A Chocolate Cake fit for Celebrations

I take birthday cakes pretty seriously, in fact, I think it is one of my adult culinary responsibilities to be able to make kick ass birthday cakes. They can be tall and chocolatey and covered with fluffy frosting like this one or a bit more humble, maybe without any frosting at all. All I care about is seeing my pals smile and make a wish for themselves while bathed in flattering golden light from a mass of burning candles poked into the top. Can you think of anything more magical than an edible monument of joy that we are encouraged to stick with candles and set on fire? Me neither.

The recipe below is for my go to chocolate cake and my favorite chocolate frosting which I admit is a bit more labor intensive than American style buttercream. I won't blame you if halfway through you are standing over your mixer cursing me, but I promise if you see it to the end you will be rewarded will the smoothest, creamiest chocolate buttercream you've ever tasted.

Chocolate Cake
yield 1, 3 layer, 10'' cake

4c sugar
3 1/2c flour
1 1/2c cocoa powder
1T baking soda
1T baking powder
2t salt
2c milk
1c canola oil
1/2c sour cream
4 large eggs
1T vanilla extract
1 1/2c strong coffee

Preheat oven to 350º and prepare 3, 10'' cake pans by buttering, flouring and lining with parchment paper (see note for other size options)

1. Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Put the sifted ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer (or very large bowl) and stir well to combine.
2. In a medium bowl or pitcher, whisk together the milk, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low, pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stop the mixer, scrape down to the bottom of the bowl to make sure all of the dry ingredients are incorporated, then turn the mixer up to medium and mix for 2 minutes.
3. Turn the mixer back down to low and slowly pour in the coffee. Stop the mixer and scrape down to the bottom of the bowl and finish the stirring by hand.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pans and bake for 20-25min or until a cake tester comes out clean. Double layers of cake will take 35-40min to bake.
5. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 min then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
yield, enough to fill and frost a 10'' cake, plus a little extra

For the Ganache
18oz chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2c heavy cream
1T vanilla extract
1T strong coffee or espresso
1/4-1/2t salt, depending on your taste

For the Meringue Buttercream
5 egg whites
1 1/4c sugar
1lb butter, room temp
pinch salt
1T vanilla extract

To Make the Ganache

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan heat the heavy cream over medium heat until just before it boils. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the mixture sit for 5 min, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla, coffee and salt then set aside the mixture to cool until it is cool but still soft. Don't let it harden completely or you will not be able to whip it into the frosting.

To make the Swiss Buttercream

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch, 5-7min.
2. Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 10min.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment and reduce the speed to low and add the salt then add butter a few tablespoons at a time and beat the frosting until smooth. During this step it is very likely that the frosting will "break" and you will think you messed up. Good news! You didn't! Mine breaks sometimes too. All you have to do is turn up the  speed on your mixer for a few seconds and the frosting comes back together. Continue until all of the butter is incorporated then add in the vanilla.

To Make the Chocolate Swiss Buttercream

1. Whip the room temperature ganache into the meringue buttercream until no lumps remain. The finished buttercream will be glossy, smooth and fluffy.

To Assemble the Cake

Peel the parchment paper from the layers and trim the cakes so the tops are flat. Place one layer onto a serving platter or pedestal and spread about 1 1/2c of the frosting onto the cake in an even layer. Place the second layer on top and repeat. Finish by placing the last layer on top, trimmed side down so the top of the cake will be nice and flat and crumb free. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting (crumbcoat) and refrigerate for about 30min. (My apartment was so cold when I did this step, I just put my cake by the window for a few minutes, ha!) Pull the cake out of the fridge and add a second, heavier coat of frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with cacao nibs and chocolate sprinkles. Serve at room temp. Store any extra frosting in an airtight container in the freezer where it will keep for a few weeks.

Notes

- I usually bake this cake in 3'' tall pans. I fill one about 2/3 full and trim it cake into 2 horizontal layers, the remaining batter is used to make the other layer.

