Category Archives: layer cakes

Triple Chocolate Cake

This cake deserves a better name.
It’s thin layers of my favorite chocolate cake filled with chocolate pudding and frosted with the best buttercream ever to come out of my kitchen. It should have a more creative name than Triple Chocolate Cake.
Other name options included, but were not limited to:

• Fancier Chocolate Cake
• Gertrude’s Chocolate Cake*
• Eleven Layer Chocolate Cake**
• The Chocolate Cake of My Dreams (This Week, Specifically)
• Unnameable Chocolate Cake

*Gertrude is a chihuahua whom I have never met. She cannot actually eat chocolate, nor has she ever baked a thing (as far as I know). Things got weird, okay?
**Six thin layers of cake (three layers, split in half), five layers of pudding.
When all was said and done and over-analyzed, I went with the least ridiculous, most accessible, accurate name. Triple Chocolate Cake it is—the most decadent, chocolaty cake ever to appear on this blog.
Out of the three sources of chocolate in this cake, I’ve already discussed two of them at length. You’ve heard me wax on and on about my stellar chocolate cake and I recently wrote all about my seriously phenomenal chocolate pudding. I could have frosted this cake with a thick layer of chocolate buttercream, but instead I turned the volume up to 11…
…Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream, y’all! The lightest, fluffiest, silkiest chocolate frosting I’ve ever made ❤

Every buttercream that has appeared previously on this site has been some variation on an American Buttercream: a frosting consisting of softened butter, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla. I usually jazz mine up with heavy cream, and while they are all fluffy and luxurious, none are quite as divine as this one, which is airy from whipped egg whites and rich from butter and melted chocolate.
Let me give you a quick overview. It all starts with melting sugar into egg whites…
…and then beating it all into a glossy meringue. Next come two sticks of softened butter…
…and then ten ounces of melted bittersweet chocolate. Oh my word.
Unlike American buttercreams, this one requires a couple of bowls and a little patience, but it is worth every last ounce of effort. I swear, I would eat Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream on a piece of cardboard if it were offered to me…
…but I would much prefer to eat it on chocolate cake. This one specifically.

Triple Chocolate Cake
makes 1 9-inch round cake

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup + 2 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (low fat is fine)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups strong, hot coffee

For Assembly:
1 recipe Chocolate Pudding (about 2 cups)
1 recipe Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream (below)
mini chocolate chips, for garnish (optional)
chocolate sprinkles, for garnish (optional)

Cake layers and Chocolate Pudding may be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 3 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment and grease again. Set aside.

Make the cake batter. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together oil and eggs, followed by vanilla, buttermilk, and coffee. Whisk in dry ingredients in three installments, just until combined. Divide batter evenly among the pans. Tap full pans on the counter five times to release any air bubbles. Bake 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes before running a small, thin knife around the edges. Invert cakes onto cooling racks and allow to cool to room temperature. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days. Layers are easiest to work with when they are cold.

Assemble the cake. Use a serrated knife to slice cake layers equatorially so that you are left with 6 very thin layers. Place one layer, cut-side-up on a serving plate or cake stand. Use an offset spatula to spread ~1/3 cup of chocolate pudding over the top. Place another thin layer on top and spread with more pudding. Repeat this process until you have 6 thin layers of cake and 5 of pudding. Tent the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

Remove cake from the refrigerator and uncover. Use an offset icing knife to frost the outside of the cake with buttercream. Pipe as desired. Decorate with mini chocolate chips and/or chocolate sprinkles, if desired. Chill cake for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Leftover cake will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
makes enough to fill, frost & decorate a 9-inch layer cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 large egg whites*
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar**

Egg whites will not whip properly if they are not treated well. Before beginning, please ensure that all equipment used in this recipe is very clean and dry. I like to wipe down the bowl(s), whisk, and mixer attachments with vinegar before starting the recipe. There is no way to salvage this recipe if the egg whites are contaminated with oil, yolk, or even water.

Cut butter into 16 one-tablespoon pieces. Set aside.

Chop chocolate. Place chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth. Set aside.

Fill a small pot with 1-2 inches of water. Set a very clean, dry heatproof bowl over the top, ensuring that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Remove bowl and bring water to a simmer.

Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl. Place bowl over simmering water and whisk frequently until sugar dissolves. Test for readiness by rubbing a drop of the mixture between your clean, dry fingertips to feel for granules. Remove bowl from heat and wipe off the bottom to remove any condensation.

