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Sweet Meet возбуждающий шоколад

I ve been working on a rather delightful cake to share with you, but I thought it would be fun to share this quick and simple treat in the meantime a treat we indulge in often over here! Between my cakelets, their friends and my sprinkle squad in the shop, we all enjoy these Homemade Hot Chocolates with Pastel Whipped Cream on a possibly too-frequent basis.

I think one of the best parts of running a sprinkle business, is that I m always looking for fun and easy ways to spread sprinkle joy without always having to bake for days. We don t always have time to bake and bake, as much as we love to. Sometimes we just need sweet little treats for rainy days, Sunday mornings and the like.

As you know, I love premium cocoa powder with a deep, dark richness (since that s all we use in our chocolatey cakes, right?), and because I always have some on hand (possibly more than one girl needs!), keeping a big jar of homemade hot chocolate mix is just another great way to appreciate and share such chocolately goodness. I typically use Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder because your hot chocolate is only as good as your cocoa powder . You can use any cocoa powder you have discovered and love, though.

Add a huge dollop (oxymoron?) of homemade pastel vanilla bean whipped cream and a healthy dose of sprinkles and you have a glorious (yet simple) treat in about 5 short minutes.

With Easter just around the corner . and just the overall springy pastel vibe in the air right now, I opted to add a few of my favourite malted Robin s Egg candies I live for these. You can even malt your hot chocolate by using equal parts Ovaltine and hot chocolate mix. Easter in a mug, truly.

But even just the pastel cream with glorious flecks of vanilla bean (tres robin s egg, non?) is super springy, and then with a handful of chocolatey and pastel Easter-inspired sprinkles, the result is magical.

Of course you can really theme up a lovely hot chocolate any way you wish once you have that mix made, you can add any kind of flavouring you love to either the hot drink, the whipped cream or the toppings. Heck, even just the classic homemade version done right is supreme compared to anything store-bought . Either way, we have a warm cup rich, creamy and decadent happiness.

So simple, but look at this bowl of ethereal vanilla bean creaminess! Imagine a dollop on pretty much anything for instant texture and richness (think ice cream; pie; cake or, well, any baked good; pancakes and more). It s whipped up (literally) in seconds, and yet sometimes we don t even think to do this ourselves for the ultimate version, as grabbing a can of topper might seem a more convenient way to go. And while I have definitely used the canned, pre-whipped Real Whipped Cream at times, there s honestly nothing like the real thing whipped at home.

I use the standard carton of whipping cream, as it s most often called here in Canada, from the dairy case in the grocery store (usually Nielson brand, or the like), which is 35% milk fat . or M.F. as it reads on the carton. In the USA, it seems heavy cream is more readily available, which is a slightly thicker cream, with about 36-38% milk fat content . Both work well, but of course the higher the milk fat content, the thicker and richer the final whipped cream will be.

In Canada, I suspect most people would say that their most vivid hot chocolate memories are rooted in cold, hockey arenas with their hands wrapped around unthinkably-hot hot chocolate out of a Styrofoam cup (gasp!). And while I have a few of those memories myself, my hot-chocolate memories are, well, a little more Viennese.

You might remember my saying that I worked at Viennese cafe in my teens (Cafe Mozart in Kitchener, Ontario, which is sadly no longer there) quite possibly the reason I bake today.

So anyway, at the cafe, we had this huge stainless steel commercial cream machine you pour gallons of liquid cream in, and with one easy push of a lever, mounds of fluffy whipped cream would adorn anything you eagerly held underneath it. There were certain pastries on the menu that were to include a generous swirl (Apple Cake, Strudel and Sachertorte come to mind), but also some decadent hot drinks I remember making countless Viennese Coffees . which I now realize weren t even authentic whaa.

Our Austrian boss taught us to use regular coffee from the pot, in a clear mug topped with a mountain of whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top (those were my pre-coffee-drinking-days, but today that sounds nothing short of magical). Turns out a traditional Viennese Coffee includes espresso, chocolate, cinnamon and whipped cream. Also magical.

