CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

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Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream image

Categories     Cake     Chocolate     Egg     Dessert     Bake     Easter     Kid-Friendly     Wedding     Vanilla     Spring     Winter     Birthday     Gourmet     Small Plates

Yield Makes 10 to 14 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 cup boiling-hot water
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
4 cups vanilla buttercream
Various food colorings*
Special equipment: a metal offset spatula; several small sealable plastic bags (not pleated)
Garnish: vanilla mini cupcakes

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.

Margie T Woody
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This cake was a bit too sweet for my taste, but the frosting was delicious. I would recommend using less sugar in the cake batter.


Hush Babie
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I'm not a big fan of chocolate cake, but this one was really good. The frosting was especially delicious.


Alexandra Sigal
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This cake was a huge hit at my daughter's graduation party. Everyone loved it!


Jaila Palmer
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The cake was a bit dry, but the frosting was delicious. I would recommend using a different chocolate cake recipe.


Anthony Randolph
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This cake was easy to make and it tasted great! I would definitely make it again.


Rasheed Kudus
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I've made this cake several times now and it always turns out perfect. It's my go-to chocolate cake recipe.


Anthony Baptiste
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This cake was a bit dense for my taste, but the flavor was good.


Kenneth King
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I'm not a big fan of chocolate cake, but this one was really good. The frosting was especially delicious.


Bhuwan Tandon
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This cake was a huge hit at my son's birthday party. It was gone in minutes!


Emad Elshaer
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The cake was a bit too sweet for my taste, but the frosting was delicious. I would recommend using less sugar in the cake batter.


Khan Tamim
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This cake was easy to make and it tasted great! I would definitely make it again.


Odongo Evaline
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I followed the recipe exactly and the cake turned out perfectly. It was moist and fluffy, and the frosting was smooth and creamy. I would definitely recommend this recipe to others.


Sabuz official90s
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This cake was a bit dry for my taste, but the frosting was delicious. I would recommend using a different chocolate cake recipe.


Ahmed Hani
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I was a bit skeptical about this recipe because it seemed too simple, but I was pleasantly surprised. The cake was moist and flavorful, and the frosting was the perfect amount of sweetness.


Younus Bp
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This cake was delicious! The chocolate cake was moist and the vanilla buttercream was light and fluffy. I would definitely recommend this recipe.


durga rai
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I've made this cake several times now and it always turns out perfect. It's so easy to make and the results are always impressive.


Jacob Shontz
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This chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream was a hit at my party! It was moist and delicious, and the frosting was light and fluffy. I will definitely be making this again.