Vanilla Velvetchocolate Cake Recipes

BLACK VELVET CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• NOTE: If you use a cocoa powder that is different than listed, your cake will not be as dark. You can supplement the color with 1 tsp of super black food coloring
• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350ºF/176ºC.
• Grease three 8" cake pans with cake goop.
• Whisk together melted chocolate, cocoa powder, hot coffee, vanilla, and oil until combined (it will look lumpy). Then mix in the warm buttermilk and whisk until combined. Then set aside.
• Add butter to stand mixer and beat at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, beat until mixture is fluffy and almost white, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing in fully before adding the next egg.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• With the mixer at the lowest speed, add about a third of the dry ingredients to the batter, followed immediately by about a third of the chocolate mixture, mix until ingredients are almost incorporated into the batter. Repeat the process 2 more times. When the batter appears blended, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixer to low speed, beat until the batter looks like satin, about 15 seconds longer.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake cakes until they feel firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it, about 30-35 minutes.Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack and pop cakes out of pans. Cool completely before frosting.
• Cream your butter until smooth with the whisk attachment (by hand or in the stand mixer is fine)
• Add the vegetable shortening to the butter and cream until smooth
• While mixing on low, start adding in your powdered sugar one cup at a time until it's all combined with the butter mixture
• Add in your salt, vanilla and milk and whip on medium for 10-15 minutes until very light and fluffy
• If your frosting is too thick, you can add in 1-2 more Tablespoons of water or milk to thin it down to your desired consistency.
• You can now add in your desired food coloring if you prefer your frosting to be colored. I used electric pink, electric green and electric pink food coloring from americolor.com. Remember, the frosting color will deepen after 24 hours.

CLASSIC VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour, and tap out the excess.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, sugar and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until combined.
• Alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes on the same oven rack until golden on top and the centers spring back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pans about halfway through if they seem to be browning unevenly. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: While the cakes cool, beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Once it's all been added, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until white and fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, and beat to incorporate. Beat in the remaining milk, one tablespoon at a time (the frosting will be spreadable but not runny).
• To assemble: Place 1 cake layer right-side up on a cake plate or stand, and spread with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

VELVET CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and set the oven rack to the middle position.
• Grease a 10-inch tube pan with butter or shortening and sprinkle it with cocoa. Or spray the pan with nonstick spray (the type with flour included).
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate morsels at MEDIUM heat for 30 seconds. Stir the chocolate and continue microwaving and stirring at 15-second intervals until melted. Stir until creamy and smooth.
• In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together at medium speed until fluffy and completely incorporated, about 5 minutes.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until incorporated after each addition.
• Add the melted chocolate and mix just until well blended.
• On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the chocolate mixture. After each addition, mix the ingredients just until incorporated. Begin and end with the flour mixture. (The additions are added as follows: ⅓ of the flour mixture, ½ of the sour cream, ⅓ of the flour mixture, ½ of the sour cream, ⅓ of the flour mixture.)
• Very gradually add the hot water and beat on LOW just until blended.
• Add vanilla and stir.
• Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared tube pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Lift the cake by the center tube and return to the wire rack.
• While the cake cools, make the ganache. In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the cream on medium heat until a few bubbles are visible (just beginning to boil).
• Add the chocolate morsels, stirring every 15 seconds or until the chocolate melts.
• Add the butter and stir until fully incorporated.
• Pour the ganache (SEE NOTE) over the cake and sprinkle with flaked sea salt.

RED VELVET CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans. Sprinkle with flour, and tap out the excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, salt, and cocoa; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and oil, and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add food coloring and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• In a small bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar until combined. Add to batter, and beat for 10 seconds. Evenly divide batter between the prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans, and return to the rack to cool completely.
• Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting on one of the layers. Place the second layer on top; spread and swirl the remaining frosting around the sides and top of the cake.The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.

VANILLA VELVET/CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the Chocolate Cake:
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and spray 2 (9-inch) cake pans with cooking spray.
• For each cake:
• Combine all dry ingredients and sift. Combine all wet ingredients and whisk to incorporate. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the sifted dry ingredients and butter. Add 1/3 of the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat this process 2 more times. Poor batter evenly into prepared cake pans. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Check the center of cakes with a toothpick for doneness. Cool.