Our most popular whipped creamy drink, however, was the richest, Belgian chocolate hot chocolate you have ever tasted, which we also dispensed from a magic machine . Just simple but premium, hot, chocoalety goodness topped with what I remember as a mountain of fresh whipped cream. I can still hear the distinct kwwwoooouuuuu sound that cream machine, that seemed to go nonstop (usually for customers during cafe hours, but after work, well, let s just say my co-workers and I used to indulge often in our own 3:1 cream to chocolate mugs and in times of urgency just a spoon and few shots of whipped cream in a styrofoam cup did the trick.

At 16 years old, this was one of the most decadent things I had ever tasted . Hence, my passion for homemade hot chocolate and whipped cream. It s not fancy, but I think it s something everyone should experience.

Did I just write 7 paragraphs on whipped cream . Pretty sure I did. Where s my editor? Hehe.

For the sprinkles-on-top, I went for this happy, happy sprinkle mix, Ice Cream Parlour Sprinkle Medley I love the contrast of chocolate and pastels! (I added a few little pink bunny heads as well because, I think it s safe to say, you can never have too many tiny pink bunny heads.

Okay, guys, here s the quick and easy recipe.

For the Hot Chocolate Mix.

3 cups (360g) premium dark cocoa powder (I use Cacao Barry Extra Brute.

1 cup (200g) superfine sugar.

2 teaspoons salt.

For the Whipped Cream (enough for about 6 generously dolloped hot chocolates.

1 cup (240ml) whipping/heavy cream (35-40%), cold.

2 tablespoons sugar (or confectioners' sugar.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract.

Few drops of food colouring (I used AmeriColor Turquoise.

For the Hot Chocolate Mix.

Sift together the cocoa powder and sugar into a medium bowl or piece of parchment paper. Whisk together until combined, and store in an airtight jar at room temperature.

Will keep for 8-12 months (hooray.

For the Whipped Cream.

Chill a stainless bowl (for stand-up mixer if using, or just any stainless bowl if using a hand mixer) and the whisk attachment or beaters in the freezer for a few minutes.

Pour the cold 35% heavy cream (in Canada known as \"whipping cream\"), sugar, vanilla bean paste (or vanilla) and a drop of the colour (if using) into the chilled bowl and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute (when you lift the whisk or beater over the bowl, the cream should form a droopy point, like an eagle's beak.) This happens very quickly.

If you like a slightly thicker whipped cream, or if you would to pipe the cream, beat slightly longer until stiff peaks form (you will see visible swirls in the cream when whipping). *Ensure you don't over-beat, or the cream will end up coarse and grainy.

Best used right away, but will keep covered in fridge for one day.

Make the Hot Chocolate.

In a large mug, stir together 2 tablespoons of the hot chocolate mix with a splash of milk until well combined. Add boiling water and stir until blended. Spoon on a generous dollop of whipped cream and top with sprinkles.

For the hot chocolate mix, I used Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder. which is deep and dark.

I always use superfine sugar for hot chocolate mix, as it dissolves nicely and doesn t impart the off-taste that confectioner /powdered sugar can. To make your own superfine sugar, simply put granulated sugar into a food processor and pulse until fine, about 1 minute.

Always use a very cold bowl and beater/whisk attachment and cold cream when making whipped cream.

For the pastel turquoise whipped cream, I used Turquoise by Americolor but you can use any colour you like.

I used a handful of Ice Cream Parlour Sprinkle Medley on top, as well as malted Robins Eggs candy (again my weakness.

See you soon with cake, friends.

Unicorn Angel Cake.

Guys. where have you been? I ve been waiting here for ages and nothing! Jeez.

Really though, you ve been super patient with me, and that means a lot. Before I get into catching you up on my life, let s talk about cake and happiness, okay? That s what brings us, and has always brought us together, right? So it seemed only right to bring cake to our sweet reunion.

This week I felt compelled to make angel food cake super sweet unicorn style. I think because spring (my favourite season) is kind-of-almost-sort-of in the air, I have got the Easter pastels on my mind, but my heart wanted to fluff it up a bit. Remember when we made the Perfectly Pink Angel Food Cake awhile back? Well, honestly, that cake is one of the most incredibly dream-like cakes I have ever made, and it felt perfectly perfect for this pastel unicorn version.

