Mile High Chocolate Cake

The first time I made this cake (which was and is a chore as cakes are for me) it didn't look so good; the ganache icing didn't do well.  I still use this pic for effect, but now I use a simple chocolate buttercream and have no compalints.


One tip, though: Not For Picnics in Warm Weather...

Cake. 

Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Recipes Follow) 

Ingredients:

PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

CRISCO Vegetable Shortening

1/2 (4-ounce) semisweet chocolate baking bar, chopped

1/2 (4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups firmly packed DOMINO Light Brown Sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup boiling water

Preparation:

Coat 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms of pans with wax paper; grease wax paper with shortening, and set aside.
Melt chocolates in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.
Sift together cake flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in 1 cup boiling water. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
When ready to frost: Place layer of cake on serving tray, smooth 1/2 Mocha Filling onto layer - repeat after palcing second layer - top with 3rd layer and frost with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.  Garnish, if desired.

Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup DOMINO 10X Confectioners Sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Spoon mixture into a small bowl; cover surface of mixture with plastic wrap, pressing wrap onto surface, and let stand 30 minutes or until cool.
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add cooled cocoa mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, beating until mixture is the consistency of whipped cream.
Devide in Half.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!)

3 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract

4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Preparation:

Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Turn off the mixer. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.