- You can also make a nice tall 9'', 3 layer cake with this amount of batter. For this option you will need  3'' tall cake pans. If you don't have 3'' tall pans I suggest you divide the batter between 4 pans instead of three. Confusing, I know. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions, apt2bbakingco(at)gmail(dot)com.
- This chocolate cake tastes equally great with a simple vanilla buttercream if that is more your speed.- I used Cordillera Cacao nibs that I got from the Pantry at Delancy to garnish this cake and they are the most delicious nibs I've ever used. If you are anywhere near Seattle, you should pick them up and try to take a class while you are at it!
- The sprinkles came from Seattle Home Cake Decorating Supply Co. which is an incredible hole in the wall shop with a very helpful and knowledgable owner. Again, if you are in Seattle and you need any cake or cookie decorating supplies, this is your spot. You can find similar sprinkles online here.

Carrot Cake

I've never really felt one way or another about carrot cake. I mean, I recognize it as a classic and all but I wouldn't really say that it was in my repertoire until I was challenged to a carrot cake cook off over a game of cards last spring. Well friends, I love a good competition and I really love hanging out with other folks who like to bake so I immediately accepted and imagined a big blue ribbon pinned to my chest. When the time came I tested and labored and fretted over the cake then over the frosting. I settled on a dairy and egg free cake (wacky I know) that was the moist, slightly spicy cake of my dreams. For the frosting, I knew that I wanted to go a little non-traditional because I've never really been a fan of the extreme sweetness of traditional cream cheese frosting. I turned to my favorite swiss buttercream with hopes that it's smooth texture and subtle sweetness would lend itself to the addition of cream cheese. I whipped up a batch and enriched it with some tangy cream cheese and the tiniest bit of lemon zest and my goodness. I had created a buttercream that tasted like fluffy whipped cheesecake, victory was mine! The day of the Carrot Caketacular came and I packed up my prize winner in a wicker basket, hopped on the subway and hoped for the best. Five cakes were offered up to the masses, votes were cast, fingers were crossed and no one was more shocked than me when my cake fetched second place. What?! Second Place?! It was a pretty narrow margin between me and #1, so I blame the raisins. I was the only one who used 'em and I guess there were a lot of raisin haters there that day. Not even my revolutionary frosting could save me.

You see that last photo up there? The hosts lovingly tied a frilly topped carrot to their buzzer to mark the spot, so cute!

Vegan Carrot Cake (Don't knock it til you try it)

2 1/4c flour
1c packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1t ginger
1/2t freshly ground nutmeg
3/4t salt
1 1/2t baking soda
1/2t baking powder
1c plus 2T orange juice (room temp)
1/2c canola oil
1 1/2T apple cider vinegar
1T vanilla extract
1/2c golden raisins (or not, if you don't like em)
1c toasted and chopped pecans
2c peeled, grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350, grease and line 2 9'' pans with parchment paper

1. Add raisins to room temperature orange juice to soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the pecans
3. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Then stir in the orange juice with raisins, and carrots
4. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture all at once and fold gently to combine.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 20-25min or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert on a rack to cool completely before assembly.


Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream (not vegan)
makes about 4 cups (enough for your cake, plus a little extra)

5 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
8oz unsalted butter, room temp
8oz cream cheese, room temp
1T vanilla extract
1/2t lemon zest

1. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until no lumps remain, then blend in the vanilla and lemon zest.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (5-7min).
3. Using your whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled completely (up to 10ish minutes). If you get ansty and don't let the mixture cool completely you will end up with frosting soup and no one wants that. Don't get antsy.
4. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter/cream cheese mixture about 1/4c at a time and beat until smooth.

During this last step it is VERY possible that your frosting will 'break" and you will think you messed something up. Good news! You didn't! Mine breaks almost every time I make it too. All you have to do is turn up the speed on your mixer for a moment, until the mixture comes back together and then keep adding the butter mixture until your buttercream is smooth and creamy.

Did I mention that this frosting requires patience? It does, I really mean it, but most really good things require a little patience.

For a more traditional cream cheese frosting (that requires less patience), try this or for maple cream cheese frosting, check here. You really can't lose, anyway you shake it, cream cheese frosting is delicious.

To assemble the cake:

Peel the parchment paper from the layers and place one onto your serving platter or pedestal, domed side down. Scoop about 1 cup of frosting onto the cake layer and spread evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up for a more homestyle look, domed side down for a cleaner look. Cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (a crumbcoat) and refrigerate for about 30 min. Pull the cake out and spread another, thicker layer of frosting on the top and sides. Put it back into the fridge if the frosting is really soft, but make sure to serve the cake at room temperature.