So what makes an angel food cake a Unicorn Angel Cake . Well, really I only deemed it as such after I sliced it, but the colours, the layers, the sprinkles and, well, the dose of magic I spied when I admired it all together for the first time made it so. And who am I to turn a blind eye upon sprinkly-cake-magic.

That said, I know it s a bit more, hmm. freestyle looking in its frosting and possibly disheveled appearance, but honestly the texture and taste are nothing short of a dream, and it takes no cake decorating prowess whatsoever you just generously dollop and swirl . A good old soup spoon does the trick! (And cakelets of all ages LOVE this type of decorating.

The cake is a classic angel food texture with 14 egg whites, superfine sugar and even a generous hit of confectioners sugar in the mix for the most tender and light as air, spongy texture. After each fluffy, pastel mountain of cake slowly compresses against your plate when you wriggle your fork down to cut a generous bite, it bounces back in front of your eyes (in true angel cake fashion), and it literally melts in your mouth . The swirls of billowy marshmallow frosting are satiny and quite sweet with their nostalgic meringuey-ness, but then each bite finishes with the pleasant and subtle crunch and candy-like flavour that only sprinkles can bring.

Unlike a traditional rainbow cake, we can t bake the layers in separate pans, so all we do is divide the batter (very gently, since angel food batter is extremely delicate we won t want to deflate it in any way) evenly into 3 and gently fold in the desired colours.

Then we simply add the batter layers one at a time and spread gently with spatula (just ensure you don t blend with the batter/colour below). Oh, and don t forget that if you are going for a certain order of coloured layers , that the top will be the bottom.

You can see in the photo above, that purple did show through the top I wasn t sure what to expect, and if the colours would look more blended when I cut the cake, but they actually kept their layers quite nicely! The slightly rounded look to those layers is the result of the batter being pulled upwards while rising. Kind of neat, actually.

You ll notice that the baked cake has a thin layer of the golden crust all over it. If we were leaving this cake exposed, I would have taken the time to gently remove that when the cake was first removed from the pan, because the only time you can really do this without scraping off actual cake, is when it s super hot, and the crust is soft. I did this on the top turquoise layer of the cake, and you can see in the photo how lovely that is. Honestly, though, when you re smothering the cake in mounds of marshmallow frosting, you don t need to worry about taking the time do that.

That said, if we were going to go all white with the cake and frosting, I probably would take that time, so we had a purely angelic white cake + frosting.

Sprinkles! Who would have guessed? Hehe. Truth be told, you could add absolutely any sprinkles in the universe to this cake. Or none, for that matter.

But I opted for one of my new Easter-inspired sprinkles filled with bunnies, chicks, chocolatey-ness and more, called Peep Show. Seemed like a perfect fit! (I know that sounds like a shameless sprinkle-shop plug, but I just know you sprinkle-lovers would email me and ask me where I got the sprinkles.

A bit of a beautiful mess, but it does seem that the most luscious cakes are. Don t you agree.

Spongy, sweet, tender, moist, angelic, fluffy, billowy, meringue-y, satiny and whoop! crunchy. The ultimate.

You can modify this angel food cake and marshmallow frosting in so many ways to boast your favourite colour, combination of colours, flavours and even sprinkles. What s your dream cake.

For the tri-colour cake.

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (140 g) cake flour.

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (150 g) confectioners' sugar.

1/2 teaspoon salt.

2 cups (13-14 egg whites), room temperature (left out about 1 hour.

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar.

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (180 g) superfine sugar (see Sweetapolita's Notes.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract--see Notes.

1/8 teaspoon almond extract (see Notes.

Pink, Purple and Turquoise soft gel paste food color (see Notes.

For the pastel purple marshmallow frosting.

6 egg whites (180 g.

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (390 g) granulated sugar.

2 tablespoons (45 g) light corn syrup (see Notes.

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar.

Pinch of salt.

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract.

Purple soft gel paste food color (see Notes.

Sprinkles of your choice (I used Sweetapolita \"Peep Show Sprinkle Medley.

Make the pastel angel food cake.

Arrange oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift the cake flour, confectioners' sugar and salt together 4 times. Set aside.

