CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA TORTE LAYERED CAKE

I made this scrumptious cake for my husbands birthday a few weeks ago. He loves chocolate and I'm an occasional chocolate eater (milk chocolate only). I decided to add some vanilla cake layers and cream cheese frosting to give it some variety so the party guests weren't completely laid out in a chocolate coma by the end of the party. It was a long process, because I'm a novice, but here is how it went. 
Frosting recipe is also included. 


   

This is the first time I've ever torte cut a cake layer. I used the toothpick method
and a long serrated bread knife. It was pretty simple. I learned that having the
cakes very cool (30+ minutes in the fridge) make a HUGE difference.

A layer of cream cheese frosting then a layer of vanilla cake.

Chocolate buttercream, then another layer, I'm sure you're catching on by now...

Trying to create a pattern here, we'll see how it goes.

More frosting, more layers...

Kitchen is getting hot, so added some toothpicks for stability and off to the fridge
for an hour or so. (It's taken me all day and now I have to run and pick up
kids from school, be back in an hour...)

Back from carpooling, took the cake out of the fridge and covered the outside in
chocolate buttercream. Next time I will do a crumb coat. (Did you get the part where
I said I'm a novice? Just learned about a crumb coat)

Adding some swirls and doodles.

More decoations. (Honestly, it's not very masculine, but as long as it's chocolate inside,
I don't think my husband will care)

Add a little Happy Birthday wish and it's off to the fridge.
(I'll take it out about an hour before serving it.)

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you..." You get the idea. We sang,
he made a wish and blew out the candle, now lets cut it open
and see how the pattern turned out. I love this part!!

It turned out just as planned. The cake was moist and delicious!!
I will definitely keep this as a "make again" recipe.
The recipes I used for this cake are:

Extreme Chocolate Cake 

Print Version 

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
2. Use the first set of ingredients to make the cake. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in the boiling water by hand. Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.
4. Split the layers of cooled cake horizontally, cover the top of each layer with frosting, then stack them onto a serving plate. Frost the outside of the cake.  
   

Confetti Cakes' Vanilla Cake Recipe

Print Version

Ingredients:
 

• Cake flour - 2 cups (8 ounces)
• All-purpose flour - 1 cup plus 1 teaspoon(8 ounces)
• Baking Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Unsalted Butter -1 cup (2 sticks; 8 ounces)
• Granulated Salt -3 cups (21 ounces)
• Salt - 3/4 teaspoon
• Pure vanilla extract - 1 tablespoon
• Egg whites or pasteurized - 1 cup (8 ounces; about 7 eggs) egg whites in liquid form
• Milk - 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces)

Directions:
 

1. Preheat the oven to 350'F. Brush the bottoms and sides of the pans with melted butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add the salt and vanilla.
5. Set the mixer to low speed and gradually add the egg whites, scraping often.
6. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture in two batches, starting with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl between each addition and beat until thoroughly combined. Set the mixer to medium-high speed for about 20 seconds then stop and scrape the sides of the bowl.

 

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Print Version 

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter until light and fluffly. A stand mixer works best for this with the paddle attachment. Stir in about 1/3 of the cocoa and confectioners' sugar and then about 1/2 of the milk and vanilla. Alternate until they are all added. Beat for a couple of minutes until it gets to a nice consistency.

Cream Cheese Frosting

The Cream Cheese Frosting is a basic cream cheese I've made a thousand times. 
Print Version 

• 1 stick of butter
• 1 box of cream cheese
• 1 box of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of clear vanilla (Wilton makes this)

Mix all ingredients together (I find using a stand mixer is the best) and voila, the best cream cheese frosting ever!