Chocolate Ecstacy Cake
Submitted by Ginia
Three-layer chocolate cake filled with Swiss meringue buttercream, covered in whipped cream frosting, and decorated with chocolate rosettes and handmade chocolate squares. A true celebration cake.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis is the kind of cake that makes people set down their forks and just stare for a second before diving in. Three cocoa-rich cake layers, a silky chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream between them, and the whole thing blanketed in billowy whipped cream.
The presentation is next level. Chocolate shavings crown the top, buttercream rosettes ring the edge, and hand-cut chocolate squares line the sides like armor. It looks like it belongs in a pastry shop window.
Yes, there are multiple components. But each one is straightforward on its own, and the cake actually freezes before assembly, which means you can spread the work over two days.
Chef Tips
- Freeze the baked cake wrapped in plastic before slicing into three layers. A frozen cake cuts cleaner and crumbles less
- For the Swiss meringue buttercream, make sure the sugar fully dissolves in the egg whites before whipping. Rub a bit between your fingers to check for grittiness
- Add the butter to the meringue gradually. If it looks curdled, keep whipping. It will come together
- Spread the chocolate for the squares very thin on waxed paper. Thick squares will overpower the delicate whipped cream coating
Ingredients
Directions
Chocolate Cake: Beat eggs with sugar at high speed 5 minutes.
Sift together cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and cocoa; fold into egg batter.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 inch pan.
Bake at 350℉ (180℃) F about 1 hour or until cake begins to separate from sides of pan.
Remove cake from the pan while still warm.
Wrap in plastic wrapping and place in the freezer.
Chocolate Butter Cream: Place sugar and egg whites in the top of a double boiler and heat until sugar dissolves.
Beat at high speed until meringue forms peaks.
Gradually add softened butter and continue whipping.
Then add vanilla and melted chocolate until well blended.
Whipped Cream Frosting: Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla; whip at high speed until stiff peaks form.
To assemble cake: Slice frozen cake horizontally into thirds.
Spread one third of the butter cream on the top of the first layer.
Place the second layer above that and spread one third of the butter cream on top, reserving the remaining one third butter cream for decoration.
Place the third layer of the cake in place.
Cover entire cake, including sides, with the whipped cream frosting.
Decorate top center of cake with shaved bits of semisweet chocolate.
Using a pastry bag with a medium star tip, make rosettes around the circumference of the cake using the remainder of the butter cream.
Finally, place chocolate square around the side of the cake.
To make chocolate squares, spread a thin layer of melted semisweet chocolate onto waxed paper then place in refrigerator to harden.
Cut chocolate into 1½ inch square.
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