Wipe the bowl and whisk attachment of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add the egg whites and beat on the lowest speed until they start to become frothy, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and sprinkle the cream of tartar over the egg whites. Beat on medium speed until the egg whites thicken just slightly and you can see swirl lines in the mixture from the whisk (very soft peaks), about 1 minute. Add the superfine sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until the egg whites thicken and reach soft/medium, droopy (not stiff) peaks, 1-2 minutes.

Beat in the vanilla and almond extract.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the dry ingredients 1/4 at a time on top of the meringue and fold gently but thoroughly with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly into 3 bowls and add a few drops of each colour to create each tinted batter layer by folding every so gently until blended: few drops Soft Pink to one bowl; Regal Purple to another; turquoise to the third.

Gently transfer the batter, one layer at a time, to an ungreased 10\" angel food cake pan and smoothing each with a small offset spatula or back of a spoon. Bake on the lower rack of the oven until the top of the cake springs back when touched lightly, and when a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Don't check the cake before 35 minutes, or you could deflate your cake, but also try not to over-bake.

Remove the cake from the oven and invert the whole pan onto a wire rack so it cools upside down. Let cool for one hour and then loosen sides around the center and outside of the cake using a thin metal spatula or knife. Gently coax the cake out of the pan onto the wire rack and let cool completely. Take your time with this step--you can even use your fingers to loosed the bottom edges, by reaching down between the cake and the pan, pushing the cake away from the sides. It will bounce right back.

Do this all around the bottom before pulling the cake out of the pan.

Make the marshmallow frosting.

Wipe the bowl and whisk attachment of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 130°F (54°C) on a candy thermometer.

Return the bowl to the stand mixer and beat on low speed for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 more minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat until it is very thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and food colour, if using, and beat to combine. Best used right away (for best texture to apply frosting to the cake--after that it's best enjoyed up to 1-2 days at room temperature.

Place the cake wide end down onto a cake plate, board or pedestal. Pile the frosting on top of the cake and use a metal spatula to spread the frosting from the top down. Create swirls using the back of a spoon and sprinkle with your favourite sprinkles. Slice cake using a serrated knife in a gentle sawing motion. Cake keeps at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Best enjoyed day 1 (the cake stays very moist for days, but marshmallow frosting is best enjoyed sooner than later.

Sugar: I use “superfine” sugar for most of my cake and meringue recipes, as it lends to a lighter cake and dissolves quickly into meringue, etc. This is simply a finer grain of granulated sugar that you can purchase as such (also referred to as caster sugar, baking sugar, and more), but I just buy regular granulated sugar and process it for about 60-90 seconds until it is, well, superfine.

Flour: I used Swan s Down Cake Flour this time, but I typically use either Robin Hood or Five Roses brand. And remember you can make your own cake flour in a snap: for every needed cup of cake flour, measure 1 cup of bleached all-purpose flour and remove 2 tablespoons from that cup (some bakers prefer to replace those 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, but I choose not to), so 1 cup bleached all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons = 1 cup of cake flour. Learn more about flour in my past post, Bring Me Flours.

Light Corn Syrup: You ll often see marshmallow and candy-related recipes calling for Light Corn Syrup. The term light means that it is clear, and not golden, not light as in less sugar. I, being in Canada, use Lily White brand, and in the US, a popular brand is Karo Light Corn Syrup.

Colour: For the food colour in the cake itself, I used a few drops of Turquoise by Americolor. Soft Pink and Regal Purple. and then just the Regal Purple for the frosting, but as I mentioned in the Perfectly Pink Angel Food Cake post, you can certainly go all white–that is always so angelic and classic. You can use any colours/brand you prefer, but I do like the concentrated soft gel paste because it only takes a few drops and won t break down any of your batter of frostings.

Equipment: I used a classic 10-Inch Angel Food Cake Pan , but I also recommend one with a removable bottom (like this 2-Piece Angel Food Pan if you’re going out to buy a new one, otherwise I did just fine with the classic style), particularly if you might opt to serve the cake without frosting. With coaxing the cake does come out of the classic pan just fine, but it tends to take the very thin brown top “crust” off the cake, which I loved for a cake that will boast frosting (typically not a big fan of the brown cake crust.

