Perfect Double Dark Chocolate Cake

Who does not love chocolate cake?
I guess no one.

Imagine what is called "The perfect chocolate cake" ... Moist dark chocolate butter cake, infused with rum, layered and covered with soft dark chocolate frosting, hum...SUPER Yummy... Oh... I love LOVE Chocolate Cake :#

Nope..., not the vegan version, which is most of them substitute butter with oil. Even they said it's a lot more healthier, but I do love butter and will almost always choose butter over oil in baking.
Well.. I am a butter lover.

I often find that I opt for the deepest, darkest chocolate cake paired with the sweet frosting–I love the contrast. In this case, the contrast of sweet and bitter of the chocolate is what I’m passionate

With the flavors of chocolate and rum, this cake tastes like it’s loaded with all the good things in the world. The rum acts as the perfect preservative. It freezes beautifully also.

This recipe calls for Bacardi Rum, but you can use your favorite brand.

Barcadi is a popular brand of rum which is commonly used to make mixed drinks at bars and parties, it works well on my cake.

I personally think that it'll never get dry enough as it stays moist a long time. The longer this cakes sits, the better the taste.

The recipe is for a 8-inch round 4-layer cake. This cake is composed of four moist chocolate layers that are frosted with Rich Chocolate Frosting over the top of that. It is a gorgeous cake and is absolutely delicious!

  

Perfect Double Dark Chocolate Cake   

Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS

For the cake

55 g best quality of natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

1 cup (236 g) boiling water
2 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups (400 g) sugar

2 cups (228 g) self-rising flour
½ cup (113 g) additional butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup (120 g) buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the rich chocolate frosting

(2) 1-oz. (60 g) squares unsweetened chocolate

½ cup (113 g) butter, softened to room temperature
1 egg
1 tablespoon half-and-half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
16-oz. (450 g) package confectioner's sugar

Dark Rum (optional) - I use Bacardi Dark Rum

INSTRUCTIONS

For the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and put oven rack in the middle. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, dust with flour or cocoa powder, tap out excess and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine cocoa powder, boiling water, and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir until smooth and set aside.

3. Place sugar and self-rising flour in a large mixing bowl and stir until well-blended. 

4. Add cocoa mixture and ½ cup butter. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to blend.

5.  Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer.

6. Spread batter evenly in pans (you can weigh batter in pans for perfectly even layers) using a small offset spatula, rap pans several times on counter to eliminate any air bubble.

Bake on center rack until a toothpick comes clean and remove cakes from oven, about 25-30 minutes.

7. Cool cake in pans for about 10 minutes, and then carefully loosen them from the edges of the cake pans with your small palette knife, cool completely on racks.

For the frosting

1. Place unsweetened chocolate in top of a double boiler. Bring water in double boiler to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and heat chocolate until it melts. Set aside to cool slightly.

*Or you can place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat these steps until the Chocolate is almost completely melted.

2. Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer.

 Add cooled, melted chocolate, egg, half-and-half, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix well with mixer.

3. Continue to mix with mixer while slowly adding the confectioner's sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. 

ASSEMBLY
1. Trim any doming from the tops of your cake layers with a sharp, serrated knife and slice each cake in half so you have 4 layers of the same depth (about 2 cm each). Place first layer, face up, on your cake board, pedestal, or plate
2. Soak the tops of the cake with rum.
3. Using a small offset palette knife, spread approximately 1/2 cup of the chocolate frosting evenly on the top.
4. Repeat this 1-3 until you come to the final layer.
5. Place cake on a turntable (if possible), and using a small offset palette knife for the top of the cake, and medium straight palette knife for the sides, cover the cake in a thin layer of chocolate frosting (or chocolate buttercream, if using) to mask (seal in crumbs). Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or more).
*This does not need to be perfect, as that will come with the top “coat” of buttercream.
6. Repeat step 5, and, for best results, use bench scraper held at 90° against the side of the cake, slowly turning the turntable and keeping your hand steady–let the turntable do the work. Clean up edges with your small offset palette knife.
7. Chill cake to set. *Bring to room temperature before serving–about 2+ hours.
8. Sprinkle with silver dragees. 
9. Serve at room temperature, and slice with a long, thin-bladed, sharp knife. Rinse knife with hot water and dry before each new slice, for best results.

NOTES
• Salted or unsalted butter? both works well for me.

• To make self-raising flour; for each cup of plain flour (or all-purpose flour) add 1½ teaspoons  of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt, sifted.

• You can use yogurt, whipped cream or fresh milk instead of half-and-half.

• Place any remaining buttercream/frosting in airtight containers and refrigerate up to a week, or freeze for up to 2 months, bringing back to room temperature before rewhipping to smooth consistency.

enjoy :*

luv, Sandra