Vanilla Butter-Creme Chocolate Ganache Birthday Cake

Submitted by Chef Princess Diana

"The original recipe is from a Paula Deen magazine. The original recipe asks for Crisco in the icing (I substituted the Crisco for unsalted butter) and they also wanted 8, YES 8, cups of icing sugar for the icing. By cup six, it was sweet...way too sweet! I could not go any further with the icing and I actually thought it was way too sickeningly sweet so I added creme cheese. Everything is better with creme-cheese! Even though you can use all the icing, I didn't use all of it and put my leftovers in a freezer bag and into the freezer it went for when we make cupcakes. :)"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 17mins
• Ingredients: 20
• Yields: 1 cake

ingredients

• cake

• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 cup whole milk
• 1⁄3 cup buttermilk, plus
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons vanilla

• icing

• 1 1⁄2 cups butter, softened
• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 6 cups icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon imitation butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons whipping cream (optional)

• ganache

• 3⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 5 (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate baking squares

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease and flour 3 (9 inch) cake pans.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
4. Add sugar, beating until fluffy.
5. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
7. In a small bowl, combine milk, buttermilk, cream and vanilla.
8. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined.
9. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites at medium speed with an electric mixer until stiff.
10. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
11. Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans.
12. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes clean.
13. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.
14. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
15. Spread Vanilla Butter Crème in between layers and on top and sides of cake.
16. Place cake in freezer for 30 minutes.
17. Pour warm Ganache over top of cake letting it run down sides.
18. For the Vanilla Butter Crème in a large bowl beat butters and cream cheese at medium speed with a electric mixer until creamy.
19. Gradually beat in icing sugar until smooth.
20. Beat in vanilla and Wilton's Butter flavor.
21. In a medium bowl combine cream and chocolate.
22. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 2 minutes).
23. Make sure the chocolate is just a little warm. Carefully and gently spoon Ganache over top of the cake and allow to drip down the sides.
24. Let cool for 10 minutes.