ATK-OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

ATK-OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE image

Number Of Ingredients 21

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Ingredients

Cake
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), very soft, plus extra for greasing pans
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces), plus extra for dusting pans
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate , coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (3/4 ounce)
1/2 cup hot water
1 3/4 cups sugar (12 1/4 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
Frosting
16 ounces semisweet chocolate , finely chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream (cold)

Steps:

Grease 9x2" cake pans w/butter. Flour dust pans. Mix choc, cocoa & hot water in med glass bowl. Set bowl in saucepan w/1" of simmering water. Stir until choc is melted-2 mins. Add 1/2 c sugar. Stir until thick/glossy, 1-2 mins. Remove bowl from heat to cool. Whisk flour, baking soda & salt in med bowl. Mix buttermilk & vanilla in sm bowl. In standing mixer, whisk eggs & yolks on med-low speed-10 secs. Add rest of sugar & change speed to high. Whisk until fluffy & lightened in color, 2-3 mins. Replace whisk w/paddle. Add choc mix to egg/sugar mix on med, 30-45 secs. Add butter 1 Tbsp at a time, about 10 secs each time. Add 1/3 of flour mix w/ 1/2 of buttermilk mix, mix well after each addition. Repeat using 1/2 of flour mix & all of buttermilk mix. Add rest of flour mix; mix at med-low speed-15 secs. Fold batter once or twice. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; smooth batter to edges of pan. Use a toothpick inserted into center with a few crumbs attached, 25-30 mins. Cool cakes in pans, 15 mins, then invert onto wire rack. Cool cakes before frosting, 45-60 mins. Melt chocolate in glass bowl set over saucepan w/1" of barely simmering water, stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat. Heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Increase heat to med; add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, & salt. Stir until sugar is dissolved, 4-5 mins. Add melted chocolate, butter mixture, & cream to clean bowl of standing mixer & stir to mix well. Place mixer bowl in ice bath. Stir mixture constantly until frosting is thick & just beginning to harden against sides of bowl, 1-2 mins (frosting should be 70 degrees). Put bowl on standing mixer w/paddle & beat on med-high speed until frosting is light & fluffy, 1-2 mins. Stir until smooth. Place one cake layer on serving platter/cardboard round. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting evenly across top of cake. Place second cake layer on top, spread remaining frosting evenly over top & sides of cake.