Cake layers that are incredibly soft and taste of vanilla butter. The entire thing is balanced off by a subtly sweet ganache icing. Get amazing accolades by putting together this show-stopper for a special occasion. The construction and cooking processes are greatly accelerated by the use of aluminum pans. While the other layers cook, the batter holds up well.
| Prep Time: | 45 mins |
| Cook Time: | 45 mins |
| Additional Time: | 4 hrs 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 5 hrs 45 mins |
| Servings: | 16 |
| Yield: | 1 8 1/2-inch layer cake |
Ingredients
- 4 cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 24 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- cooking spray
- 1 ½ cups salted butter, softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¾ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Instructions
- Prepare icing: Combine cream and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring mixture just to a simmer, stirring often. Remove from the heat.
- Place chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl and pour hot cream mixture over top. Sprinkle with salt and let stand 2 minutes. Whisk until completely smooth and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Chill icing in the refrigerator until thickened and spreadable, about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Meanwhile prepare cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray nine 8 1/2-inch round disposable cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray that gently with more cooking spray.
- Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat just until incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating on medium speed.
- Divide batter evenly (about 1 cup each) among prepared pans and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, in batches, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- Place 1 cake layer on an 8-inch round cake board and spread with 1/3 cup icing using a small offset spatula. Top with another cake layer and spread with 1/3 cup icing. Repeat the process with remaining layers and icing. Coat the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of icing. Chill cake for 1 hour and reserve remaining icing.
- Place chilled cake on a wire rack over a rimmed baking pan. Microwave reserved icing at medium (50%) power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until smooth and pourable, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Pour icing in a slow, steady stream over the top of the cake, starting at the center and moving to the outer edges so it flows down the sides. Smooth out the sides and fill any gaps with a small offset spatula.
- Chill cake until set, about 1 hour. Carefully transfer cake to a serving plate. Serve at room temperature.
- It is helpful to assemble this on a cake board and then transfer it to a cake stand after chilling the second time.
- You could prepare the layers using three 8-inch round metal pans, but this would involve letting them cool down between layers. Disposable pans make it easy to take out 1 batch and immediately put the 2nd and 3rd batches in the oven. This also allows the batter not to sit overly long and risk deflating.
- Make sure to line the pans with parchment paper. The cake layers are so thin that the added safety net of parchment is helpful.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 845 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 79 g |
| Cholesterol | 188 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Saturated Fat | 34 g |
| Sodium | 396 mg |
| Sugars | 47 g |
| Fat | 56 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I did it! I made it. Perfect recipe. I followed all the steps and made it the day before.
I loved the chocolate icing. The cake came out a little dry.
This is a very good cake. It is super moist and delicious. I reduced the amount of sugar from 2 ups to 1.5 cups and I also omitted the cinnamon and replaced it with 1 tablespoon expresso ground.
I love this as we went to Smith Island and had some there. Great recipe. No changes.