Chocolate Layer Cake with Creme Chantilly Frosting

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Attention chocolate lovers! This Chocolate Layer Cake with Creme turns out so fluffy and nice. Don’t worry, it only sounds fancy. Honestly, it’s pretty simple and straightforward to make.

Good news; you can make this Chocolate Layer Cake with Creme in advance! I baked and assembled it on Friday and served it Sunday afternoon and it was still perfect; kept its fluffiness and the frosting and raspberries stayed perfect. The best part is that everyone who tried this cake loved it. Score! You can use different fruit for the top but I just love how raspberries taste with chocolate cake; that sweet tang of each little druplet compliments the chocolate and lightly sweetened frosting so well.

This was round two in making this cake. The original recipe comes from my Mother’s Day gift; the Vintage Cakes Cookbook by Julie Richardson.

The recipe for the chocolate chiffon cake is hers. I tried her chocolate frosting and I think I over-whipped and made it grainy (still tasty, but despite my best efforts to salvage it, the final product just wasn’t pretty and neither was this situation). Anyway, this is basically the best chocolate cake ever. Thanks Julie! It baked perfectly and didn’t cave in the center. Fluffy, moist and delicious.

Ingredients for Chocolate Layer Cake – Chiffon Cake:

1/2 cup unsweetened dutch cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 egg yolks, room temp (keep the whites!)
(note: you can put cold eggs in warm water 10 min to bring them to room temp)

1 3/4 cups cake flour (click for a quick video on how to make cake flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt or 1/2 tsp table salt
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

7 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

*Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly

Ingredients for Creme Chantilly Frosting:

3 cups Cold Heavy Whipping Cream
1/3 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
12-16 oz fresh Raspberries to decorate the top

Tools you’ll need:

Either a 3 inch deep Springform Pan or 10″ metal Tube Cake Pan where the center comes out. I’ve used both and I prefer the one without the hole in the middle 😉
Flour Sifter (I love this multi-use OXO strainer/sifter/fruit rinser, etc.)

How to Make the Chocolate Layer Cake:

Preheat oven to 325˚F with the rack in the bottom third of the oven.
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cocoa and 1/2 cup boiling water. Add in the 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup buttermilk and 2 tsp vanilla. Add 6 yolks and whisk until smooth.

2. In a separate large mixing bowl, sift together 1 3/4 cups cake flour and 2 tsp baking powder. Sprinkle in 1 tsp sea salt. Whisk in 1 1/4 cups brown sugar breaking up any clumps.

3. Combine the chocolate batter with the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until smooth (don’t over-mix,… or else).

4. Add egg whites to the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes  until frothy. Add 1/2 tsp cream of tartar and beat another 2 minutes on medium-high speed until whites have soft peaks. Turn the mixer up to high speed and add 1/2 cup sugar in a slow steady stream. Continue mixing on high speed another two minutes until your meringue has stiff shiny peaks.

5. Use a spatula to fold the white meringue mixture into your batter adding about 1/3  of the meringue at at time.

6. Pour batter into your un-greased baking pan (I prefer using the springform pan) and bake in the bottom third of the oven at 325˚F for 55 min or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center come out clean. Remove cake to a wire rack and let cool to room temp before removing the cake from the pan or cutting into it.

7. Once cake is at room temp, slice it into three layers. Its a good idea to trace around the cake with a knife before slicing through; this ensures more even cake layers. Re-stack and cover the layers with plastic wrap until ready to frost so they don’t dry out.

How to Make the Creme Chantilly Frosting:

Tip: For best results, freeze your mixing bowl and whisk attachment for 10 minutes before beating the cream and keep the heavy whipping cream refrigerated until ready to use. 
1. Whip the heavy cream at high speed until soft peaks form (1 minute).

2. Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and continue whipping at high speed until stiff peaks form and the frosting is smooth (about 1 – 1 1/2 minutes). Don’t over-beat the frosting or it will turn buttery.

Assembling the Chocolate Layer Cake with Creme:

1. Place the bottom layer on your serving platter and top with 1/3 of your frosting. Repeat with the second and third layer, and top with the remaining frosting; swirl it around on the top to make it look like waves in the sea. Decorate the top with raspberries or whatever fruit you have. I arranged them starting from the outside and spiraling inward until the entire top was plastered with raspberries.

Now it’s safe to lick your fingers, the spatula and the bowl (just pull your hair back first). The post a picture of your cake on facebook (@natashaskitchen) or instagram (@natashaskitchen) and make sure to tag me. I really want to see your beautiful creation!

Chocolate Layer Cake with Creme Chantilly Frosting

5 from 11 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Attention chocolate lovers! This cake turns out so fluffy and nice. Don't worry, it only sounds fancy. Honestly, it's pretty simple and straightforward to make. Good news; you can make this cake in advance! I baked and assembled it on Friday and served it Sunday afternoon and it was still perfect; kept its fluffiness and the frosting and raspberries stayed perfect. !You can use different fruit for the top but I just love how raspberries taste with chocolate cake; that sweet tang of each little druplet compliments the chocolate !The chocolate chiffon cake recipe comes from my Mother's Day gift; the Vintage Cakes Cookbook by Julie Richardson. The frosting is mine and God made the raspberries.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients 

Servings: 10 -12

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened dutch cocoa
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 6 egg yolks, room temp (keep the whites!)
• note: you can put cold eggs in warm water 10 min to bring them to room temp

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt or 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

Meringue Ingredients:

• 7 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Creme Chantilly Frosting Ingredients:

• 3 cups Cold Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/3 cup confectioners, powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 12-16 oz fresh Raspberries to decorate the top

Tools you'll need:

• Either a 3 inch deep Springform Pan or 10" metal Tube Cake Pan where the center comes out.
• Flour Sifter

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

How to make the chocolate layer cake:

• Preheat oven to 325˚F with the rack in the bottom third of the oven. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cocoa and 1/2 cup boiling water. Add in the 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup buttermilk and 2 tsp vanilla. Add 6 yolks and whisk until smooth.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, sift together 1 3/4 cups cake flour and 2 tsp baking powder. Sprinkle in 1 tsp sea salt. Whisk in 1 1/4 cups brown sugar breaking up any clumps.
• Combine the chocolate batter with the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until smooth (don't overmix,... or else).
• Add egg whites to the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes until frothy. Add 1/2 tsp cream of tartar and beat another 2 minutes on medium-high speed until whites have soft peaks. Turn the mixer up to high speed and add 1/2 cup sugar in a slow steady stream. Continue mixing on high speed another two minutes until your meringue has stiff shiny peaks.
• Use a spatula to fold the white meringue mixture into your batter adding about 1/3 of the meringue at at time.
• Pour batter into your un-greased baking pan (I prefer using the springform pan) and bake in the bottom third of the oven at 325˚F for 55 min or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center come out clean. Remove cake to a wire rack and let cool to room temp before removing the cake from the pan or cutting into it.
• Once cake is at room temp, slice it into three layers. Its a good idea to trace around the cake with a knife before slicing through; this ensures more even cake layers. Re-stack and cover the layers with plastic wrap until ready to frost so they don't dry out.

How to Make Cream Chantilly Frosting:

• Whip the heavy cream at high speed until soft peaks form (1 minute).
• Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and continue whipping at high speed until stiff peaks form and the frosting is smooth (about 1 - 1 1/2 minutes). Don't over-beat the frosting or it will turn buttery.

How to Assemble Chocolate Cake:

• Place the bottom layer on your serving platter and top with 1/3 of your frosting. Repeat with the second and third layer, and top with the remaining frosting; swirl it around on the top to make it look like waves in the sea. Decorate the top with raspberries or whatever fruit you have. I arranged them starting from the outside and spiraling inward until the entire top was plastered with raspberries.

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: Chocolate Layer Cake with Creme Chantilly Frosting

Skill Level: Medium

Cost to Make: $$