{3 layer Chocolate-y Cake}

So tomorrow is a friends birthday and since he has never had a birthday cake made just for him and I wanted to try making cakes from scratch, because they seem so easy ;o) I offered to bring a cake to our Pinochle game today. I asked him what type of cake he wanted and he choose Chocolate, with William's help. I was going to put bavarian cream inside but wasn't able to find any :o( 


But I did find a good recipe for a nice Chocolate Cake and cream cheese chocolate frosting. Below is the recipe. If the batter yumminess was any indication, this cake is going to be the best chocolate cake EVER!

Chocolate Layer Cake

(Preheat Oven to 350º and butter and flour 3 - 9" cake rounds and cut parchment or wax paper to fit the bottom of each pan - this is so the cake won't stick to the bottom of the pan)

Ingredients for Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

3 cups light brown sugar, packed

4 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 1/3 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups hot coffee

Directions: 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.

Ingredients for Frosting

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

16 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature

8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

1/2 cup cooled coffee

4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

6 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions for 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 then mix. Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix until well blended and fluffy. 

Assemble Directions: 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 the sides and the top.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.