Dana’s Birthday Cake

So today is Dana’s Birthday!  Happy Birthday Dana! I wanted to make her a super chocolaty cake, so I made a moist chocolate cake, layered with a fluffy chocolate filling and a chocolate butter cream frosting.  It is rather intense with the amount of chocolate.  As you can see from the pics, I need a little practice with piping letters onto a cake.  However, the sentiment got across and she loved it.

Chocolate Cake – (Adapted from Hersey’s)

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Fluffy Chocolate filling

• 1 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 package devils food pudding (3.4 oz)
  
• 1 tub cool whip (8 oz)
  

Butter Cream Frosting

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Making the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Then grease two 9-inch round baking pans. I like to line the bottom of the pans with parchment to make sure that the cakes release from the pans.  Check out my red velvet cake post for directions on cutting parchment for round cake pans.

Stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of your mixer.  Then add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Then gently stir in the boiling water.  The batter will be very thin.

Pour the batter equally into the two pans.

Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and removed cleanly.  Cool on a wire rack.

Fluffy Filling

Pour the instant pudding mixture and 1-3/4 cups of milk into a large bowl.  Mix for 2 minutes.  Then gently fold the cool whip into the mixture.  When combined it is ready.

The Frosting

Cream the butter using a mixer.   Then alternatively add the powdered sugar and milk.  Beat on medium until desired consistency.  Then add the vanilla and mix.

The frosting may be a little thick so you may need to mix in a bit more cream into the mixture.

Assembly

Slice the two cake rounds in half so that you have four layers.

Place one layer onto a cake stand and top with 1/3rd of the fluffy filling.  Then top with another layer and repeat.  Finally add the fourth layer.

Then using the frosting coat the entire cake.

Finally add any finishing decorations and serve.  Keep the cake refrigerated until it is ready to be served.

The layered cake was awesome!

Enjoy!  Happy Birthday Dana!