MILE-HIGH CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM RECIPE | EPICURIOUS.COM
The attraction of mile-high desserts is undeniable. Unfortunately, the taste doesn't always pay off. Sometimes there is an imbalance in the layering (too much filling, too much frosting), so we tried to balance this version flavorwise while still making it look delicious. The base is a chocolate cake we use regularly at the bakery; we filled it with a not-too-sweet buttercream. A cake this tall covered in white frosting would be too sweet, so instead we added a chocolate glaze that drips down the sides.
Provided by @MakeItYours
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- For cake:
- Butter three 8-inch-diameter cake
- pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom
- of each pan with parchment paper round;
- butter parchment. Dust pans with flour; tap
- out excess. Whisk 11/4 cups hot water, cocoa
- powder, and sour cream in medium bowl
- until smooth; set aside until mixture is cool,
- to 30 minutes.
- Position rack in center of oven and
- preheat to 325°F. Sift next 4 ingredients
- into another medium bowl. Using electric
- mixer, beat butter and shortening in large
- bowl until well blended and smooth. Add
- both sugars; beat until light and fluffy, about
- minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating
- until well blended after each addition. Mix
- in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions
- alternately with cocoa mixture in 2 additions,
- beginning and ending with flour mixture and
- beating just until incorporated. Divide batter
- among prepared pans (about 23/4 cups batter
- for each) and smooth tops.
- Bake cakes until tester inserted into
- center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.
- Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes.
- Run knife around sides of cakes to loosen.
- Invert cakes onto racks and cool completely.
- DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in
- plastic and store at room temperature.
- For vanilla buttercream:
- Combine egg whites and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl of
- stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment;
- scrape in seeds from vanilla bean.
- Combine remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar and
- 3 cup water in medium saucepan. Stir over
- medium heat until sugar dissolves. Attach
- candy thermometer to side of pan, making
- sure that bulb of thermometer is immersed in
- syrup. Increase heat; boil until temperature
- registers 238°F to 240°F (soft-ball stage),
- about 5 minutes. Immediately remove syrup
- from heat (use within 2 minutes).
- Meanwhile, beat egg white mixture on
- medium speed until very soft peaks form
- (mixture will be slightly opaque).
- Increase mixer speed to high and slowly
- pour hot syrup down side of bowl into
- egg white mixture in slow steady stream;
- beat until meringue forms stiff peaks. Cool
- meringue in bowl until lukewarm (instant read
- thermometer will register 100°F), about
- minutes. Do not beat.
- Start beating meringue again on
- medium speed of stand mixer. Gradually add
- butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time, beating
- constantly until absorbed before adding next
- addition. Continue beating until buttercream
- is smooth. (If buttercream looks broken or
- curdled, place mixer bowl with buttercream
- over medium heat on stove burner and
- whisk with large whisk for 5 to 10 seconds
- to warm mixture slightly, then remove from
- heat and whisk vigorously or attach bowl
- to stand mixer and beat mixture again on
- medium speed. Repeat warming and beating
- buttercream mixture as many times as
- needed until buttercream is smooth and no
- longer curdled.)
- Using serrated knife, cut each cake in
- half horizontally, forming 6 cake layers. If
- necessary, trim any domed tops of cakes
- to form even layers. Place 1 cake layer
- on platter. Drop 3/4 cup buttercream by
- tablespoonfuls over top of cake layer, then
- spread evenly to edges with offset spatula.
- Top with second cake layer, then spread 3/4
- cup buttercream over. Repeat with 3 more
- cake layers, spreading 3/4 cup buttercream
- over each and pressing slightly to adhere.
- Top with 6th cake layer (do not spread
- buttercream over top cake layer). Chill cake
- at least 1 hour.
- For chocolate glaze:
- Combine both
- chocolates in medium bowl. Bring cream and
- corn syrup to simmer in heavy saucepan.
- Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate; let
- stand 2 minutes. Whisk chocolate mixture
- until melted and smooth. Add butter;
- whisk until melted. Chill glaze until slightly
- thickened and glaze drips thickly when
- poured slowly from spoon, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Spoon glaze around top edge of cake by
- teaspoonfuls, spacing drips up to 2 inches
- apart and allowing glaze to drip slowly down
- sides of cake. Spoon remaining glaze over
- top center of cake and smooth with offset
- spatula, covering top completely. Chill cake
- until glaze sets, at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD:
- Can be made 1 day ahead. Tent with foil
- and keep chilled. Let cake stand at room
- temperature 1 hour before serving.
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