FEBRUARY 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 73
PRESS BUZZ: DESTINATIONS
SIRIOUSLY DELICIOUS
CHOCOLATE DREAM LAYER CAKE
By SIRI DALY
On February 14th, some women
long for jewels, a romantic card, or
a date night out. “Not I,” said the fly,
because all I care about is chocolate. If
you're like me, then I have the recipe
for you!
For starters, there are three layers
of cake that are tender, moist, and
deeply rich in flavor. In between each
is a mocha buttercream filling that is
intensely satisfying. Coffee is an excellent
way to amplify the chocolate experience
in a recipe. Finally, the entire
cake is spread with a chunky chocolate
frosting that perfectly completes it.
If you dream about chocolate as I
do, then this cake is well worth the
extra effort that goes into the process.
Once it is all said and done, you are
left with a sublime masterpiece that
is best served with a large glass of
cold milk.
SERVES: 12
HANDS-ON TIME: 30 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS 30
MINUTES
Vegetable shortening
2 (4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate
baking bars. chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot brewed coffee
MOCHA BUTTERCREAM
FILLING
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CHUNKY FUDGE
FROSTING
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 (4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate
baking bar, chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Fahrenheit. Lightly spray three nineinch
round cake pans with cooking
spray. Line the bottoms of the pans
with parchment paper. Grease (with
shortening) and flour the parchment
paper and pans.
2. Place the chocolate in a microwavable
bowl, and microwave on
high until melted and smooth, about
1 minute and 30 seconds, stirring at
30-second intervals.
3. Beat the butter in a stand mixer
on medium speed until smooth. Gradually
add the sugars, and beat until
well incorporated, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating just
until blended after each addition. Add
the melted chocolate, beating just
until blended.
4. Stir together the flour, baking
soda, and salt. Gradually add to the
chocolate mixture alternately with
the sour cream, beginning and ending
with the flour mixture. Beat on
low speed just until blended after
each addition. (The mixture will be
thick.)
5. Stir the vanilla into the hot coffee.
Gradually add the coffee mixture
to the batter in a slow, steady stream,
beating at low speed just until blended.
Divide the batter evenly among
the prepared pans.
6. Bake until a wooden pick inserted
in the center comes out clean,
about 24 minutes. Cool in the pans on
a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove
from the pans to the wire rack, and
cool completely, about 1 hour.
7. Meanwhile, Make the Mocha
Buttercream Filling. Beat the
powdered sugar, butter, and cocoa
with an electric mixer on medium
speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Place the cream in a microwavable
bowl, and microwave on medium
(50 percent power) until warm (do
not boil), about 45 seconds. Stir
together the warm cream and the
coffee granules until dissolved;
cool for about 5 minutes. Gradually
add the cream mixture and vanilla
to the butter mixture, and beat on
medium speed until smooth, about
2 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, Make the Chunky
Fudge Frosting: Beat the butter with
an electric mixer on medium speed
until creamy. Stir together the powdered
sugar and unsweetened cocoa
in a medium bowl. Gradually add
the cocoa mixture alternately with
the milk, beating on medium speed
until smooth after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla and salt. Stir in the
chopped chocolate.
9. Place 1 layer on a serving plate,
and spread half of the Mocha Buttercream
Filling on the layer. Top with a
second layer, and spread the remaining
filling on that. Top with the third
layer, and spread the top and sides
of the cake with the Chunky Fudge
Frosting.
SIRIOUSLY SIMPLE
Swap out the chopped chocolate
in the Chunky Fudge Frosting layer
with chocolate chips, my go-to pantry
item.
Siri Daly is a Today show tastemaker
and author of Siriously
Delicious: 100 Nutritious (and Not So
Nutritious) Simple Recipes for the
Real Home Cook.
Excerpted from Siriously Delicious
by Siri Daly. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor
House. Reprinted with permission
from Time Inc. Books, a division
of Meredith Corporation. New York,
NY. All rights reserved.
MAIN DISH
The chocolate dream layer cake is perfect for those making Valentine's Day dinner at home.
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