For this smoothie, blueberries are combined with watermelon, banana, and banana.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 32 mins |
| Additional Time: | 1 hr 30 mins |
| Total Time: | 2 hrs 32 mins |
| Servings: | 16 |
| Yield: | 1 8-inch double-layer cake |
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder (such as Starbucks® Via® Instant)
- 1 ¼ cups white sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 (12 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping, divided
Instructions
- Dissolve espresso powder in a bowl with 2 tablespoons hot water.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8-inch cake pans.
- Beat white sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and brown sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each. Reduce mixer speed to low. Beginning and ending with flour, alternate adding flour and buttermilk in 5 rounds. Blend 2 teaspoons dissolved espresso into the batter.
- Dissolve baking soda in the vinegar in a bowl; add to the batter. Mix until incorporated. Divide the batter equally between the prepared pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 32 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before removing from pans and cooling completely, about 40 minutes more.
- Place 1 1/2 plus 2 tablespoons butter in the bowl of an stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix on medium-low until combined. Add salt, whipping on medium-high until smooth. Mix in heavy cream and vanilla extract on low until incorporated. Whip on high until frosting is light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Divide frosting into 5 equal portions. Leave 2/5 (2 portions) plain. Add remaining 2 teaspoons espresso mixture to another 2/5 (2 portions); stir until well blended. Add 2 tablespoons of caramel topping to the remaining 1/5 (1 portion); stir until well blended.
- Level both cakes and place 1 on a platter. Spread 3 tablespoons of the remaining caramel sauce over it and top with a layer of espresso frosting. Place other cake on top. Spread a thin layer of vanilla frosting on the cake to seal in any crumbs; chill for 30 minutes.
- Frost cake again with a thin layer of espresso frosting. Pipe vanilla frosting around the top edge. Fill the center with caramel frosting. Drizzle generously with the remaining caramel sauce.
- I used my caramel sauce recipe for this, but any store-bought caramel ice cream topping will work. This cake can be cut into very thin slices, as it is very rich.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 532 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 73 g |
| Cholesterol | 103 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Sodium | 198 mg |
| Sugars | 46 g |
| Fat | 26 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This is was my first attempt at from scratch cake and buttercream layer cake. I’ve been cooking professionally for all of my adult life but was never required to and actually a little apprehensive to try baking. Followed recipe to a “T” with two subs. Baily’s not bourbon and no ganache. Got tired of dishes. Gave most away and nothing but rave reviews. Side note, I live at 6,000ft Drew T.