Really Good Chocolate Layer Cake Recipes

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.).

"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!

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.

BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line three 9-in. round baking pans with waxed paper; grease and flour the pans and paper. Set aside., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a small heavy saucepan, melt chips and butter over low heat. Transfer to a large bowl; cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. If desired, top with chocolate curls. Refrigerate leftovers.

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.

VERY GOOD CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl. In a separate bowl, pour the hot coffee over the chopped chocolate, and allow chocolate to melt completely.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together until well blended the eggs and vegetable oil, followed by the sour cream, vanilla, and coffee-chocolate mixture. Stir the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients by thirds, stirring well after each addition until completely blended.
• Divide the batter evenly between two buttered and floured parchment-lined 9-inch cake pans. Drop each cake pan once onto the counter from a height of 3 inches to remove any air pockets (these would cause holes or tunnels in the baked cake layers.)
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until the cake springs back slightly when gently tapped in the center OR when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove immediately to cooling racks, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out of the pans. Allow cakes to cool completely before peeling off the parchment bottoms and frosting.
• Enjoy the most moist, rich, chocolate chocolate cake you'll ever eat!