Triple Layer Cocoa Cake

Triple Layer Cocoa Cake

I was way overdue to make this magnificent triple-layer cocoa cake again. 8 years was a long time to wait for another taste of one of my favorite chocolate layer cakes.

My youngest moved downtown last May and we’d yet to see his apartment. We decided to pick him and his roommates up, take them out to dinner, then get a tour of their newish digs. I brought along this cake for dessert.

The boys, errr….young men, went crazy for this cake. One said he’d need a second slice later in the evening. Their metabolism is a wee bit better than mine. And the hubby was very worried when he saw two-thirds of this cake going out the door! It’s the kind of cake you don’t want to let out of your sight.

Tips for Making a Chocolate Layer Cake

Don’t fret when you divide your batter between three baking pans. The layers are quite thin and will bake quickly. The results are a normal-sized layer cake, but with extra space for more frosting! Who’d complain about that??? Here are some tips to make this terrific cocoa cake.

• I like using my kitchen scale to divvy up the cake batter. The weights of each pan with cake batter don’t need to be exactly the same, but close enough so they all finish baking in the same amount of time plus are the same thickness.
• To check for doneness, this recipe recommends using the finger test. This means taking your index finger and lightly pressing on the top of the cake. If it’s done, the cake will spring right back up. If it’s not, an indentation will remain and you need to add a couple more minutes to the baking time.

• Prepping your pans correctly is key. Grease with butter or a non-stick baking spray like Baker’s Joy. Also line each cake pan with parchment paper rounds and spray the top of the parchment as well.
• Rotating the cake pans mid-baking time is key with these thin layers. Most ovens have hot spots and this ensures that all three cakes will be finished close to the same time.

• What I loved about this cake was that no fancy frosting techniques were needed. The rich ganache frosting was just swirled with an offset spatula as I did back in 2011. Simple and elegant. The cake is impressive enough without any embellishments.
• This is a rich cake, so only small slices are needed. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a lovely contrast of flavor and texture.

Why Do You Add Coffee or Espresso Powder to Chocolate Desserts?

It’s been known for years that coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor in desserts. So to make this chocolate ganache frosting even more chocolaty, adding a small amount of espresso powder works wonderfully. My non-coffee drinking husband does not like mocha or coffee-flavored anything, so I often cut the amount in half. He did not even notice my addition of espresso powder in this dessert.

This post was originally posted in 2011. Text and photos were updated in 2019.

An excerpt from that post: School was canceled today…the forecast was ominous: freezing rain, sleet, more rain, then snow.  The eerie sound of the wind passing through the frozen trees, and the sleet pounding the windows convinced me to stay inside and bake.  We could lose power at any time, and we’d need something for sustenance! I’d say this was my best chocolate layer cake to date…the cake was as moist as I’d imagined, and the frosting just sweet enough with a hint of coffee flavor…perfect. 

More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love:

These easy Black Gold Cookies are a quick recipe to get your chocolate fix, a Chocolate Mousse Cake with Ladyfingers does not require an oven, and this Easy Chocolate Pudding Cake is just as it’s described, EASY comfort food! And from some blogger friends, you might like this Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake,  this Chocolate Bundt Cake, and this One Bowl Chocolate Cake.

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The Recipe:

Triple Layer Cocoa Cake

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 23 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes

Yield 12 servings

A rich, 3-layer cocoa cake with a decadent, chocolate ganache frosting!

Ingredients

For cake:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup lukewarm water (divided)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature)
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)

For frosting:

• 1 1/4 sticks butter (10 tablespoons)
• 1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Butter 3 9-inch cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment and butter top of parchment. Set aside.
2. Whisk the cocoa and 1/2 cup of the warm water in small bowl or liquid measuring cup to combine. Whisk buttermilk with other 1/2 cup of warm water in small bowl or liquid measuring cup to combine. Sift the flour and baking soda into another bowl.
3. With mixer, beat butter and two sugars till pale yellow and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With mixer running, add eggs and beat till combined, scraping edges of bowl as needed. Add cocoa mixture and blend. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk. Beat till just combined, stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Divide batter evenly between the 3 pans...about 1 1/2 cups per pan.
4. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or till cake pops back when pressed lightly with finger...rotate pans half way through baking time to ensure even baking. Cool completely on racks.
5. Make frosting by melting butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar, cocoa, and espresso powder. Gradually stir in cream, and continue stirring till mixture is hot. When cream is just about to boil, reduce heat to low and cook another minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into bowl and chill for about 1 1 /2 hours to thicken, stirring occasionally.
6. To assemble cake, run knife around sides of cakes. Gently shake back and forth till cake loosens from bottom. Carefully flip one layer onto serving plate. Remove parchment. Spread about 1/2 cup frosting on top of cake and spread to edges. Repeat with second layer. Top with third layer and use the rest of the frosting to ice top and sides of cake.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 443Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 200mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 2gSugar: 45gProtein: 5g

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