Use a very clean, dry electric mixer with a whisk attachment to beat egg white mixture until room temperature and doubled in size, about 7-10 minutes. At this point, the mixture (a meringue) should hold stiff peaks and be glossy.

Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing to combine. Buttercream will probably curdle before re-forming; this is normal. Continue to whip until it thickens and becomes airy and frosting-like. If the buttercream is taking a long time to thicken, it may be too warm. Simply pop the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before whipping again.

Pour in chocolate and whip until combined. Fill and frost cake layers as desired.

Leftover frosting will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Let come to room temperature and whip until fluffy before using.

Notes:

1. I use the ones leftover from making pudding.
2. Cream of tartar is required for this recipe. There is no substitute for this ingredient.

Coconut Pineapple Cake

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About two years ago, an acquaintance called and asked me to make a Coconut Pineapple Cake for his birthday party.
In retrospect, I should have asked more questions. In our brief phone call, there was no mention of whether it should be layered or in a bundt or flipped upside down, just that it should be full of tropical flavor and generally resemble a cake.
Instead of doing the logical thing and calling to clarify, I just tried to channel my grandmother and go with my gut. Coconut Pineapple Cake
My gut said to flavor my favorite vanilla cake with coconut, layer it with pineapple filling, coat it in coconut buttercream, and decorate the crap out of it with sweetened flaked coconut. And so I did.
To this day, I have no idea if this is what my acquaintance had in mind when he made his initial order. Not a clue.
What I do know, though, is that he loved it.
I can say that with confidence because he has consistently ordered a Coconut Pineapple Cake every two months since, just because he has a craving.
That may sound a little ridiculous—ordering a whole layer cake for yourself just to fulfill a craving—but if you try this cake, it might suddenly seem very logical.

Coconut Pineapple Cake
makes 1 9-inch round layer cake

Cake Batter:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons coconut extract
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

Pineapple Filling:
16 ounces canned crushed pineapple in juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Cake layers and pineapple filling may be made up to a day in advance.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment and grease again. Set aside.

Make the cake batter. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar. Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla and coconut extracts. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk in two alternating installments, combining completely after each addition.

Divide batter among prepared pans. Tap pans on the counter five times to release any large air bubbles. Bake cakes 32-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Let cake layers cool in the pans for fifteen minutes before inverting onto a rack to cool completely.

Make pineapple filling. Combine crushed pineapple in juice, sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until juices are clear and mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Let cool to room temperature, or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Slice each cake layer in half equatorially (this is called torteing). Place one half-layer on a serving plate and top with about 2/3 cup of pineapple filling. Repeat layering until you have 4 thin layers of cake and 3 layers of pineapple filling. Tent cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy. Mix in confectioner’s sugar and salt, followed by vanilla and coconut extracts. Add heavy cream and beat frosting for one minute, or until fluffy. Use an offset knife to frost cake. Press sweetened flaked coconut onto the frosted surface of the cake.

Serve immediately. Leftover cake will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Coconut Pineapple Cake

Funfetti Layer Cake

Easter Egg Hunt Cake

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Easter is coming up this weekend! I grew up celebrating in style–a week full of church, family brunch at The Fort Worth Club, and a HUGE egg hunt on a friend’s grandparents’ property. As far as I can tell after nearly ten years (!) in New York, Easter is not a big holiday here. I see a few families in their Easter best, but other than that, it’s just like any other Sunday. That said, just because I’m not planning to wear any pastels or attend any holiday brunches, there’s no reason I can’t celebrate with this adorable, surprise-candy-filled Easter Egg Hunt Cake!Y’all. Y’ALL. This might be the most sickeningly cute thing I’ve ever made. I had the idea when I saw this Piñata Cake on Sally’s Baking Addiction, and I’ve been hellbent on making this Easter Egg Hunt Cake ever since. From the outside it looks springlike and holiday appropriate (hey there, sweetened flaked coconut!), but then you slice in to find a veritable treasure trove of Easter egg-shaped candy! Seriously, y’all. How cute is this Easter candy avalanche?!Now, before you go clicking away, thinking that this cake is too much for you to handle, hear me out:

If I can make this cake, anyone can. I can frost a cake, but my decorating skills leave something to be desired. If you can use an offset icing knife, you can decorate this cake!
Hiding the candy in this cake is waaaaay easier than you’d imagine.
Easter Egg Hunt Cake is made with my tried-and-true Vanilla Layer Cake* recipe. That cake and its corresponding buttercream frosting are my two most-requested recipes, and for good reason. They’re simple to put together and sooo good.

