CHOCOLATE DREAM CAKE

A friend passed this recipe on to me. It is yummy!

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups milk, + 2 Tablespoons vinegar to sour the milk
• 1 1/2 cups strong black coffee (warm, not hot)
• 3/4 cup melted butter (not hot)
• 4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

White Frosting

• 3/4  cup butter at room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (more or less for desired consistency)
• 1/3 cup half and half cream (or whole milk or heavy cream) *more or less for desired consistancy
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Frosting

• 3/4  cup butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (more or less for desired consistency)
• 1/3 cup half and half cream (or whole milk or heavy cream) *more or less for desired consistancy
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Ganache

• 4 ounces (113g) dark chocolate
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup cream

Garnish * Optional

• 2 cups Chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chocolate cake sprinkles,
• 2 ounces grated dark chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease three 8 inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, grease the parchment and lightly flour insides and bottoms of pans, set aside.  We used spring form pans.
3. Measure out the milk and vinegar and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, sift together four, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
5. In a medium sized mixing bowl using an electric mixer on medium, mix together the eggs, soured milk, coffee, melted butter and vanilla extract.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix for 2-5 minutes with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides until well combined.
7. Divide the batter equally into the 3 pans.  If you do not have 3 pans, use a measuring cup to divide the mixture into bowls, set aside and bake in batches.
8. Bake each cake for 30 minutes.  If you are doing all 3 cakes at once rotate the pans in the oven. Insert a cake tester in the middle at 30 minutes and  if not baked, continue for another 5 minutes or until baked.
9. When baked remove from oven and place the cake pans onto cooling racks. Let cool for 20 minutes before removing the cake from the pan.  Let sit until cool before slicing the cakes in half.

White Filler Frosting

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter in a bowl, add the vanilla, and the confectioners’ sugar alternately with the cream, in increments until you reach the desired spreading consistency.

Chocolate Frosting

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter in a bowl, add the vanilla, and the cocoa. Add the confectioners’ sugar alternately with the cream, in increments until you reach the desired spreading consistency.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Over low heat, in a double boiler, melt together the chocolate and butter. Mix in the cream and stir until the sauce is thick and smooth. Let cool before drizzling onto the cake.

Assembly

1. On your cake place alternate a layer of cake and a layer of white frosting.
2. Frost the top and sides with the chocolate frosting.
3. Garnish with grated chocolate, chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles and drizzle with choclate ganache.