Chocolate Birthday Cake
- Ready In:
- 1hr 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 11
- Serves:
-
10
ingredients
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 4 eggs
- 3⁄4 cup sugar
- 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1⁄2 cup sugar
- 1⁄2 cup water
- 3 egg yolks
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1⁄2 cup apricot preserves, melted and strained
directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter and flour a 9-inch layer cake pan; tap out the excess flour.
- Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water.
- Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
- Beat the eggs and 3/4 cup sugar in a bowl until thick and lemon colored.
- Fold the flour and melted chocolate into the batter, a third at a time until just combined.
- Stir in the almond extract.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
- Leave the cake in the pan for 5 minutes, then unmold it onto a wire rack.
- When cake is cool, split it into 2 layers.
- To make the frosting, in a saucepan boil 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water until the sugar melts and the syrup is clear.
- Cool to lukewarm.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the egg yolks, adding the syrup in a slow, steady stream, until thick.
- Continue beating for about 5 minutes or until the mixture has more than doubled in bulk.
- In a clean bowl and using the electric mixer, beat the butter until light and creamy.
- Add the butter to the yolk mixture, a little at a time.
- Spread the buttercream on one of the cake layers Top with the other cake layer.
- To decorate the cake, melt the bittersweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper and spread the melted chocolate in a thin layer over the paper.
- Freeze for about 15 minutes until the chocolate is brittle.
- Brush the warmed, strained preserves over the top of the cake.
- Crumple the wax paper to break the chocolate into pieces.
- Scatter the broken chocolate over the top of the cake.
- Note: If you decide to write on the cake, double the buttercream amounts and omit the broken chocolate.
- Spread the buttercream on top of apricot preserves, and then write on the smooth surface with red or another color of decorating gel.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Janey Vies
United States