TRIPLE-LAYER DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

TRIPLE-LAYER DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE image

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 23

Ingredients

For Cake
1 3/4 cups water
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspooon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar (about 1 pound)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
For Frosting
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup sour cream
White and milk chocolate shavings

Steps:

For cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter three 9 inch cake pans with 1 3/4 inch-high sides. Line bottoms with waxed paper rounds. Butter paper. Bring water & coffee powder to boil in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cocoa & whisk until smooth. Cool completely. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar in four additions, beating well after each addition & scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs & yolks one at a time, beating just to blend after each addition. Using rubber spatula, mix dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beginning & ending with dry ingredients. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Return cakes to pans & cover tightly with foil. Let stand at room temperature.) For frosting: Carefully scrape seeds from vanilla beans into heavy large saucepan (save beans for another use). Add cream, sugar, yolks & salt, blend well. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens & leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 7 minutes; do not boil. Mix in chocolate, butter & corn syrup. Remove from heat; stir until smooth. Mix in sour cream. Transfer frosting to bowl & refrigerate until spreadable, stirring occasionally, approximately 1 hour. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 cup froating over. Repeat with second cake layer & frosting. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top & sides of cake, swirling decoratively. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome & chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.) Sprinkle white & milk chocolate shavings thickly over top of cake.