Chocolate Cake with Mocha Icing

a piece of Chocolate Cake with mocha icing next to the cake the piece came from

Servings

Makes one 3-layer cake

Ingredients

2⅔ cups sifted cake flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup, packed, dark brown sugar
⅜ pound (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
¾ cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm (110°F on a candy thermometer)
1 ½ cups buttermilk


GLAZE
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


MOCHA ICING
¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4½ cups powdered sugar (1½ pounds)
⅓ to ½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder or crystals
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

How To Prepare

CAKE: Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium-size bowl and set aside.

Place the brown sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer; beat on high speed about 10 seconds to break up sugar. Add the butter and beat until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended, about 10 seconds each time. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 5 seconds. Beat in the cooled chocolate until well blended and smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes, scraping bowl sides well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with flour and beating after each addition just until smooth. Pour equal amounts of the batter into three 8-inch round greased and lightly floured cake pans (1½ inches deep). Bake at 350° until centers spring back when lightly pressed, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans to a wire rack and glaze while still hot. Cool thoroughly. Spread generously with icing between layers and on top and sides.


GLAZE: In a small saucepan combine the water and sugar; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. With a pastry brush, brush hot glaze over the surface and a little on the sides of each cake layer, using all the glaze. Makes about 1 cup glaze.


MOCHA ICING: Cream the butter in a large bowl of an electric mixer on high speed until very creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine ⅓ cup of the cream and the remaining ingredients, stirring until thoroughly dissolved. Add cream mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until well blended and sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes, scraping bowl well. Thin with a little more cream if desired. Makes enough frosting for one 3-layer cake.


© Copyright 1984 by Chef Paul Prudhomme

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