Flavouring: This time, I used Nielsen Massey Madgascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste for both the cake and the frosting. You can certainly use pure vanilla extract (I suggest a good quality one), though. I also used Nielsen Massey Almond Extract in the cake (a hint of this in almost anything vanilla or chocolate is like magic.

Sprinkles: You can find the adorable Peep Show Sprinkles here in my shop, or of course use any sprinkles that make you happy.

Make Ahead: You can make the actual cake up to 1 day ahead and keep wrapped in plastic wrap at room temp, but the frosting you should make right before applying to cake. Once paired with the cake, they are best-enjoyed by day 2.

See you SOON with more happiness.

Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches.

I m here! And I come bearing twinkly black cake Glam Rock Layer Cake . to be exact. A sweet celebration of contrast and colour.

As you probably remember, I spend most of my days now in the shop packing orders and making sprinkle medleys, which means that my day is literally filled with every colour in the universe. This is about as much fun as you would think, but it always has me wondering what baked goods would best bring these colour combinations to life . since that is why we love and collect sprinkles, right? They are pretty charming on their own, all candy-like and pretty, but their lives aren t really complete until they find their spot to shine. And working in a sprinkle factory, I probably forget this more than anyone!

I just think the world is a better place by the mere existence of them.

I named these sprinkles Glam Rock (Twinkle Sprinkle Medley) because they really do bring me back to my glam rock-ish teenage life (and yep, all of the components are not only edible, but sweet and tasty). As a teen in the late 80s/early 90s, I was as devoted to rainbows, showy rock stars and glam metal bands as one frosty-haired girl should be. And I don t see one good reason why there shouldn t be a sprinkle mix to celebrate it. ;) But no matter what we call it, bright colours = happy, and that s what works. This colour combination could represent so many things, and truth-be-told, I ve been dying to make a jet-black frosting cake.

So let s talk about the frosting . Tinting frosting black (including fondant, although I prefer to purchase black fondant) can be tricky. Ideally, you are starting with chocolate frosting when you can start with chocolate frosting (I m not sure there is really any other way) you re halfway there! True black is likely the most difficult colour to achieve ; sure, we could use oodles and oodles of black food colouring, but as anyone who has tried to tint frosting an intense red or black (and sometimes other dark colours), even using a concentrated gel paste, has likely discovered that it is possible but at the cost of a very off-putting after (sometimes not-so-after) taste. Oh, man.

Colouring black frosting is surprisingly simple . but I think the secret is the black cocoa powder. Remember we used the black cocoa powder a few times in the last few months? Well, first in the Midnight Cookies Cream Layer Cake layers, and then most recently in the Dark Dreamy Fudge Layer Cake both in the cake layers and the frosting. Well that intensity with dark and decadent cocoa is what gives us such a head start.

I started with a variation on this super dark and glossy fudge frosting (a slightly sweeter version) from my Dark Dreamy Double Fudge Cupcakes.

I think what makes this frosting so stunning is the gloss matte black is beautiful too, but I think it s paramount that the frosting on a cake (or any dessert) look truly appealing and luscious . I d hate to put so much love into something just to have no one actually want to eat it. Eeeek! So to our swirls of glossy dark fudge frosting . we add a small amount of a very concentrated black gel paste since I only used one (AmeriColor Super Black), I can t really comment on how other brands would do (although, I might avoid Wilton brand colours). Anyway, I started with 1/2 teaspoon of the gel paste, but in the end I think I used a total of about 1 teaspoon. Depending on the chocolate you use in your frosting, and some other mysterious factors, you might need more, which is okay.

Just make sure that you don t add too much that your frosting tastes off.

But, wait! Before you keep adding and adding more colour, let what you ve started with process. Seriously, this part is key! The goal here is to use as little as possible so the taste is undetectable (and I m pretty certain the less colour paste we ingest in life, the better).

Now all colours intensify after they sit for a while . so this applies to anytime you are colouring frosting, but since we really want to maximize the small amount of black paste we re adding, I say wait about 15 minutes if you can. I m pretty sure the frosting on my cake is still getting blacker as we speak (literally.

