Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Vanilla Frosting

How could I totally forget to write a blog post about this delicious Chocolate Birthday Cake! Well let me get started then!

It was my best friends birthday about a month ago and I asked her what kind of cake she wanted? She said she didn't want a cake. I was like "What?". Everybody deserves a cake for there birthday, right? Plus birthdays give me a great excuse to bake a new cake recipe! So I tried again, and asked her what she wanted instead. Her answer...Banana Bread. I told her no problem, so I made one plus a cake. I very pink cake if I might add. A very pink cake with Whipped Vanilla Frosting (that taste like ice cream!)

 The cake it self is very moist chocolate cake. It's super delicious, together with the frosting makes an awesome combination. I got this cake recipe from Sweetapolita. I used her Chocolate Birthday Cupcakes recipe 3-times the batch. Each batch makes 1 (8-inch round layer).

For the Whipped Vanilla Frosting I used her frosting recipe from her Vanilla Birthday Cake. The frosting is super creamy. Almost taste like ice cream! I'm all for frosting that taste like ice cream! This frosting also pipes really nice. I used Ateco #849 for the top border and Wilton #2D for the bottom border. At the time I didn't have a cake spatula, so I had no choice but to use a butter knife. It would have came out a lot cleaner with an angled spatula. To ahieve pink frosting I used a few drop of AmeriColor Gel Paste in Electric Pink. Don't forget every pink cake needs to be dressed up in sprinkles! Go on, don't be shy...pile tons of it on!

Over all this cake turned out great. It was a huge hit on her birthday. She end up loving it and the Banana Bread!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake

(make 3-times this recipe for 3, 8-inch round pan)

Ingredients:

For Cake Layer

3/4 cup (95 g) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (150 g) white sugar

1/4 cup (30 g) dark cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon (3.5 g) baking soda

3/4 teaspoon (3.5 g) baking powder

3/4 teaspoon (3.5 g) cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon (4 g) salt

1/3 cup (80 mL) buttermilk

1/4 cup (60 mL) brewed coffee or espresso, hot

3 tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable oil

1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten

1-1/2 teaspoons (7.5 mL) pure vanilla extract 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F and line a muffin/cupcake pan with your favourite cupcake liners.

In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch and salt.

In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, coffee, oil, egg and vanilla.

Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed (you may need the plastic splashguard that comes with mixer), Divide batter among (2/3 full or just less) liners. Batter will be liquidy, and cupcakes will rise.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until toothpick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs. Try not to over-bake. Carefully remove cupcakes from the pan immediately (it's hot!), and place them on a wire rack until completely cool. 

Source: Sweetapolita

For the Whipped Vanilla Frosting 

2-1/2 cups (5 sticks)(575 grams) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes

5-1/4 cups (600 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted 

4-1/2 tablespoons (70 mL) milk

1-1/2 tablespoons (23 mL) pure vanilla extract

pinch or two of salt

few drops pink gel colour

pastel sugar pearls, or any other sprinkles for decorating

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed (I use “4″ on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale & creamy.

Add remaining ingredients and mix on low-speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy. If you want all of your frosting (for filling and frosting cake) pink, then add a drop of pink gel colour and mix again, adding one drop at a time until desired pink shade is achieved (see notes). If you want just the outside of the cake pink, you will fill the cake layers first, and then colour the remaining frosting pink.

Best used right away (for ideal spreading consistency), but keeps well once frosted. 

Source: Sweetapolita