Babs Chocolate Birthday Cake With Buttercream Icing Recipes

BASIC CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• Beat butter and 1/4 cup cocoa powder together in a bowl with an electric mixer on low until light and fluffy. Gradually add milk, remaining 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

BABS CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• For cake: Put oven on to 350°F Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
• In a large bowl, mix together first five (dry) ingredients. Make well in bowl for wet ingredients.
• In a separate medium bowl, mix together oil, milk and eggs. Pour into the well in dry ingredients.
• As you begin to beat the batter, add the cup of hot coffee. Beat until well mixed then for two minutes on high.
• Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick placed in center comes out dry.
• Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and continue to cool on racks until completely cooled. Finish by icing with Buttercream that follows:.
• For Icing: Cream butter and shortening with mixer. Add vanilla extract.
• Gradually add confectioners' sugar while continually beating with mixer. Icing will seem dry.
• Add milk continually, mixing and scraping sides of bowl, until icing appears light and right consistency for icing cake.
• Cover until you are ready to icing. May be stored in refrigerator for 2 weeks if not used completely.
• Makes about 3 cups.

CHOCOLATE LOVER'S CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 9-inch round baking pans.
• Combine 8 ounces baking chocolate and 2 tablespoons cream in a saucepan over low heat; cook and stir until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Beat 1 cup butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer until creamy; mix in sour cream, 1 cup coffee, eggs, and vanilla extract. Slowly beat in melted chocolate mixture until combined.
• Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; beat flour mixture into butter mixture until well combined and smooth. Pour batter into the 3 prepared baking pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Heat 1/2 cup cream and 4 ounces baking chocolate together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in 1/3 cup coffee. Refrigerate mixture until completely cooled, about 30 minutes.
• Beat confectioners' sugar and 1 cup butter into cooled chocolate mixture in a large bowl until fluffy; add more confectioners' sugar until desired consistency is reached.
• Place 1 cake on a serving platter; spread icing on top of cake. Repeat layering with remaining cake and icing; spread icing on top and sides of entire layered cake.

CONFETTI BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. In a large bowl, cream butter, oil and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, then egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Fold in sprinkles., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely., For buttercream, in a large microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and cream. Microwave on high 30 seconds. Stir gently. Continue microwaving on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and blended; cool to room temperature. In another large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and salt. Beat in cooled chocolate. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes., To assemble cake, place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with 1/2 cup frosting. Freeze until set, about 10 minutes. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting.

BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the bottoms of two 9-by-2-inch (23-by-5cm) round cake pans with parchment (baking) paper.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla; set aside.
• Using a stand mixer, beat the butter with the paddle on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and beat until mixture is pale and fluffy. Drizzle in the eggs beating each addition until incorporated before continuing (Stop frequently to let the batter absorb the egg. If the batter begins to look curdled , increase the mixer speed to high and beat until batter looks smooth again). Reduce the speed to medium low and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with the milk mixture in 2 additions, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Beat just until combined.
• Pour the batter into prepared pans and spread it evenly. Bake until the cakes are puffed and a skewer inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Run a table knife around the edges of the pans and invert the cakes unto plates.
• To make the frosting, chop the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl in a saucepan over, but not touching, barely simmering water. Heat until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Do not allow any water or steam to come in contact with the chocolate, or it will become stiff and grainy. Or, chop the chocolate in large pieces, place in a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on low for 1 minute. Continue to microwave if necessary, checking every 20 seconds, until the chocolate looks softened, then stir until smooth and liquid.
• Using a stand mixer, beat the butter with the paddle on medium speed until it is the consistency of mayonnaise. It should not be melted. Transfer to another bowl and thoroughly wash and dry the mixer bowl.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) of the sugar, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles appear along the edge of the pan.
• Using the stand mixer, beat the egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup (4 oz./100 g) sugar with the whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and pour in the hot milk mixture in a thin stream. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Thoroughly wash and dry the mixer bowl and whisk.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until it registers 170°F (77°C) on an instant read thermometer 5-7 minutes. Pour the mixture back into the mixer bowl and heat with the whisk on medium speed until cool, 5-10 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate. Add the butter in 4 additions, incorporating each addition before adding another.
• To frost the cake, put one layer, top side down, on a serving plate (To protect the plate, place paper strips under and along the edges of the bottom layer.). Peel off the parchment paper. Using a straight frosting spatula, spread evenly with about one third of the buttercream. Invert the other layer, top side down, on the first layer peel off the paper. Refrigerate the cake 30 minutes to firm the frosting; keep the remaining buttercream at room temperature. Spread the buttercream on the top and sides cake (Put the frosting in the center of the top of the cake and smooth it evenly. The frosting will cover the top in a thick layer. Evenly smooth the frosting from the top of the cake down the sides, turning the cake as you work. As you cover the side, hold the spatula almost perpendicular to the top of the cake. Holding the spatula almost horizontal to the cake's top, smooth the top with long strokes. Then run the spatula around the sides, making the frosting as smooth as possible. Using short strokes, remove excess frosting from the edge of the top. Discard the waxed paper strips.).
• Refrigerate the cake until 30 minutes before serving to set the frosting.