Now that all said, this is a very rich frosting to start with, and a pretty large batch, so don t fret if it takes more black paste than you hoped. Particularly if you can t find black cocoa powder this stuff literally is black in colour, which is what we need. Dark cocoa powder is better than nothing, but it will just require more paste.

Because the frosting is so, so glossy . I was tempted to leave the top bare (as above), but I opted to cover it in the end, because the sides of the cake were mostly exposed, which gives us a chance to admire the glorious sheen.

So, let s talk about sprinkling the sides of a cake! So many of you have reached out to me about your issues getting the sprinkles to adhere to your cakes, so I want to chat about that for a minute too. In my experience, there are 2 main factors at play when we sprinkle the sides of a cake: the frosting consistency/temperature and the frosting texture . In terms of consistency, I find that, typically, as long as your frosting is sticky but not wet feeling, the sprinkles should stick just fine. In other words, if your frosting is very soft and spreadable, and you ve just applied the frosting to the cake, you will want to chill it for a few moments until that initial gooey-ness has gone away . This can take as little as 5 minutes in the fridge, depending on the frosting.

See, if the frosting is too gooey . the sprinkles will stick beautifully, but you will end up with frosting on your hands, ultimately smearing it onto the sprinkles you apply over and over.

That all said, the actual frosting you use has a lot to do with the sprinkle stickability as well. I have had great success with chocolate frostings of all kinds, meringue buttercreams of all kinds, and some vanilla frostings. Just a note that sprinkles don t like crusting buttercream. While I don t really use crusting buttercream, I know from some seeing very sugary vanilla frostings that tend to almost crust when cold (that sort of rough, dry finish from all of the confectioners sugar and often shortening), that sprinkles just won t want to stick.

Although, if you were to do the sprinkling immediately after you frosted the cake, I imagine that would work in most cases. Essentially, no matter what the frosting, tacky is the ticket.

I find what works best for applying the sprinkles is to, first off, always build your cake on a thin-but-sturdy cake board . so you can hold the cake from the bottom. I hold the cake in my left hand over a tray . and then with my right hand (dominant), I grab sprinkles from a big bowl and then gently press them onto the bottom of the cake, letting the excess fall to the tray. Once I have gone all the way around, I pour the excess sprinkles from the tray back into the bowl/bottle. Once you get the hang of it, you ll want to sprinkle every cake in the universe.

For the top of a cake with a piped border of any kind . you ll want to chill the cake until the border is firm to the touch (about 30 minutes, usually). Since we don t need the top of the cake to be super sticky ( thank you gravity ), we can just add the sprinkles to the surface once the cake comes to room temperature for serving, those sprinkles will magically stick . You can also gently press down on them with your hand to ensure they stick before slicing the cake (although the tinker-patter-kaplink of falling sprinkles whilst slicing a layer cake has a charm of its own.

I should mention that for anything super tiny or light, such as nonpareils and edible stars/squares, etc. You ll want to go in after and throw them where you want them. You can also add more of the larger sprinkles where you want them, if there are some empty spots or if you feel the artistic need to really finish the job the way you see fit. It s kind of amazing how much visual power the right sprinkles have imagine this cake all black, and then minutes later bursting with colour, contrast and texture . It s so simple but so effective.

And, oh yes! There *is* an inside to the cake :). To carry our glam rock theme throughout, these dark chocolate butter cake layers are black as night with no added colour yay! Thanks again to our new friend, black cocoa powder.

I used the a variation on the chocolate butter cake in my book, because it s unthinkably tender and flavourful particularly with the dark cocoa powder. Intensely chocolate.

While the chocolate butter cake recipe can be baked in 3 x 8-inch round pans, I opted to bake them in 4 x 7-inch round pans for added height and a slight smaller diameter. You could definitely go the 3 x 8-inch round pans though, if you don t have the 7s.

For the inside frosting I just went with a sweet vanilla frosting which I tinted a vibrant purple (much like when we made the Galaxy Layer Cake ). I love this purple! You can boost it or go a little easier on the colouring for a more pastel effect (as in the photo above), but I love the tone of it. I use equal parts AmeriColor Regal Purple and Electric Purple, and it creates a really pleasant shade.

