Devil's Food Cake with Fluffy White Icing

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 2 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 c. cake flour
• 1 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 large whole eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 c.(1 stick) plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 3/4 c. strongly brewed coffee
• RICH CHOCOLATE FILLING:
• 9 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• FLUFFY WHITE ICING:
• 5 large egg whites
• 1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/3 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Preparation: 2 hours, plus baking and cooling

Make cake:
1)Preheat oven to 350 F. (325 F for dark pans). Butter and flour bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans.
2)In a large mixing bowl, sift together sugar, flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3)In a med. mixing bowl, whisk whole eggs and yolk together until combined. Whish in vanilla and melted butter. Whisk in buttermilk and coffee. Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Scrape batter into pans, dividing equally.
4)Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until edges of cake pull away from side and toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes on wire racks for 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks to cool completely.

Make filling:
1)Place chocolate in a med. bowl. In med. saucepan, heat cream until it comes to a gentle boil. Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, to allow chocolate to melt. Stir mixture until smooth and chocolate completetly melted. Stir in vanilla.
2)Set bowl containing chocolate mixture into a larger bowl of ice water and stir mixture constantly for about 5 minutes, or until it is a spreadable consistency. Remove bowl of filling from ice water and set aside until ready to fill cake.

Make icing:
1)In large deep bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, water, and cream of tartar. With hand-held mixer, beat until foamy, about 1 minute.
2) Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water, making sure that bottom of bowl does not touch the water. Beat constantly at low speed until mixture reaches 160F, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat, add vanilla, and beat frosting at high speed until stiff peaks, about 7 minutes.

Assemble cake:
1)Cut cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers total. Place one layer cut side up on serving plate and scrape generous 1/2 c. chocolate filling onto. Spread filling evenly over layer. Repeat 2 times, then top with last cake layer.
2) Using offset spatula, spread frosting first on sides then over cake, in "dramatic swirls". Serve immediately or refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving.

Yield: 10 servings
Medium difficulty

*Note: Can also make one 9-inch round cake plus muffins instead. Muffins will take less baking time.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: From March 2002, Chocolatier
Submitted By: Meryl
merstarunicorn11@hotmail.com
Devil's Food Cake with Fluffy White Icing