*Please forgive those horrendous photos–I’ll be updating them soon.Are you still reading? I hope so.

Let’s talk cake construction. First and foremost, bake and cool four 9-inch round cake layers and whip together a double batch of (dyed-green) vanilla buttercream frosting. Yes, four layers (1.5 times my standard recipe) and a double the usual amount of frosting. This cake is huge–gotta have plenty of space for all that Easter candy!

First, place a layer of cake on a serving plate and frost the top of it, just like you would for any layer cake. Then (and this is where it gets weird), use a large round cutter to remove the centers of two of your layers. Save those centers for another task, like making a mini-layer cake or a trifle.

Place one of the cut-out layers on the frosted base layer. Top it with a layer of buttercream and the second cut-out layer. Frost that one too.See that hole? Fill it with any egg-shaped Easter candy you like! I used Reeses Pieces Eggs, but you could use chocolate eggs or even jelly beans. I also added some little bunny & carrot-shaped sprinkles, because sprinkles are my love language.At this point, you should have one intact cake layer left. Use it to top the other layers, and then frost the tallest layer cake you’ve ever seen.To decorate, press dyed-green flaked coconut into the frosting, and then arrange some Easter candy on top. I found this easiest to do by piping little blobs of frosting over the coconut and sticking the candies to them.At this point, this cake will look like any old layer cake. Sure, it’s a huge one that’s clearly decorated for Easter, but nobody will suspect the surprise inside. And you, being cool as a freaking cucumber, will act like it’s any old vanilla cake.But then, you’ll start to slice the thing…
What’s that?! A layer cake full of candy Easter eggs?! How clever of you, you beautiful, talented, homebaking human, you.Looking for more Easter-appropriate desserts? Check out these Carrot Cake Blondies, this Lemon Yogurt Cake, and my Coconut Cream Pie! Oh, and keep an eye out for another layer cake coming later this week 💕🐣🐰🍰🎂

Easter Egg Hunt Cake
inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction
makes one four-layer 9-inch round cake

For greasing the pans:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil (I like canola)

Vanilla Cake:
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
4 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups buttermilk, room temperature

Vanilla Buttercream:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 pounds confectioner’s sugar
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
15-20 drops liquid green food coloring
5-8 tablespoons heavy cream

For Decoration:
1 14-ounce bag sweetened flaked coconut
6-8 drops liquid green food coloring
egg-shaped Easter candies (I used Reeses Pieces Eggs)

For Assembly:
2-2 1/2 cups egg-shaped Easter candies (I used Reeses Pieces Eggs)
1/2 cup sprinkles, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare the pans. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together greasing mixture ingredients. Use a pastry brush to paint mixture onto the entire insides of four 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.

Make the cake batter. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating completely after each addition. Beat in buttermilk. Add dry ingredients in three installments, beating just until combined. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.

Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Tap each full pan on the counter five times to release any large air bubbles. Bake cakes 23-27 minutes, rotating top to bottom and back to front at the halfway point. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for fifteen minutes. Run a small thin knife around the edges of the pans and invert the cakes onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Beat in confectioner’s sugar in three installments, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Beat in salt, followed by vanilla and food coloring. Add in heavy cream until desired consistency is reached.

Prepare the decoration. In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to combine coconut and food coloring until desired color has been reached. Set aside.

Assemble the cake. Place one round on a serving plate and top with a layer of frosting. Set aside.

Use a 4-6 inch cutter (or a wide-mouthed cup or jar) to cut the centers out of two layers. Set centers aside for another use. Place one cut-out layer on the bottom layer and top with a layer of frosting. Place the other cut-out layer on top and frost. Fill the hole in the cake layers with candies and optional sprinkles. Top with the last (fully-intact) layer of cake. Frost cake as desired. Cover with dyed green coconut. Decorate with additional Easter candies as desired.

Layer cake will keep covered at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Easter Egg Hunt Cake

Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream

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My birthday is this weekend! I’m going to be 31 😁 I feel a little old, but I’m also really enjoying this phase of my life.

