Layered Chocolate Cake Food

LAYERED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then grease a 15"x10" baking pan.
• In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, water, eggs & oil until well combined.
• Pour into the prepared pan & bake 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• In a large saucepan, combine pudding mix, gelatin & milk, cooking according to the package directions for pudding. Cool.
• When cake has cooled, cut it into three 10"x5" rectangles, placing one on a serving platter & spreading half of the pudding mixture over the top of it. Repeat this layering, then top that off with the 3rd layer of cake.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese & butter until fluffy, then beat in the sugar & cocoa & then the vanilla until smooth.
• Frost top & sides of the cake. Store in the refrigerator.

LAYERED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) cake pans and line with parchment. Butter the parchment. Sift together the cocoa, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl. Into a separate bowl, sift the cake flour.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and butter until very light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. With mixer on medium speed, add the eggs in two batches, scraping bowl occasionally, until incorporated. Beat the batter on high speed 1 minute.
• Lower the mixer speed to low; add the sifted cocoa mixture and mix until just combined. Alternately, add flour in three parts with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. With motor running, gradually add the hot water; beat until just combined. Scrape the bowl thoroughly and beat on low speed for 30 seconds.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until the cake pulls away from sides of pan, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool in pans 30 minutes; remove from pans to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the filling.
• To make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine 2 1/2 cups water, sugar, corn syrup and cocoa. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and the remaining 1/2 cup water; stir into cocoa mixture. Return to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, boil 4 minutes or until the mixture is very thick and cornstarch is cooked. Remove from heat; stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl and cover the surface directly with plastic wrap; cool completely. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, before using.
• To make the frosting: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and chocolates; microwave until melted. Stir thoroughly to combine, then set aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk the eggs, sugar, and salt until combined; whisk in water. Cook the egg mixture over medium to medium-high heat until it registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer, stirring constantly with a whisk (create as little foam as possible). Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; whisk in the reserved chocolate mixture. Cool completely; refrigerate until stiff enough to spread, about 2 hours and up to overnight.
• To assemble: Cut the tops off the cake layers to make them flat and even on top. Place the bottom layer with trimmed-side facing up on a serving platter; spread blackout filling on top. Place the top layer with trimmed-side facing down on top of the filling. Coat the cake with the frosting.

CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 3 circles of waxed paper or parchment paper to fit the bottoms of the pans, then press them in.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and eggs and mix until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix. Add 1/2 of the flour, then 1/2 of the sour cream and mix. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream. Drizzle in the hot coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin. Pour into the prepared pans and bake until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), about 35 minutes. Halfway through the baking, quickly rotate the pans in the oven to ensure even baking, but otherwise try not to open the oven. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely before frosting.
• Frosting: In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Drizzle in the melted chocolate and mix. Add the coffee and vanilla and mix. Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix until well blended and fluffy. To frost the cake, use a spatula to cover 2 of the cake layers with frosting. Stack them together. Flip the third cake layer over and rest it on the top to create a very flat top for the cake. Frost on the sides and top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

LAYERED PRINCESS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in water., Pour into prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency; remove 1-1/2 cups frosting and set aside. Tint remaining frosting with pink gel food coloring until desired color is reached; tint reserved frosting a lighter shade of pink., If cake layers have rounded tops, trim with a serrated knife to make level. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake., For decoration, place melted candy coating in piping bag fitted with a small round tip; pipe star shapes onto waxed paper. Let stand until set. If desired, coat star shapes with edible gold spray paint or edible gold paint; sprinkle with edible gold glitter. Top cake with assorted sprinkles. Place light pink frosting in piping bag fitted with large star tip; pipe onto top of cake. Just before serving, gently stand one star on top of cake. Adhere remaining stars to sides of cake by gently pressing into frosting.

REALLY GOOD CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, turn off heat and whisk in the cocoa until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
• Place the rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Butter 2 (8 by 2-inch) round cake pans, line the bottoms with circles of parchment and butter the parchment. Dust them with flour, shaking off excess flour. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, add the cold butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat on slow to combine and raise to medium-high speed for 8 to 10 minutes until the butter is almost completely incorporated into the mixture.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the cocoa liquid in 2 additions of each, stopping to scrape the bowl occasionally, mixing just until combined.
• Evenly divide the batter between the 2 cake pans (I weigh them to get them even.) Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the cake springs back when gently pressed and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then place on wire racks to finish cooling completely.
• Make the frosting: Put the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water, do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir the chips occasionally until melted, and remove from the heat to cool.
• In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar, cocoa and salt and set aside.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.
• On low speed, slowly add the confectioners' sugar mixture to the butter mixture, combining well. Add the melted chocolate and the sour cream and vanilla, mixing just until combined. It's best to use it as soon as soon as it is made.
• To assemble the cake: If the layers are a little uneven, then level the top of each layer. Using a serrated knife, split the first layer in half and place on a cake plate. Spread 1 cup of the frosting on top of the layer and spread to the edges. Add the next layer and spread another cup of frosting over it. Split the other layer in half, spread with another 1 cup of frosting, turn the top layer upside down so that the bottom is on top, and pile on the rest of the frosting, evenly spreading it all over the top and the sides, swirling as you go. Yum!
• (Hints: I stick a 12-inch wooden skewer in the center of the cake to secure it while I frost it, and remove it before finishing frosting the cake. And, I lay strips of waxed paper under the cake to keep the cake plate clean as I frost the cake.).

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Combine water, chocolate and coffee powder in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts and coffee powder dissolves. Remove from heat. Cool.
• Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in chocolate mixture. Mix flour and baking soda in medium bowl. Add to butter mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in sour cream.
• Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer pans to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)
• For frosting:
• Melt butter and chocolate in small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Transfer to large bowl; cool. Add sugar, cream and vanilla; beat until smooth. If necessary, refrigerate until firm enough to spread.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over top. Top with another cake layer. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over top. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over sides and top of cake in decorative swirls. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at cool room temperature.)

GLAZED CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake: Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Coat two 10 1/2-by-15 1/2-inch jelly-roll baking pans with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a bowl, whisk together flour and teaspoon salt.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs, yolks, and sugar on medium-high, 2 minutes; increase speed to high and beat until pale and thick, 5 minutes. Sift flour mixture over egg mixture; with a large rubber spatula, fold together until almost blended. Pour butter down side of bowl, folding to combine. Divide batter between pans; smooth with a table knife. Immediately transfer pans to oven and bake until cakes are golden brown and springy when pressed, 6 to 7 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Let cool completely.
• Make filling: In a large bowl, stir together egg yolks, mascarpone, sugar, cocoa, orange zest (if using), and pinch of salt. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and pinch of salt until soft peaks form. With a large rubber spatula, fold one-third whites into mascarpone mixture; fold in remainder.
• Invert cakes onto a work surface and gently peel off parchment. Using a serrated knife, trim cakes to measure 10 by 15 inches, then cut each crosswise into thirds. Place 1 cake layer, golden side up, on a platter; brush with brandy and spread with 1 cup filling. Repeat with remaining cake, brandy, and filling, ending with a layer of brandy-brushed cake. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
• Make Chocolate Glaze. Pour over top of cake and spread so it drips down sides (or spread along sides). Cover and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

CHOCOLATE LAYERED CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. , Pour into a greased and floured 9-in. round baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, vanilla and enough water to achieve spreading consistency., Cut cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.