Double Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe Epicuriouscom

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH PEPPERMINT-CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake:
• Position a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Lightly coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray.
• Whisk applesauce and 1 tsp. baking powder in a small bowl. Mix chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour 1 3/4 cups boiling water over and whisk until chocolate is melted. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. baking powder into another medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat mayonnaise, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl (or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add half of applesauce mixture and beat to blend. Add remaining applesauce mixture, then beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, beating to blend after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Divide batter among prepared pans; smooth top.
• Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through, until center is set and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of cakes and invert onto wire rack; remove parchment. Let cool.
• For the frosting:
• Heat chocolate, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium pot of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stirring occasionally, or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in peppermint extract and 1/4 cup water. Chill, stirring every 5 minutes, until frosting thickens, about 25 minutes. If frosting gets too thick, gently reheat over pot of simmering water.
• For the chocolate petals:
• Heat chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium pot of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stirring occasionally, or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Dip clean, dry pastry brush into melted chocolate. Brush a stripe of chocolate about 3" long and 1/8" thick on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill. Repeat process on second parchment-lined baking sheet. Swap trays and go over original brush strokes, repeating and chilling in between coatings and gently reheating chocolate if needed, until stems are 1/4" thick.
• When stems are thick enough, sprinkle one end with crushed candy canes. Chill until set, about 10 minutes.
• For assembly:
• Spread 1 Tbsp. frosting in the center of a platter. Place 1 cake layer, domed side down, on platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting evenly over top. Place remaining cake layer, domed side down, over frosting.
• Spread top and sides of cake with remaining 2 cups frosting, swirling top decoratively. Press chocolate stems into frosting on sides of cake. Serve at room temperature.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be made 3 days ahead; wrap tightly in plastic and chill, or freeze up to 2 weeks. Frosting can be made 5 days ahead; chill, or freeze up to 1 month. Gently reheat over pot of simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts. Chocolate stems can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with spray.
• Whisk water and cocoa in a small bowl until smooth. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, and make a well in center. Add cocoa mixture, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in vinegar. Pour into pan.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake, invert it onto rack, and turn cake right side up. Let cool completely. Transfer cake to a serving plate or a cake stand.
• For the glaze: Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.
• Whisk together sugar and water until smooth. Add melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream, whisking until thickened, about 1 minute. Immediately pour glaze onto center of cooled cake. Using an offset spatula, gently spread glaze over top and sides.

DOUBLE-DEEP-CHOCOLATE HANUKKAH LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Bake cake layers:
• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Oil pans and line bottoms with rounds of parchment, then dust sides only with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together water, coconut milk, 3/4 cup oil, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl until well blended and smooth.
• Sift together flour, sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Divide batter between pans, and bake until a tester comes out clean and layers just begin to pull away from side of pans, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool cake layers in pans on a rack 30 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pans and invert cakes onto rack. Remove parchment and cool completely.
• Make frosting:
• Combine coconut milk, chocolate chips, and espresso powder in a heat-proof bowl. Set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, and heat, whisking occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Remove bowl from pan and whisk in corn syrup and vanilla.
• Chill frosting, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and spreadable, about 2 hours. (To quick-chill, place bowl in the freezer and stir occasionally until chocolate mixture is thickened and spreadable, 20 to 30 minutes.)
• Assemble cake:
• Spread frosting generously between cake layers and over top and sides.

DOUBLE LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease two 10-inch round cake pans. Line with rounds of parchment paper, and grease the paper.
• Combine hot coffee and chocolate chips in a medium bowl; let stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
• Sift sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together into a large bowl.
• Beat eggs in another large bowl with an electric mixer until thickened slightly and lemon colored. Slowly mix in buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Add melted chocolate-coffee mixture; beat until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until well combined; don't overmix. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Remove from the oven and place pans on a wire rack until completely cool, about 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges of the pans and invert layers on to the racks. Remove parchment paper.
• Frost as desired, or wrap each layer securely in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Butter two 8 inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper; butter the paper. Dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess.
• Mix the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt at low speed.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the oil, eggs and vanilla.
• Slowly beat the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just incorporated, then slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a rack to cool completely.
• Peel off the parchment paper.
• FROSTING: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate at high power in 30 second intervals, stirring, until most of the chocolate is melted.
• Stir until completely melted, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Beat the butter at medium speed until pale and fluffy.
• Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat for 1 minute.
• At low speed, slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, about 1 minute.
• In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in 2 teaspoons of hot water.
• Slowly beat the coffee and the cooled chocolate into the butter mixture until just combined.
• Evenly spread 1/3 of the frosting over one cake layer to the edge.
• Top with the second cake layer, rounded side up.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and side of the cake.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
• Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a large bowl of an electric mixer. Add melted chocolate mixture, buttermilk, and eggs. Beat on low speed for 1 minute; increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Divide batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cakes spring back when gently pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes; invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, bring cream just to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips; mix until frosting is smooth and starts to thicken.
• Place 1 cooled cake layer on a cake plate. Spread with 1/3 cup frosting. Top with second layer. Frost the top and sides with remaining frosting.