Name: Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT1H15M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT2H30M0.000S
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus more for the pans; 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans; 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder; 4 teaspoons baking powder; 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 1/2 cups whole milk; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 4 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 6 large eggs, at room temperature; 2 1/4 cups sugar; 7 large egg whites; 2 1/4 cups sugar; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar; 6 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; Gingerbread house and sugar cone trees, for topping (see above); Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and fine salt in a medium bowl. Combine the milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat just until the butter is melted and the milk is steaming; remove from the heat and stir in the vegetable oil and vanilla.
Beat the eggs in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the sugar in a slow stream, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is pale and very thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing just until combined. Remove about 1 cup of the batter and whisk into the hot milk mixture to temper it. With the mixer on low speed, carefully pour the milk mixture into the batter and mix until just smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
Divide the batter evenly among the 3 cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 26 to 28 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 15 minutes in the pans, then remove the cakes to the racks to cool completely.
Make the buttercream: Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in a clean stand mixer bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water (don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water) and whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (or rub some of the mixture between your fingers; if you don’t feel the sugar, it’s done). Attach the bowl to the mixer, add the kosher salt and cream of tartar and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the mixture cools to room temperature and stiff, glossy peaks form, about 8 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the butter a few pieces at a time. (The mixture may loosen and look curdled at first; continue to mix in the butter and it will eventually come together.) Add the vanilla, switch to the paddle attachment and mix on high speed until very smooth, 20 to 30 seconds.
Assemble the cake: Trim the domed tops of the cake layers. Place 1 layer on a cake stand or serving plate and spread with about 1 heaping cup buttercream. Top with another cake layer and spread with another heaping cup of buttercream, then top with the final cake layer, cut-side down. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the top and sides of the cake for a crumb coat, then refrigerate until the buttercream sets, about 30 minutes. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream.
Top the cake with a gingerbread house and sugar cone trees. Dust generously with confectioners’ sugar.

Cook’s Note

Decorate a tiny gingerbread house from a kit as a topping for the cake! To make the trees, trim sugar cones and pipe green frosting all over them.

Photograph by Ghazalle Badiozamani

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Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

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