Cocoa Layer Cake Recipes

COCOA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper rounds; butter parchment. Whisk cocoa and 1/2 cup warm water in small bowl. Whisk buttermilk and 1/2 cup water in another small bowl. Sift flour, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and butter in large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy (mixture will appear granular), about 5 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add beaten eggs, then beat until smooth and fluffy, about 15 seconds. Add cocoa mixture; beat to blend. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter among pans (about 1 3/4 cups each).
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, reversing pans halfway through baking, about 18 minutes. Cool completely in pans on racks.
• For frosting:
• Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, and 1/2 teaspoon (scant) salt. Gradually stir in cream. Stir until mixture is very hot and just begins to simmer at edges. Reduce heat to low; stir 1 minute to let flavors blend. Transfer to medium bowl; stir in vanilla (frosting will resemble chocolate sauce). Chill until just thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Let stand at room temperature.
• Run knife around cake sides. Carefully invert 1 cake onto plate (cake is very tender); peel off parchment. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Invert second cake onto palm of hand. Position cake 2 inches above frosted cake layer. Carefully slide cake onto first cake layer. Peel off parchment. Spread cake with 1⁄2 cup frosting. Repeat with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; let stand at room temperature.
• Cut into wedges and serve.

EASY COCOA 1-LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl.
• Cream butter and sugar in another bowl, add eggs, vanilla and water.
• Mix in dry ingredients.
• Mix well.
• Bake in preheated 350 oven in buttered and floured (or cocoa'd) 9 inch cake pan for about an hour or til cake tests done with a toothpick.
• Cool in pan for an hour then remove to rack and sift powdered sugar over top.

THE BEST COCONUT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and cream of coconut in a small bowl. Beat the butter and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla and coconut extracts. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, until combined.
• Beat the egg whites and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with clean beaters on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter in three batches until just combined (do not overmix). Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cakes are lightly browned and the centers spring back when lightly pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 20 minutes in the pans, then run a small knife around the edges of each cake and carefully invert onto the racks; remove the parchment and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in about half of the confectioners' sugar until combined. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar, salt and vanilla and coconut extracts and beat until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Place one cake layer on a cake stand or platter and top with a heaping 2/3 cup frosting. Add another cake layer, more frosting and the last cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the coconut all over the top and sides of the cake, gently pressing to adhere.

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.

COCOA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in top 1/3 and 1 rack in bottom 1/3 of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter three 9" cake pans with 1 1/2" sides. Line with parchment paper rounds and butter parchment.
• Whisk cocoa and 1/2 cup warm water in small bowl. Whisk butter and 1/2 cup water in second small bowl.
• Sift flour, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoons salt into medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and butter in large bowl until pale yellow and fluffly (will appear granular), about 5 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add beaten eggs, then beat until smooth and fluffly, about 15 seconds. Add cocoa mixture; beat to blend. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter amoung pans (about 1 3/4 cups each).
• Bake cakes until tester comes out clean, reversing pans halfway through baking, about 18 minutes. Cool completely in pans on racks.
• Frosting: Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa, expresso powder, and 1/2 tsp (scant) salt. Gradually stir in cream. Stir until mixturer is very hot and just begins to simmer at edges. Reduce heat to low; stir 1 minute to let flavors blend. Transfer to medium bowl; stir in vanilla (will resemble chocolate sauce). Chill until just thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Let stand at room temperature.
• Run knife around cake sides. Carefully iinvert 1 cake onto plate (cakes will be very tender); peel off parchment. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Invert second cake onto palm of hand. Position cake 2 inches above frosted cake layer. Carefully slide cake onto first cake layer. Peel off parchment. Spread cake with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting on sides and top of cake.
• Can be made one day ahead. Cover with cake dome' let stand at room temperature.

MOIST CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan; dust pan with 2 teaspoons cocoa powder or as needed.
• Whisk cake flour, 3/4 cup cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix sugar and canola oil in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat eggs into sugar and oil, one at a time, blending in the first egg before adding the second. Gradually beat milk, coffee, and vanilla extract into sugar mixture until smooth.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and beat flour mixture into wet ingredients. Stir sour cream into batter. Pour into prepared baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs, about 40 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH COCOA FROSTING

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa and water until smooth; add the oil and butter. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. , In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar; gradually add cocoa mixture, beating until well combined. Beat in buttermilk and eggs. , Pour into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. , Cut cake into four 7-1/2x5-in. rectangles. Wrap two of the rectangles separately in foil; refrigerate or freeze. Set the other two rectangles aside. , For frosting, in a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute (the mixture will appear curdled). , Pour into a large bowl. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until frosting achieves desired spreading consistency. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Unfrosted cakes may be frozen for up to 6 months.