Red Wine Chocolate Cake With Vanilla Buttercream Recipes

RED WINE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°(F). Cut out three 9-inch round segments of parchment paper to line your cake pans with. Spray each pan generously - sides and bottom - with nonstick cooking spray, then place the parchment paper cut out in the bottom of the pans and spray again. It's important to make sure every bit of pan and paper are sprayed so your cakes don't get stuck. Set pans aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, combine both sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. Use your hands to break up any large clumps of brown sugar, if needed. Set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, milk, wine, oil, and vanilla extract; whisk well until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Pour in hot water and continue mixing until completely combined; about 1 minute.
• Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool cakes in the pans, placed on a cooling rack, for 15 minutes, before removing from pans and transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-speed until completely smooth. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the confectioners' sugar, beating until all of the sugar is completely combined. Add in the salt and chocolate and beat smooth. Beat in the wine. Once all of the ingredients have been incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for a full minute.
• Using a serrated knife, carefully trim the raised top of each cake, making each one an even, level surface. Transfer 1 layer to a large plate or cake stand. Spread an even layer of frosting on top, then top with another cake layer, and repeat. Top with the final cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Slice and serve, or keep refrigerated for about a week.

CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line bottom with parchment; butter parchment. Stir together boiling water, cocoa, and chocolate; let cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
• Beat butter with sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla, then chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream, until just combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes (top will not spring back). Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack and remove parchment; let cool completely. Cake can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic.
• Spread buttercream evenly over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with chocolate curls. (Leftovers can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, up to 3 days; return to room temperature before serving.)

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE RED WINE BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan well with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and butter. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add the vanilla; beat 1 more minute. Add a third of the dry ingredients and mix on low to combine. Add half of the wine and mix on low to combine. Repeat. Finish with the last addition of dry ingredients and the chocolate chips and fold in with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few crumbs, about 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and wine until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Allow the glaze to set for 30 minutes before serving.

VANILLA CAKE WITH VANILLA SWISS BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For the vanilla cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line three 9-inch round cake pans with parchment circles and spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Combine the butter, oil and 2 cups sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each egg. Beat in 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste until incorporated.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add a third of the dry ingredients to the mixer and beat on low speed. Add half of the buttermilk and beat until just incorporated. Alternate dry and wet ingredients, ending with the dry and scraping down the bowl as needed until the batter is smooth.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and bake until the cakes are lightly golden and the centers spring back to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, to make the cake syrup, combine the remaining 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste with 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
• For the vanilla Swiss buttercream: Bring a medium saucepan filled with 2 inches of water to a simmer. Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and set the bowl over the simmering pot. Continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch, 1 to 2 minutes. Wipe the condensation from the bottom of the bowl and attach it to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg white mixture on medium-high speed until the whites are glossy and the underside of the bowl is no longer warm, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running, begin adding a few chunks of butter at a time. Continue to add all the butter in this way until the buttercream is smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla bean paste and salt.
• For the assembly: Trim the tops of the cakes, if necessary. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of each layer of cake with the cake syrup, allowing it to soak in slightly. Add about 1 1/2 cups of buttercream to the top of the first cake and smooth it into an even layer with an offset spatula. Place the second cake on top of the first and add another layer of buttercream. Place the last cake on top and frost just the top with the remaining buttercream. Arrange some of the blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries decoratively around the top edge of the cake. Serve with the remaining berries on the side.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH VANILLA-BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Sift cocoa over a medium bowl; whisk in boiling coffee and milk. Let cool; set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt into another medium bowl; set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix butter using a rubber spatula until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pour in cooled cocoa mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
• Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pans (about 4 cups in each pan). Bake for 20 minutes, rotate pans, and bake until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into center of cake, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove cakes from oven, and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes. Carefully run a small offset spatula around edge of cakes to loosen from pan. Invert cakes onto a wire rack. Let cook completely, about 1 hour.
• To assemble, using a serrated knife, level the top surface of each cake layer. Place four strips of parchment paper around the perimeter of the lazy susan. Place the first layer on the lazy susan. Spread with 3/4 cup buttercream. Top with the remaining layer, bottom-side up. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the top and sides of cake, called a crumb coat. Chill until the buttercream is set, at least 30 minutes.
• Apply the final coat of buttercream. Smooth the sides with a bench scraper or large offset spatula held steady at a 45-degree angle while turning the lazy susan.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottom of each with a round of wax paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together hot water and cocoa powder in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
• Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour and cocoa mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture (batter may look curdled).
• Divide batter between cake pans, smoothing tops. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean and edges of cake begin to pull away from sides of pans, 25 to 35 minutes total. Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, removing wax paper, and cool completely.
• Assemble cake:
• Put 1 cake layer, rounded side up, on a cake stand or platter and, using offset spatula, spread top with about 1 cup buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer, rounded side down, and frost side and top of cake with 2 cups buttercream.
• Decorate cake:
• For each color (you can make up to 5), transfer 3 tablespoons buttercream to a separate small bowl and tint with food coloring. Snip off 1 corner of each plastic bag to create a 1/4-inch opening, then spoon each color of buttercream into a bag, pressing out excess air. Twist each bag firmly just above buttercream, then decoratively pipe colored buttercream onto cake. Chill cake until buttercream is set, about 30 minutes.
• Just before serving, arrange 6 to 8 mini cupcakes on top of cake in 1 layer, then stack remaining mini cupcakes on top.
• *Wilton Paste Food Coloring available at wilton.com.