A chocolaty and moist chocolate layer cake that turns out perfect every time!
YIELD
24 servingsPREP
60 minCOOK
30 minREADY
2½ hrsIngredients
Directions
Cake:
In medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with wire whisk until smooth. Cool completely.
Sift flour with soda, salt, and baking powder.
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Grease well and lightly flour three 9 by 1½ inch layer-cake pans.
In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter, light-about 5 mins.
At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat. Divide evenly into pans; smooth top.
Bake 25 to 30 mins., or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Carefully loosen sides with spatula. Remove from pans; cool on racks.
Frosting:
In medium saucepan, combine chocolate pieces, cream, butter; stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat.
With whisk, blend in 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar. In bowl set over ice(I use ice cubes) beat until it holds shape.
Filling:
Whip cream with sugar and vanilla; refrigerate.
To assemble cake:
On plate place a layer, top side down; spread with half of cream. Place second layer, top side down; spread with rest of cream. Place third layer, top side up.
To frost:
With spatula, frost sides first, covering whipped cream; use rest of frosting on top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
To cut:
Use a thin-edged sharp knife; slice with a sawing motion.
Comments
I've been making this cake ever since I read the recipe in a magazine probably 26 years ago. This is my favorite cake and I make it for many of my friend's birthdays. I used to make it for my children and I've even made it for my grandchildren
I've been making this cake years; since I got it in McCall's Cooking School cookbook. It's quite labor intensive, but gets raves! Cake, filling and frosting are all delicious!
My mother used to make this recipe for our birthdays when we were kids. It is a lot of work, but it is worth it. It made us all feel special. The cake is dense, and very delicious. The frosting is awesome. I make it now for my step kids on their birthdays so they will feel special too.
This is the PERFECT chocolate cake recipe ever...End of story. I make one every year for either Thanksgiving or Christmas...Everyone LOVES it. It is a very high calorie cake with a ton of butter, chocolate and cream, but the ingredients are REAL are WELL worth the splurge. The cake is also labor intensive, but SOOOOOOO worth the time and effort..
This cake is well worth the work. This is the cake I made for holidays and special occasions. I lost the recipe, but am thankful this website has it.
I ate this cake almost 60 or more years ago and thought I would never taste it again. I am so happy - will make it for Libby my 15 year old granddaughter
I am thrilled to have found this recipe. I had the McCalls Cooking School cookbook since the 70's, but it went missing and I needed to make this for my wife's birthday, It is BY FAR the BEST chocolate cake/frosting combo of all time. As others said, a bit of work, but not difficult...totally worth every minute of labor
I've been making this cake since 1982. It's spectacular but remember that because of the whipped cream it MUST be stored in the refrigerator. Not a cake for summer picnics. Furthermore, if the icing is made with butter it will soften and be a big mess on a warm day. Margarine (real margarine, not one of those modern "spreads") will make the icing hold up better.
To avoid the problem, omit the cream filling, double the icing recipe and use it on the top and sides and between layers. Use margarine in the frosting and you've got a perfect chocolate cake for all seasons.
I'm so happy that I finally found this recipe! I used to make it in the dorm kitchen and it only made it to the fully assembled cake ONCE LOL. The boys would try to steal the layers then they started buying ingredients so I could make it. Thanks so much! Best fudgy cake ever.