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Chocolate Layer Cake

Courtesy Gale Gand, ?Butter Sugar Flour Eggs? by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin, Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999

Show: Sweet DreamsEpisode: Timeless Treats

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (35)

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Times:

Prep
20 min
Inactive Prep
--
Cook
50 min
Total:
1 hr 10 min
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Ingredients

  • 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

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

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 3 circles of waxed paper or parchment paper to fit the bottoms of the pans, then press them in.

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.

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 mix. Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix until well blended and fluffy. 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 on the sides and top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Read more Comments & Reviews (35)

Comments & Reviews

  • recipe Chocolate Layer Cake
    Annie Milpitas, CA 12-29-2009

    Flag

    Gale Gand and Our Tastebuds!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    The cake has flavors and textures. Outstanding. Play with your frosting but encourage everyone to keep Gale's cake as the... basis for all future.Read more
  • recipe Chocolate Layer Cake
    Diana Sherman oaks, CA 12-23-2009

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    Yowza!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    Oh. My. God! This is the best chocolate cake EVER for REAL chocolate lovers. Try replacing the chocolate in the... frosting with part or all milk chocolate, or all white chocolate. Also, a little dark caramel in between the layers won't go amiss.Read more
  • recipe Chocolate Layer Cake
    Jennifer Houston, TX 08-31-2009

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    baking success!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I am not a great baker, especially when baking for an occasion, but the reviews convinced me to try this one for my chocolate... loving daughter on her 9th birthday. The cake itself is delicious and the icing is sublime. I was worried about the icing being too rich for my daughter, so I used 4 oz unsweetened chocolate and 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate. I will never make another chocolate cake recipe again. The comments had me concerned about the coffee making the icing too thin, but I did not have that problem. Thank you, Gale Gand for this recipe. I definitely impressed my family with this one!!!!Read more
  • recipe Chocolate Layer Cake
    Roxanne Grand Rapids, MN 07-10-2009

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    Outstanding!!!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    My daughter made me this cake for my birthday, She put pecans in between the layers of cake and frosting. It was so good. ... I love it. However the frosting was a little runny. I suggest adding less coffee to start with and add up to the correct point. Wonderful.Read more
  • recipe Chocolate Layer Cake
    heidy r.p.v, CA 06-20-2009

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    Super moist and light!!!!!!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    Try it!!! Really easy!!!! I made with a chocolate mousse and rasberries.... Yum Yum Yum!!!
  • recipe Chocolate Layer Cake
    JonAnne North Charleston, SC 05-14-2009

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    The Guys at the firehouse LOVED it.

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I made this cake for the guys at the fire station when I was doing a twelve layer cake for my mom. They loved it. Just be... sure the cake is completly cooled before even trying to ice it.. Or you will have it like mine.. the great leaning tower of three layer cake.Read more
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