Recipe courtesy of Melissa Rodriguez
Chocolate Cake
- Yield: 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 978
- Total Fat
- 62
- Saturated Fat
- 34
- Carbohydrates
- 104
- Dietary Fiber
- 3
- Sugar
- 85
- Protein
- 8
- Cholesterol
- 159
- Sodium
- 495
- Total: 2 hr 30 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
Cake:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus for dusting
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Frosting:
Lemon juice, for wiping out bowl
10 large egg whites
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus for greasing cake pans
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons hazelnut spread
1/2 cup chopped toffee crunch bar
Directions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a stand mixer bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the boiling water; the batter will be thin. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, and then unmold the cakes onto wire racks and let cool completely.
- For the frosting: Wipe out the mixer bowl with paper towels and lemon juice to remove any trace of grease. Add the egg whites and sugar, and heat over a pot of simmering water, whisking constantly but gently, until the mixture reaches 140 degrees F on a candy thermometer. (If you don't have a candy thermometer, the sugar should be completely dissolved and the egg whites hot.)
- Transfer the mixer bowl to the stand mixer and whip on high speed, using the whisk attachment, until the meringue is white, thick and glossy, and holds stiff peaks, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Switch over to the paddle attachment and, with the mixer on low speed, add the butter cubes, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated and smooth. Add the vanilla, salt and hazelnut spread. (Makes 10 cups.)
- To assemble: Level and tort both cakes--you will now have 4 layers. Place one cake layer on a cake board, spread with a generous layer (about 1/2 inch) of the hazelnut buttercream, and sprinkle the toffee crunch on top. Repeat until you have stacked all 4 cake layers. Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream. Slice and enjoy.