Chocolate Layer Cake With Mocha Frosting And Almonds Recipes

MOCHA ALMOND FUDGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare 3 8-inch round baking pans, line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the sides. Prepare your bake even stripes if desired.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until the eggs and oil are well incorporated and the batter is lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
• Next mix in the sour cream and beat until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt. Add half the dry ingredients and beat on low speed while pouring in half of the coffee and mix just until the flour starts to incorporate.
• Finally add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing on low speed while pouring in the remaining coffee and beating until all of the ingredients are well combined.
• Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it's well mixed.
• Divide the batter evenly between the three pans, about 1 2/3 cups of batter per pan. Bake at 350°F for 20-24 minutes. Rotate your pans in the oven halfway through baking.
• Test the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
• Cut the butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip butter for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Beat until butter looks light in color.
• Next add the powdered sugar, espresso powder and liquid ingredients. Beat at a low speed until the ingredients start to incorporate.
• Once incorporated, whip at a high speed for 2-3 minutes until the frosting is light and airy. Place the frosting in a large piping bag and snip the end of the bag off about ½-inch up.
• Cut the butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip butter for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Beat until butter looks light in color. Next, beat the cocoa powder into the butter until well mixed.
• Alternate adding 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time with the liquid ingredients: vanilla extract & heavy cream. Ensure all the powdered sugar is well combined, and once completed, whip for 3-4 minutes until the frosting is light and airy.
• level off your cakes by removing any domes. Place a dollop of frosting on your cake board and place the bottom layer of cake on top.
• Pipe half of the filling on the first layer by making 3 concentric circles from the outside edge to the middle, leaving a gap in between the circles.
• Heat the hot fudge sauce for 30-45 seconds until it's warm (but not hot) and can be evenly stirred. Place the fudge in piping bag and cut off the tip. Fill in the gaps between the circles of frosting with hot fudge.
• Spread evenly with an offset spatula to smooth out the top. Add the second layer of cake and repeat the above steps. Place the third layer of cake on top.
• Take your offset spatula and spread any excess frosting from the edges around the outside of the cake.
• Next, add a thin crumb coat with your chocolate frosting, making sure to fill in any gaps between the layers. Refrigerate this cake for 20 minutes.
• Take ¾ of the remaining frosting and place in a large piping bag fitted with tip 789 (cake icing tip) or other large open round piping tip.
• Pipe the chocolate frosting around the edges of the cake. Then use an offset spatula or icing smoother to create a smooth edge.
• Use your hands to press the sliced almonds along the bottom edge of the cake.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. Melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments.
• Once the chocolate is fully melted add the corn syrup and stir the mixture until it's well mixed. Add additional heavy whipping cream if needed to thin the chocolate. Use a spoon or piping bag to drizzle the ganache along the edges of the cake.
• Use remaining chocolate frosting to pipe large rosettes on top of your cake and garnish with sliced almonds.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MOCHA FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl. On medium speed, add the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In another bowl or a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the hot water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder until smooth. Add the half-and-half and whisk until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the flour and chocolate mixtures alternately in thirds, starting and ending with the flour. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl to be sure the batter is well mixed.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. Turn out onto a flat platter or board and frost the top with the Mocha Frosting. Cut in squares and serve.
• Place the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder in a bowl. Heat the cream to simmer and pour it over the chocolate mixture, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted. (If the chocolate isn't melted, microwave the mixture for 15 seconds.) Stir in the Kahlua and vanilla and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes only, until cool but not cold.
• Scrape down the bowl and beat the frosting with a handheld mixer on high speed for 15 to 20 seconds only, until the mixture forms soft peaks. (If you overbeat it, it will curdle!) Spread on the cake immediately with a metal spatula.

MOCHA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee and sour cream, beating well after each addition. , Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in the chocolate, coffee and vanilla until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

MOCHA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, coffee, oil and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into two greased and floured 8-in. round baking pans. , Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; invert onto a wire rack. Sprinkle each cake with 1/4 cup chocolate chips; when melted, gently spread chocolate over cakes. Place cakes in the freezer. , Meanwhile, for frosting, in a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in cocoa and extract. Beat in 5 tablespoons coffee, 1 tablespoon at a time until light and fluffy. Spread between layers and over the top and sides of cake. , In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and remaining coffee; stir until smooth. Pour over cake; carefully spread over the top, allowing it to drizzle down the sides.

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.

ALMOND LAYER CAKE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Pulse 2 cups flour, the baking powder, salt and almonds in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground into a powder, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the egg whites, milk, and vanilla and almond extracts in a medium bowl until combined.
• Beat 1 stick butter and the granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, until just combined.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool in the pans. (The cakes can be frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 weeks. Unwrap and thaw at room temperature.)
• Make the frosting: Microwave the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second intervals, stirring, until melted; set aside. Beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 4 minutes. Gently fold in the melted white chocolate with a rubber spatula. (The frosting can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days. Beat with a mixer to soften just before frosting the cake.)
• Assemble the cake: Loosen the edges of the cakes with a knife, then invert 1 layer onto a platter and peel off the parchment. Spread 1 to 1 1/2 cups frosting on top. Remove the other layer from the pan, peel off the parchment and carefully place on top of the first layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting (this is the "crumb coat"; it doesn't have to be perfect). Chill 15 minutes, then cover with the remaining frosting and decorate with nonpareils.