See's Candies-Inspired Bordeaux Cake
Dark chocolate cake layers with brown sugar buttercream and chocolate sprinkles.
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 2 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cups (88.5 g) good quality dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (109 g) vegetable oil
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (236.6 g) hot water
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar, packed
- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter slightly chilled
- 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.
Garnish
- 1 cup chocolate jimmies, (sprinkles)
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and spray the pans again. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
- In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, water, and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans (about 16 ounces of batter in each pan) and bake for 23 to 27 minutes.
- Cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the heavy whipping cream for about 30 to 45 seconds.
- Add the brown sugar to the heavy whipping cream and stir until smooth and the sugar dissolves into the liquid. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on it's own for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar, followed by the brown sugar mixture, vanilla and salt.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat the buttercream for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
ASSEMBLY
- Place the first cake layer, top-side up, in the center of the cake board. Using an offset palette knife, spread about 1 cup frosting evenly across the cake layer.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting and evenly spread another cup of buttercream over the cake layer.
- Place the third cake layer, top-side down, on top of the frosting.
- Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Once the crumb coat is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining buttercream and then cover the sides and top with chocolate jimmies.