I d say this cake is all about contrast . and I just love the striking look of the purple stripes against the black cake and of course the black frosting and sprinkles. It s my kind of party.

So let s make this Glam Rock Layer Cake.

November 8, 2016 NOTE: I have modified the recipe for the black frosting slightly, as some folks were having issues with the frosting being too soft. Happy baking.

Super dark, moist and buttery chocolate cake layers filled with colourful vanilla frosting and covered in a decadent jet-black glossy fudge frosting. And let's not forget the sprinkles.

For the \"Black\" Dark Chocolate Butter Cake layers.

2 1/3 cups (315 g) all-purpose flour.

3/4 cup plus one tablespoon (100 g) best-quality black cocoa powder.

1 1 /2 teaspoons baking powder.

3/4 teaspoon salt.

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) buttermilk, room temperature.

1/2 cup (120 ml) hot coffee OR very hot water.

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature.

2 1/2 cups (560 g) packed light brown sugar.

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.

4 large eggs, room temperature.

1/4 cup (60 g) mayonnaise, room temperature.

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda.

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar.

For the (purple frosting) Vanilla Frosting.

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature.

3 cups (375 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted.

1/4 cup (60 ml) whipping cream (heavy cream) or milk.

2 tablespoons water (plus more if needed.

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.

Pinch of salt.

Few drops each AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Color in Electric Purple and Regal Purple.

For the Glossy Black Fudge Frosting.

2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, softened.

4 cups (500 g) confectioners' sugar.

3/4 cup (90 g) premium dark (preferably black) cocoa powder (I used Guittard Noir.

1/2 cup (120 ml) hot water.

1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream.

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I used Nielsen-Massey.

Generous pinch of salt.

8 ounces (240 g) premium dark (but not extra dark) chocolate, chopped or chips, melted (I used Callebaut Callets.

Soft gel paste color, in Super Black (or other concentrated black gel color of your choice, but this one is the only I can promise works for black coloring.

Sprinkles of your choice (1-2 cups, depending on size of the sprinkles.

You will also need.

1 large pastry bag, disposable or reusable.

Large plain round pastry tip (I use Ateco #809.

Sprinkles of your choice (1-2 cups, depending on size of the sprinkles--see Sweetapolita's Notes.

For the \"Black\" Dark Chocolate Butter Cake layers.

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Spray two 7\"x2\" round cake pans (to be used twice for 4 layers) with baking spray (such as Pam for Baking), or grease the bottoms and add parchment rounds to each.

In a large bowl or atop a large piece of parchment paper, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In a large measuring glass with a spout, mix together the buttermilk and coffee/water. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well (about 30 seconds) and scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.

Lower the speed to the lowest setting and add one third of the dry mixture until just combined, and add half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk mixtures. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and whisk in the mayonnaise.

In a small bowl combine the baking soda and vinegar, and quickly add to the batter. Whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds. Divide one-quarter of the batter into each pan (this should weigh about 430 grams if you are using a digital scale.

Bake the first two layers in the center of the oven until a wooden pick comes out with a few crumbs, 24-27 minutes. Let the cake layers cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then gently invert onto the wire rack. Wipe the pans clean and repeat with the final layers. Let all of the layers cool completely.

The cake layers will keep wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.

For the (purple filling) Vanilla Frosting.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 8 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, and gradually add the confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Beat for 1 minute.

Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until very light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Add a few drops of each AmeriColor Regal Purple and Electric Purple until desired shade is achieved. Frosting with keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring chilled frosting to room temperature and beat on low speed to soften.

If necessary, you can warm the frosting in a heatproof container in the microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring after each one, until smooth and spreadable.

For the Glossy Black Fudge Frosting.

If you have a food processor.

Add all of the ingredients, except the melted chocolate and black food color, into the food processor, and pulse until everything is incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and pulse until smooth. Add a small amount of the black color (about 1/2 teaspoon). Pulse until combined. Let sit for about 15 minutes (the color will take awhile to process--it's best to let it sit rather than adding more and more right away).

