12 to 15 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
Cake flour or all-purpose flour
Sugar
Salt
Baking powder
Baking soda
Unsalted butter (Room temp)
Large eggs (Room temp)
Whole milk (Room temp)
Sour cream (Room temp)
Vegetable or canola oil
Unsweetened cocoa powder
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
Vanilla extract
Butter extract
Almond extract (Optional)
Dark chocolate extract
Confectioners’ sugar
Tools you’ll need
Two 9-inch round cake pans
Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray
Offset spatula
Preparation of ingredients
Dry ingredients (Cake flour or all-purpose flour mixture)
Step 1- Sift 2 and 1/2 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a medium sized bowl. Stir all ingredients together and set aside.
Wet ingredients (Milk and sour cream mixture)
Step 2-If you are using cake flour add 3/4 cup whole milk (Room temp), and 3/4 cup sour cream (Room temp). If you are using all-purpose flour add 2/3 cup whole milk (Room temp), and 2/3 cup sour cream (Room temp). Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons butter extract and 1 teaspoon almond extract (Optional). Stir all ingredients with a whisk until combined.
Egg whites
Step 3- Separate 6 egg whites from 6 egg yolks (Room temp). Add the egg whites into a measuring cup and add the egg yolks into a small container.
Cake batter
Step 4- Add 2 sticks unsalted butter (Softened and at room temp), 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil (If you are using cake flour), 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil (If you are using all-purpose flour), and 2 and 1/4 cups sugar. Mix on high speed for 6 minutes. Scrape down the sides of your bowl.
Step 5- Add 6 egg whites into the batter one at a time while mixing on medium speed. Scrape down sides of your bowl. Mixture will have volume and will be thick.
Step 6- Alternate the Dry ingredients (Cake flour or all-purpose flour mixture) and the Wet ingredients (Milk and sour cream mixture) into the batter 3 separate times. Mix on a medium low speed each time for 15 to 20 seconds or until combined. Scrape down the sides of your bowl each time as well.
Spray baking pans with the Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray.
Preheat oven to 320 degrees.
Step 7- Add the prepared cake batter into two 9 inch-round cake pans. Spread the batter around each cake pan as evenly as possible. To make the batter more even, shake each pan slightly.
Step 8- Place into a preheated 320-degree oven on the middle rack. Bake for 35 minutes.
Step 9- Remove the baking pans from the oven. Toothpick inserted into each cake layer should come out clean. Let the cake layers cool for 2 to 3 hours before removing them from the baking pan.
Cake layers
Step 10- Take a knife and trim off the dome section on the top of each cake layer.
Baking chocolate
Step 11- Break 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate into cubes. Place into microwave on high for 1 minute and stir. Repeat this step until the baking chocolate melts. Let the chocolate cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Chocolate fudge buttercream
Step 12- Add 2 sticks unsalted butter (Softened and at room temp), and 2 cups confectioners’ sugar. Mix on a medium low speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Step 13- Add 1 stick unsalted butter (Softened and at room temp), 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon butter extract and 1/2 teaspoon dark chocolate extract. Mix on a medium low speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until combined. After the ingredients are combined, mix on a high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Step 14- Add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 4 ounces melted unsweetened baking chocolate. Mix on a medium low speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Step 15- Add 2 tablespoons warm whole milk. Mix on a medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until combined. Scrape down the sides of your bowl.
Decorating the cake
Step 16- Spread a small amount of the chocolate fudge buttercream frosting onto a cake pad. This will prevent the cake from moving. Place the cake layer on top of the cake pad and press down slightly with your hands.
Step 17- Add 1 and 1/4 cups of the chocolate fudge buttercream frosting onto the cake layer. Spread the frosting on top of the cake layer as evenly as possible. Place the second cake layer on top and press down on the cake layer slightly with your hands.
Step 18- Spread a small amount of the chocolate fudge buttercream frosting onto the top and the sides of the cake. This is called the crumb coat. It prevents cake crumbs from getting into the second coating of frosting on the cake. Once the crumb coat is applied to the cake, place the cake into the fridge or freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 19- Add the rest of the chocolate fudge buttercream frosting on top of the cake. Spread the frosting on top of the cake with an offset spatula. As you spread the frosting on top of the cake, the frosting will start to free fall along the sides of the cake. From there take the offset spatula and spread the frosting around the sides of the cake as well.
Step 20- Glide the offset spatula along the top and sides of the cake. Create a swirl design on top of the cake using the spatula. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes and after that the cake is ready to be served.
YouTube instructional video