In my 31st year, I have:

seen my family on six separate occasions (together and individually), including my 30th birthday trip to Santa Fe, a super-secret surprise trip to Austin for E3’s birthday, and visits to NYC from my mom, both sisters, and sister-in-law. That’s the most time I’ve spent with them since I moved to NYC in 2007. The older I get, the more I appreciate the amazing people who made me who I am.
spent some time off the grid in Maine, and enjoyed it way more than I ever expected. I can’t wait to do it again in a few weeks.
catered a dinner party for 300 people. I had three amazing helpers, and it went off without a hitch despite the six weeks of panic that preceded it. I hope to do it again this year…because I am insane.
moved. And moving in New York is horrible. Heck, moving anywhere is horrible. But I love my new apartment. Shoutout to my mom for coming to help me on the coldest weekend ever.
navigated my way through some major life changes and lessons with some modicum of grace and dignity.
opened my own Netflix account. #adulting
realized that I am still figuring out who I am. I hope this never ends.
made a lot of cookies. And eaten a lot of cookies.
really fallen in love with my friendships. My friends really stepped up and took care of me this year when I didn’t feel like I could do it myself. There’s nothing like laughing ’til you cry when you feel like your life is a mess. Thanks, guys.
started a baking blog. I dreamt of having this blog for six years before hitting “publish.” Thank you for reading, liking, sharing, and making the recipes. Thank you for making this little corner of the Internet what it is: a place filled with sugar and ridiculousness. Without you, I’m just talking to myself.

…that got a lot mushier than I intended.

This weekend, I’ll be celebrating at a cookout with those I hold nearest and dearest. My friends are making dinner, and I can’t wait! They offered to make dessert too, but being me, I just couldn’t leave well enough alone. I’ll be there with pie 😊

Of course, I thought about cake, but with the heat we’ve been having, I am afraid the frosting would melt. But I just can’t let my birthday go by without cake, so I’ve been celebrating a little early with this Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream. The cake is moist, fluffy, and so, so easy. The best part? No mixer required! I’ve been making this cake for two years, and I can safely say that it’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. And that’s coming from a self-proclaimed vanilla person.

The frosting is a tribute to one of my very favorite things: chocolate malts. Oh yes, I love a chocolate malt. I just *have* to have one at least twice a month. It only seems appropriate that I’d use it as inspiration for my birthday cake frosting. This is a super easy chocolate buttercream with a hefty dose of malted milk powder. It’s creamy, dreamy, chocolaty, malty magic. If malt isn’t your thing, I recommend replacing the cup of malted milk powder in the recipe with an additional cup of confectioner’s sugar. It’ll still be delicious 😊

As for decorating, I went for a sort of naked cake approach here, using the bulk of the frosting to frost the top and fill the layers. This recipe makes enough frosting to fully frost and fill a two layer 9″ round cake, if you’d like to cover the whole thing. If you want to pipe, you’ll need to make 1.5 times the recipe. No matter which route you choose to go, your cake will be fantastic.

If you don’t have a reason to make cake this weekend, I give you full permission to use my birthday as an excuse. We’re Internet friends after all. And friends who eat Malted Chocolate Buttercream together stay together, right?!

Have a great weekend!

Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream
cake recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
makes one two layer 9″ round cake

For the pan:
2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (I use canola)
2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder

Cake:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch Process)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil (I use canola)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (low fat is fine)*
1 cup strong, hot coffee (decaf is fine)

Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup malted milk powder (I use Carnation)
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream

chocolate chips, for decorating (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the pans. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together oil and cocoa powder. Use a pastry brush to paint the entire insides of the pans with the mixture. Set aside.

Make the cake batter. In a large mixing bowl to sift together flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together oil and eggs, followed by vanilla, buttermilk, and coffee. Whisk in dry ingredients in three installments, just until combined. Divide batter evenly among the pans. Tap full pans on the counter five times to release any air bubbles. Bake 23-27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in pans for ten minutes before running a small, thin knife around the edges. Invert cakes onto cooling racks and allow to cool to room temperature.

Make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy (about two minutes). Beat in confectioner’s sugar, followed by cocoa powder. Mix in malted milk powder and salt, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add in vanilla and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, and beat on high for two minutes. Add more cream by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached. Fill the layers and frost as desired. Decorate with chocolate chips, if desired.

Frosted cake will keep covered at room temperature for up to two days, and in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Note:

If you don’t have buttermilk, put one tablespoon of white vinegar in the bottom of a liquid measuring cup, then pour milk up to the 2 cup mark. Stir and let sit for five minutes, until curdled. Use as instructed in the recipe. Do not use skim or fat free milk.

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Category Archives: layer cakes

Triple Chocolate Cake

Coconut Pineapple Cake

Funfetti Layer Cake

Easter Egg Hunt Cake

Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream