Triple Layer Chocolate Cake

Everyone has a chocolate cake.  This is mine.

Triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and a lighter creamy chocolate filling.

I had a Pepperidge Farms cake in mind, same as for my Banana cake.

Their chocolate cake had a lighter creamy filling, not just the same frosting as on top.

I wanted that.

The filling is made by slightly modifying an ermine buttercream frosting (AKA butter roux or boiled flour frosting).  So not quite making two different icings for the cake.

Ermine buttercream is an old fashioned buttercream recipe I use when I am making a vegan buttercream (using coconut oil).  I substitute cornstarch if I need something wheat free.  Ermine buttercream is also the original Red Velvet cake frosting. I use a Cream cheese frosting on my Red Velvet though, like most people do these days. 

The reason for the name is that it is white, like an ermine, until you add chocolate, like I do here.

This was one of my first cakes at the restaurant and it would remain on the dessert menu to the end.

After all, everyone has a chocolate cake!

How To Make my Triple Layer Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake ingredients

Chocolate Filling and Frosting ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)

1. Line 3 -9” (23cm) baking pans. You could use 3 – 8” (20cm) pans, but bake for about 3 more minutes.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat oil, butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy.

4. Add eggs, one at a time making sure each is incorporated before adding the next.

5. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture alternately with sour cream. 

Three flour mixture, two sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

6. Slowly add the hot coffee or hot water on low speed. (splashes).

Combine well, but don’t over mix at this point

7. Divide evenly into the prepared pans using measuring cups or a scale. Fill each pan about 22 oz (625g)

Use cake wraps if you have them.  It helps the cakes to bake level.

8. Bake 25-28 minutes, add 3 minutes if using 8″ (20cm) pans. Test with a cake tester for doneness.

Let cool in pans for about 15 minutes before turning out and cooling completely.

It is less likely to crumble if assembled the next day, or at least completely cooled.

Chocolate Frosting and filling  makes 3 cups

Start with ermine base Buttercream Icing, so it can cool.

1. In a small saucepan, combine flour and sugar.  Stir in milk and cook on med/low until thick and bubbling.  Stir as for a pudding, you don’t want it to brown or stick too much. Cook well.

2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Place plastic wrap directly on pudding and chill completely.

3. When cooled, beat in butter until light, set aside.

4. Carefully melt the unsweetened chocolate in the microwave or over low heat.  

It is best to partially melt it, remove it from the heat source, then stir until completely melted.  Let cool.

Plastic wrap on cooked flour mixture

Beat until light

5. In another bowl, starting on low speed then working up to high, beat the butter and gradually add the sifted icing sugar,  and beat until fluffy. 

6. Add the slightly cooled chocolate and beat again.  Scrape the bowl often.

7. Set aside half of the chocolate butter frosting. 

8. Combine the other half of the chocolate butter frosting mixture with the ermine pudding mixture to make the filling.  Beat very well, scraping the bowl so there are no streaks.

Add the ermine, cooked flour mixture to the other half

9. Add the cream to the remaining chocolate butter frosting and beat until smooth.

Spread the chocolate filling on the first and second layers.

Spread the remaining chocolate cream frosting on top and sides of cake, reserving some for piping if desired.