Yellow Cake with Chocolate

yellow cake choc 170 tssTriple-layer Yellow Cake with Chocolate Ganache Filling and Frosting with Dark Chocolate Roses

This cake is a winner all.day.long.

A sweet friend of mine asked me to bake a cake for her to take to a special event at her school.  “I want something very American… let me describe the slice of cake I had a few weeks ago.”   She described a Vanilla Yellow Cake with Milk Chocolate filling and frosting.

This cake is a classic.  Most new baker might test the waters of cake baking with such a basic vanilla/chocolate combination, I know I did.  A Yellow Cake Box Mix and a tub of Chocolate Frosting is right up there with baseball and apple pie.  And that’s where the trouble can begin… simple is almost never easy.

I use cake flour in my Classic Vanilla Layer Cake – less protein in the flour makes for a lighter crumb in the sponge while still being incredibly moist.  But using this flour can go sideways in no time.

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With the dry ingredients whisked together and set aside, I turned my attention to the eggs, sugar, oil, etc.  I use vanilla from Mexico – I’ve always loved the rich flavor.

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While the cake was baking, I worked on the Lindt Chocolate Ganache.

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I whipped the ganache into buttercream which makes for an amazing milk chocolate filling.  For this cake, I wanted the ganache to be a nice medium stiffness since blending into the buttercream was essential.  More milk would make it ideal for dripping down the sides of the cake, which wasn’t planned.

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I’ve found that three scoops of filling is just the right amount for a triple-layer, 8″ round cake.  When filling a 6″ round cake, I use two scoops.

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I love to see these even layers; they’ve become my obsession!

Half-way through the crumb coat and all was still looking well.

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With the crumb coat finished, I popped the cake into the fridge and worked the frosting for the roses (which I wanted to be darker).

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Getting a smooth chocolate frosting is still very much a challenge for me.

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I keep working on it.  And that’s ok.

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Since this cake was a special order, no slice picture!  I miss that, but that’s part of the deal.

I am very grateful for my life partner and his encouragement.

I am very grateful for our people.

I am very grateful for sobriety and the life it allows me to live.

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