Chocolate Cake With Coffee Buttercream Recipes

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH COFFEE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line each of them with parchment, grease the parchment and dust the pans and parchment with cocoa powder. Set them aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder, sour cream and hot water. Set aside for later.
• In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until it is light and fluffy.
• Add the sugars to the bowl of the mixer and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the vanilla, and beat well.
• With the mixer on low, add the whisked dry ingredients alternately with the cocoa mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Give the mixture a last stir by hand before dividing among the three prepared pans.
• Bake the cake layers for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake will pull away from the sides of the pan when the cake is done.
• Let the cake cool in the pans for 30 minutes before flipping them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap them in plastic wrap to store them.
• Place the wrapped cake layers in the freezer while you prepare the buttercream.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and flour. Whisk in the milk and cream, and cook over medium heat, whisking often until the mixture boils and thickens. This takes a good 15 minutes.
• Transfer the thickened mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until the mixture is completely cooled, about 10 minutes (don't just feel the bowl, check the mixture itself to be sure it has cooled!).
• Reduce the speed to low and add the butter, mixing until it is thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high to make the frosting light and fluffy.
• Add the vanilla and the espresso (or coffee extract) to taste.
• Trim the cake layers so that they are flat and levelled.
• Place one cake layer in the center of a serving plate. Place parchment strips to cover the exposed plate and catch any buttercream/ganache drips.
• Top the first layer with 1 1/4 cups buttercream. Place the second layer over the buttercream, and repeat with another 1 1/4 cup of buttercream and the third layer.
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with what's left of buttercream. Place the cake in the fridge while you make the chocolate glaze.
• Place the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in the top of a double boiler.
• Stir the mixture with a small spatula until the ingredients have melted and the glaze is smooth.
• Take the pan off the heat, and stir for a few minutes to allow the glaze to cool and thicken a little.
• Slowly pour the glaze over the top of the cake, pushing tiny droplets down the sides.
• Let the glaze set for a few minutes before decorating the cake with a few chocolate pearls.
• Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes to set the glaze. The cake should be served at room temperature.

COFFEE-CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, milk, coffee, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. , Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.

WHIPPED CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Barely melt the chocolate in a double boiler over gentle heat. Remove from the heat source and pour into a large mixing bowl then cool for five minutes. Add the butter, cream, vanilla, coffee-flavored liqueur, and mix on medium speed until the mixture thickens. Finally add the confectioners' sugar in small batches until the mixture holds a medium peak. If the kitchen temperature is warm, and the icing is not of spreading consistency place the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes, then recommence mixing. Slather the icing over the cake with an offset palette knife.

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.

DEEP CHOCOLATE TORTE WITH COFFEE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Make the cake layers:
• Line 2 greased jelly-roll pans, 15 by 10 by 1 inch each, with wax paper and butter and flour the paper, shaking out the excess. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg yolks, add slowly 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, beating, and beat the mixture until it is thick and pale and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted. Add the chocolate and combine the batter well. In another large bowl with clean beaters beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar slowly, and beat the mixture until it just holds stiff peaks. Stir one fourth of the whites into the yolk mixture, fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly, and pour the batter into the pans, spreading it evenly. Bake the cake layers in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans, covered with kitchen towels, on large racks. Invert the cake layers onto the racks and remove the wax paper carefully.
• Make the buttercream:
• In a small heavy saucepan dissolve the sugar in 1/3 cup water over moderate heat, stirring, bring the mixture to a boil, and boil it until it registers 240°F. on a candy thermometer. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are frothy, add the sugar syrup in a thin stream, beating, and beat the mixture until it is cool. Beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, the espresso mixture, and a pinch of salt and beat the buttercream until it is combined well. If necessary, chill the buttercream, covered, until it is firm enough to spread.
• Make the ganache:
• In a large heavy saucepan bring the cream just to a boil and remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir the mixture until it is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill it, covered, stirring occasionally, until it is cool and thickened, but do not let it solidify. Beat the mixture until it just forms soft peaks, but do not overbeat it or it will become granular.
• Assemble the torte:
• Transfer the cake layers to a work surface, trim the edges, and halve each cake layer lengthwise. On a serving plate arrange one of the cake layers, spread it with one third of the preserved, strained, and spread one third of the ganache over the preserves. Top the ganache with another cake layer and layer the remaining preserves, ganache, and cake layers in the same manner, ending with a cake layer. Spread the sides and top of the cake with a very thin layer of the buttercream and chill the torte for 30 minutes. Spread the sides and top of the torte with some of the remaining buttercream, reserving about 1/3 cup of it for making rosettes, and with a pastry comb or the tines of a fork score the buttercream lengthwise. Draw the back of a knife crosswise across the scored buttercream at intervals. Transfer the reserved buttercream to a small pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip, pipe rosettes on top of the torte along the long sides, and intersperse the rosettes with the chocolate coffee beans. The torte may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled. Remove the torte from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.