Birthday Cake By Francine

Photo: Fetaarepa

Ingredients

Ingredients for cake layers

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 large eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups well-shaken whipped cream (I used non-dairy)

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for Meringue Frosting

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preparation

Directions for baking the cake layers

Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.

Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Decorations:

My Way: Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Place the egg whites in a bowl and mix at high speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the sugar. Continue to mix at high speed for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the water, corn syrup and vanilla and mix at high speed until fluffy.

Smitten Kitchen’s Way: Combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. Use frosting the day it is made.

Tools

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About

In order to decorate, set about one cup of the frosting aside if you wish to add decorations to the cake, either it with a piping bag or a makeshift one, a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off. I do not have fancy cake decoration tools, so I used a zip lock like you recommended in your post about The Sweet Spot. Place one of the layers of the cake on the plate you will be serving the cake, on top of a doily and on top of strips of foil so that you do not get the plate or the doily dirty, just like I showed you how in the Kit Kat Almond Macaroon Torte.