Dark Chocolate Birthday Cake

I love to celebrate birthdays (Especially when they're not my own.)  A couple of weeks ago, I got to celebrate the birthday of a very special friend.   She is a wonderful person and I wanted to make her a cake that was just as sweet as she is. 

A dark chocolate four layer cake filled with fluffy whipped cream and topped with a rich chocolate ganache should fit the bill. 

I found this recipe for chocolate cake on chasingdelicious.com.  I followed the directions for the cake pretty closely but I swapped out the dark chocolate filling for a lighter whipped cream filling.  I also skipped the milk chocolate buttercream frosting that was on the pictured his cake.   I was a little worried that adding all that chocolate might be too much for some people.   (Not everyone is a chocoholic like me.)   You can decide for yourself which version of this delicious cake you would like to make. 


Dark Chocolate Birthday Cake
2 cups + 2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup freshly brewed coffee
20 Tablespoons butter

Line two 9" round cake pans with parchment.  I cut my parchment the old fashioned way.  I trace the bottom of my pan onto the paper with a sharpie and then I cut out the circle with scissors. 

 Spray with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350.









Combine sugar, cocoa, flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Beat eggs for 1 minute.

Add buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla.

 







Add dry ingredients.








Add melted butter and coffee.

 
Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake 37 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes in pan then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

 

I sliced each layer in half to make 4 equal cake layers.  I spread whipped cream on the bottom layer, topped that with another layer of cake and repeated that process 2 more times. 

Now it was decision time.   I didn't want to take away from the rich, moist cake by adding a chocolate buttercream but I didn't want to leave my cake unfrosted either.  My solution?  Pour a thick layer of chocolate ganache over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides. 

My cake was nearly finished.  One last sprinkle of white chocolate shavings on the top, a few candles and my birthday cake was complete. 

Happy Birthday sweet friend.

Ciao!



Dark Chocolate Birthday Cake
2 cups + 2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup freshly brewed coffee
20 Tablespoons butter

Line 2 9" round cake pans with parchment.  Spray with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350.  Combine sugar, cocoa, flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Beat eggs for 1 minute.  Add buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients.  Add melted butter and coffee.  Divide batter between prepared pans.  Bake 37 minutes.