two-layer cake, place one layer on platter, bottom side down. Spread a 1/2-inch layer of the frosting over the top of this layer. Place second layer on frosting bottom side up. Proceed with steps 3 or 4, above.
• 6. To put the final coat on the cake, place 4 or 5 dabs of the frosting on the top of the cake. Use the spatula to join the dabs and cover top of cake. Spread from center outward so excess frosting falls down sides of cake.
• 7. To finish the sides, hold spatula handle upward, blade about 1/8-inch away from side of cake, and spread any frosting already on side of cake smooth. Add more dabs of frosting to sides of cake if necessary so it is covered evenly. Finish the top by spreading any icing standing up around edge of cake evenly in toward the center. Hold spatula at a slight slant across the top of cake.
• 8. If you with to press toasted nuts, shaved chocolate or other solids onto the side of a cake, do so immediately. Hold cake on one hand and tilt toward the nuts or chocolate. Bring the cake directly against them. Use other hand to press nuts onto cake. Use a spatula to press chocolate so it doesn't melt against your hand.
• CAKE DECORATING Although dozens of books are published each year on this subject alone, you need not have a degree in cake decorating to produce a great-looking cake. There are many ways to finish a cake without resorting to a pastry bag and tubes, although piping decorations onto a cake can be easy -- and fun. Remember the one cardinal rule of good decorating: use decorations appropriate to the flavors in the cake. Streaking a coffee frosted chocolate cake with chocolate is appropriate. Piping rosettes of coffee buttercream around the top edge of the cake would also be appropriate. Topping the rosettes with strawberries would not!
• POPULAR DECORATIONS All the following decorations are easy to do. For best results practice making the decoration on a plate or the back of a cake pan before attempting it on the cake.
• STREAKING: Use an ounce of chocolate melted with 1/4 teaspoon oil. Place in a plastic bag (snip off corner), squeeze bottle or paper cone and streak top of cake with parallel lines. Make sure to come completely off the top of the cake, before starting another line, to avoid loops at the edge or side of cake.
• WRITING: Writing HAPPY BIRTHDAY and the birthday person's name on the cake is pretty much obligatory for a birthday cake. Use your regular handwriting, whether cursive or printing, and practice a few times on a cake pan or plate the same size as the cake top, so you can center the message evenly. Use the same tools and material as STREAKING, above.
• ROSETTES: To make a good rosette, hold a pastry bag with star tube straight up and down about 1/2-inch above the cake top. Squeeze gently from the top of the bag and describe a letter "C" with the end of the tube. After completing the rosette, release the pressure and pull away sideways, not upward.
• STARS: Hold the bag and star tube as for rosettes, above. Squeeze once, to press a star shape from the bag. Release pressure and pull away straight up from star.
• SHELLS: Hold bag with star tube at a 45 degree angle to top of cake, with tube just touching cake top. Squeeze, pull sideways around the top edge of the cake and release pressure in one quick motion to make a pointed shell shape. Start next shell over point of previous one.
• BORDERS: A border is an excellent finish for the top or bottom of a cake. Use ROSETTES, SHELLS or STARS. ROSETTES and STARS may be placed at a distance from each other, or touching, according to your preference. For further decoration top a rosette or star with a nutmeat, inverted chocolate chip, large chocolate shaving or a piece of fresh or candied fruit, if appropriate to the flavors of the cake for a further decoration.

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 12-inch- diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Whisk flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder and salt in very large (6- to 8-quart) bowl to blend well. Add 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water; using electric mixer, beat until smooth (batter will be thick). Beat in oil, then egg yolks and vanilla.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and powdered sugar in large bowl until whites are very thick and billowy and form medium-firm peaks when beaters are lifted, about 12 minutes (do not underbeat). Fold whites into yolk mixture in 3 additions. Divide cake batter equally between prepared pans.
• Place one pan on each rack in oven, staggering pans so that one is not directly above the other. Bake cakes 25 minutes. Reverse position of pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Line 2 cooling racks with kitchen towels. Cut around cakes to loosen; turn out onto towels. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.)
• Buttercream
• Makes about 8 cups.
• 8 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), chopped
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup egg whites (about 8)
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Stir white chocolate and cream in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until fluffy; set aside.
• Combine whites and sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over large saucepan of simmering water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water). Whisk until sugar dissolves and thermometer inserted into whites registers 160°F, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using clean dry beaters, beat meringue until cool, stiff and shiny, about 10 minutes.
• Beat butter, about 1/4 cup at a time, into meringue, blending well after each addition. If frosting looks curdled, place bowl over very low heat for 3 to 5 seconds to soften slightly. Remove from heat and beat until smooth. Repeat warming technique as necessary. Gradually beat in cooled white chocolate mixture, then orange peel and vanilla extract. Chill buttercream until beginning to firm, about 30 minutes.
• assembly
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 6 cups (about) assorted fresh berries (raspberries; blueberries; blackberries, halved if large; and sliced strawberries)
• Cut each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 layer on 11-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round. Spread with 1/2 cup jam, then 1 1/4 cups buttercream. Arrange half of berries atop buttercream, spacing about 1/2 inch apart. Press second cake layer atop berries. Repeat layering of jam, buttercream and remaining berries. Top with third cake layer (reserve remaining cake layer for another use).
• Spread 2 cups buttercream in thin layer over top and sides of assembled cake to anchor crumbs and smooth surface. Refrigerate cake on its base until crumb coat is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Spread 2 1/4 cups buttercream over top and sides of cake. Spoon remaining buttercream into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe decorative border around top edge of cake. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.)
• final decoration
• 4 cups (about) assorted fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries)
• 1/2 cup currant jelly
• Place cake with its base on platter. Fill top center of cake with berries. Melt jelly in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Using pastry brush, brush warm jelly over tops of most berries. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
• Using long knife, cut cake into quarters. Cut each quarter into 6 wedges.