Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with baking or parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Boil the kettle and pour out 1/2 cup of hot water and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, add butter, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and stir briefly. Add butter mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add hot water and stir until chocolate cake batter is smooth. It will be a thin batter - that's ok.
• Place in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the frosting, place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy. Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a microwave, stirring in between 20 second bursts, until just melted and set aside.
• Add half the sugar and one tablespoon of milk and beat until combined. Add the remaining sugar and beat until smooth.
• Add melted chocolate, ensuring the chocolate is still smooth and melted but is not warm. Beat until the chocolate is completely mixed through. If frosting is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk. Generously frost the top and sides of the cake using a spatula. Sprinkle over chocolate chips.

COCOA-BUTTERMILK LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Prep the cake materials: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter two 9 x 2-inch round cake pans with a pastry brush, dust the interiors with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.
• For the cake: Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Beat the butter until soft and creamy in a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl. Add the sugar and beat until it is thoroughly blended with the butter, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through for even mixing. Add the eggs yolks one at a time, then the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beginning with the dry ingredients, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the buttermilk in 2. Mix only until each new batch is blended into the batter (i.e., do not overmix). Scrape down the bowl and, if you want, add the melted chocolate, folding it in with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter between the cake pans. Bake for 26-30 minutes, or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans.
• For the chocolate malt buttercream: Add the chocolate and half the brown sugar to a heatproof bowl; set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to temper (melt) the chocolate and sugar, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Meanwhile, whisk the malt powder and cocoa together in a small bowl; add 3 tablespoons of boiling water and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• In the stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the salt and vanilla extract, then reduce the mixer speed to low.
• When the chocolate and sugar are melted, remove heatproof bowl from the saucepan. Whisking the melted chocolate gently, gradually pour in the malt-cocoa mixture and stir to thoroughly incorporate: it should be dark, smooth, and glossy. Add this chocolate mixture to the stand mixer and mix until smooth, pausing to scrape down the bowl. Still working on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar. When all the sugar is in, raise the mixer speed to medium and beat for a couple of minutes. If the frosting is too thin, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes.
• Remove the cakes from the oven; transfer to racks and cool for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them, and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (Note: Once the layers are cooled, they can be wrapped airtight and left at room temperature overnight or kept frozen for up to 2 months.)
• Assemble the cake: Place one layer on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Frost the top of the layer, then cover with the second layer of cake. Frost the top and sides (optional) of the cake, smoothing the buttercream for a sleek look or using a spatula, knife, or spoon to swirl it for a more exuberant look. Remove the paper strips after the cake is frosted. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour (or for up to 1 day, if that's more convenient) to set the frosting, then bring it to room temperature before serving.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• 2. Place flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix on low to combine. Keeping the mixer on low , add oil, buttermilk, then eggs one at a time. Add hot coffee in a thin stream, pouring down the side of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix until batter is smooth. Divide into pans and back until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pans for at least 20 minutes.
• 3. Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and bringing it to a boil. Place chocolate chips and cream in a stainless steel mixing bowl (I used glass) and set on top of simmering water, Allow mixture to melt-do not stir right away, When chocolate has melted, stir it with a whisk. Allow to cool at room temperature.
• 4. Remove cakes from pans. Place one layer of cake on a serving plate. Trim the top with a serrated knife to make it even (although I didn't find this necessary). Place a scoop of ganache in the middle and smooth it out to the edges using a palette knife or spatula. Trim the top off the other layer and place the untrimmed side down on the top of the frosted layer, pressing gently. Spoon more ganache on the top and smooth it around the sides, adding more ganache as needed to cover. If you need to apply a second coat of ganache, put the cake in the refridgerator for no more than 15 minutes to set before adding a second coat (although I found myself with a surplus of frosting). Makes a single 9-inch layer cake.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-BUTTERMILK LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• 1 . Heat oven to 350°F Grease and flour two 9- or 8-inch round pans. Place 3/4 cup of the white chocolate chunks in small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on Medium (50%) 1 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once halfway through cooking time. Stir until smooth.
• 2 . In large bowl, combine cake mix, buttermilk, vanilla and egg whites; beat at low speed about 30 seconds to mix. Gradually beat in melted butter. Drizzle melted white chocolate into bowl, beating at medium speed 2 minutes, thoroughly scraping side and bottom of bowl once halfway through beating. Spoon batter evenly into pans.
• 3 . Bake until tops spring back when touched lightly in center. Bake 9-inch pans 25 to 30 minutes, 8-inch pans 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; place on wire racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• 4 . Meanwhile, place remaining 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chunks in medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on Medium (50%) 3 to 6 minutes or until melted, stirring once halfway through cooking time. Stir until smooth. Cool completely, about 35 minutes.
• 5 . Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread with strawberry jam. Top with remaining cake layer.
• 6 . In medium bowl, beat cream cheese at medium speed until soft and fluffy. Add cooled melted white chocolate; beat until of soft spreading consistency. Immediately frost side and top of cake. Arrange strawberry halves on top of cake around edge. Store in refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK LAYER CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE PUDDING FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake:
• Line the bottom of 3 buttered 8-inch round (2-inch-deep) cake pans with wax paper, butter the paper, and dust the pans with flour, knocking out the excess. Into a bowl sift together the flour, the cocoa powder, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together the sugar and the butter until the mixture is combined well, add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition, divide the batter among the pans, smoothing the tops, and bake the layers in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans on racks for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of each pan, invert the layers onto the racks, and let them cool completely. The cake layers may be made 2 days in advance and kept chilled, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
• Make the frosting:
• In a heavy saucepan whisk together the sugar, the cornstarch, a pinch of salt, and the chocolate and whisk in the boiling water. Bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly, and simmer it, whisking, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the liqueur, transfer the mixture to a metal bowl, and with an electric mixer beat in the butter, beating until the butter is incorporated. Set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and beat the frosting until it is light and holds soft peaks.
• Assemble the cake:
• On a cake stand arrange 1 cake layer, spread the top with some of the frosting, and top the frosting with a second cake layer. Spread the second layer with some of the remaining frosting and top the frosting with the remaining layer. Spread the side and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. The cake may be assembled 4 hours in advance and kept at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK CAKE

Steps:

• Grease three 9 inch cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a small pan over low heat, combine 1cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup water. Stir until chocolate chips have melted, and mixture is smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Sift together flour, soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter or margarine with the sugar. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate mixture. Stir flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend until smooth. Divide batter into three 9 inch pans, and smooth tops.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert on wire racks; turn right side up to cool completely.
• Place 1 cake layer upside down on cake platter. Spread with 1/2 inch layer chocolate whipped cream. Repeat with another cake layer. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost with remaining cream.
• To Make Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting: In small saucepan over low heat stir 1 cup chocolate chips, honey, 2 tablespoons water and 1/8 teaspoon salt until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth; cool completely. In medium bowl beat cream until it holds its shape. Gradually fold about 3 large tablespoons cream into chocolate mixture, then fold chocolate mixture into remaining whipped cream until blended.