Triple Chocolate Layer Cake

By Nancy Caivano

Triple Chocolate Layer Cake

Makes 1 triple layer cake

Ingredients:

For cake:
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cake flour
6 tbsp unsalted cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

For filling and frosting:
4 oz good quality white chocolate
(such as Lindt,), finely chopped
4 oz good quality milk chocolate
(such as Lindt) finely chopped
1 cup plus 1 tbsp chilled heavy cream, divided
6 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

White and milk chocolate shavings

Method:

Prepare the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch diameter cake pans with 1-1/2 inch sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper.

Stir buttermilk, espresso powder and vanilla in a small bowl until powder dissolves.

Sift sugar, cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add eggs and butter; beat until mixture is thick and smooth, about 1-1/2 minutes. Add buttermilk mixture; beat until light and fluffy, about 1-1/2 minutes longer. Divide batter into pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto racks. Peel off parchment and cool completely.

Prepare filling and frosting:
Place white chocolate and milk chocolate in separate medium bowls. Bring 1 cup cream to boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Pour 3 tbsp hot cream into white chocolate, and 3 tbsp hot cream into milk chocolate. Add semisweet chocolate to remaining cream in saucepan; stir until smooth. Stir white chocolate and milk chocolate fillings until smooth; chill until cold but not firm, about 15 minutes. Set aside semisweet chocolate frosting.

Assembly:
Place 1 cake layer on platter. Using hand held mixer, beat white chocolate filling until slightly stiff. Spread over cake layer. Top with second cake layer. Add remaining 1 tbsp cream to milk chocolate filling and beat until smooth. Spread over second cake layer. Top with third cake layer. Chill cake until semisweet chocolate frosting is firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.

Stir frosting until smooth. Spread very thin layer over top and sides of cake to smooth surface and anchor crumbs. Chill 30 minutes. Spread remaining frosting decoratively over cake. Garnish with chocolate shavings, and serve.