Add more color if necessary, until desired black tint is achieved.

If you are using a stand mixer or handheld mixer.

In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder. Reduce to speed to low, and add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, water, sour cream, vanilla, and salt and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 more minutes.

Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add a small amount of the black color (about 1 teaspoon). Pulse until combined. Let sit for about 15 minutes (the color will take awhile to process--it's best to let it sit rather than adding more and more right away).

Add more color if necessary, until desired black tint is achieved--remember that it continues to darken over time.

Assembly of the Glam Rock Layer Cake.

Put your first cake layer top-up on an 7\" round cake board or 9\" plate, and spread one-third of the purple frosting on top. Repeat with all of the layers, placing the final cake layer top-down. Make sure that your layers are straight and lined up with the ones below. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and chill for at least 15 minutes.

Remove the cake from the fridge and, using a turntable, if possible, frost entire outside of cake with a thin layer of the black frosting to seal in the crumbs. Chill until the frosting begins to firm-up, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cake from the fridge and return it to the turntable. Cover the cake with a thick, even and smooth layer of the black frosting using an offset spatula, reserving about 1 1/2 cups of frosting for the piped top border. Return the cake to the fridge and chill for another 20-30 minutes.

You will want the frosting for the buttercream \"poof\" border to be very soft, in order to achieve the appealing peaks. Warm frosting in a small heatproof bowl for about 8-10 seconds, and stir. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip with the softened frosting and pipe some buttercream \"poofs\" around the top perimeter of the cake.

Pour your sprinkles into a medium bowl and gently press sprinkles onto the bottom third of the cake, all the way around, letting the excess fall back into the bowl. You can also put the cake on a cookie sheet and let the excess sprinkles fall onto the sheet. Return the cake to the fridge until the buttercream poofs are very firm, about 30 minutes. Pour more sprinkles atop the flat exposed surface of the top of the cake.

Cake will keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature.

As I mentioned above, for the black cocoa powder used in both the cake layers and the black frosting for this cake, I used Guittard Cocoa Noir (Black) 5 lbs (a big tub because I go through it quickly), but you can also find Black Cocoa Powder on Amazon. You might recall I usually use a very dark (but not black) cocoa powder (Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder Extra Brute ) for all of my chocolate baked goods, which also works very well, tastes amazing, and is quite dark in itself, with a rich red hue. The black cocoa powder just adds more of a midnight black effect, which I love. And, of course, the taste is also incredibly deep, dark and wonderful. Just know that it s very intense!

This is a great time to pair things like sugary frostings and candy sprinkles.

For the dark chocolate in the frosting, I use Callebaut Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate in callet form (fancy word for chips) they taste incredible and are easy to measure melt.

I use Fat Daddio’s Anodized Aluminum Round Cake Pan s for all of my cake layers. For this cake I used the 7-inch x 2-inch round cake pans, because I wanted to cake layers to be a little taller, yielding a taller cake. You can bake this cake in three 8-inch round pans, if you prefer.

For the poofs on top of the cake, remember that the key is very soft frosting and an extra large round plain tip (I used Ateco #809 ). And, as always, if you make a mistake or aren t happy with your poofs, you can simply remove it and do it again. I ve been known to do this several times! Haha.

I always use a Silver Embossed Round Thin Board for my cakes it s perfect for moving the cake to and fro while decorating, and of course transporting.

I tend to use AmeriColor soft gels paste colours for the most part, and I find their Super Black Americolor Soft Gel Paste does the trick (I also use this in black velvet cake). You can certainly use another brand if you feel it offers a deep black hue with no taste. For the purple frosting, I used equal parts of the Regal Purple and Electric Purple (like we did back with the Galaxy Cake.

For the sprinkles, I used Sweetapolita Glam Rock Twinkle Sprinkle Medley. but of course you can use any sprinkles you like! I just love this mix because of the serious colours and metallic bits. Certainly a show-stopper.

If you prefer to use your own mix, you can always add just Edible Silver Stars for a dose of magic.

The cake stand used in these photos is a Pink Milk Glass Cake Stand by Mosser. I have this in several colours, and I love them.

Happy caking, friends.

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