The Chocolate Tier (Wedding Cake Week)
The full recipe for the 10-inch, 3-layer chocolate cake tier of my brother's wedding cake!
Servings 57 wedding portions
Equipment
- 10-inch, circular cake tin (see Note 1).
- 1 piping bag
- #1A piping tip (or similar, large, round nozzle).
- 10-inch, circular cake drum
- 12-inch, square cake board (see Note 2).
- Temporary adhesives (I used paper adhesive stickers) (see Note 2).
- Cake lifter
- 4 cake dowels
- Icing smoother (see Note 3).
- Offset palette knife
Ingredients
For the 3 cake layers (quantities for 1 layer in italics):
- 2 tbsp + 3/4 tsp instant coffee granules, decaf (2 1/4 tsp).
- 675 ml boiling water (225ml).
- 225 g Valrhona cocoa powder (75g) (see Note 4).
- 315 g salted butter, diced (105g), plus extra for greasing (see Note 5).
- 900 g plain flour (300g).
- 1035 g golden caster sugar (345g).
- 3 tsp bicarbonate of soda (1 tsp).
- 675 g buttermilk (225g).
- 270 g sunflower oil (90g).
- 3 splashes vanilla extract (3).
- 9 eggs (1 splash).
For the chocolate buttercream (quantities for half batch in italics):
- 600 g unsalted butter, softened (300g).
- 1200 g icing sugar, sifted (600g).
- 110 g Valrhona cocoa powder (55g) (see Note 4).
- 110 ml whole milk (55ml).
- 1/4 tsp instant coffee granules, decaf (1/8 tsp).
- 2 splashes vanilla extract (1 splash).
To decorate:
- Pressed, edible violas (see Note 6).
Instructions
Make the first cake layer:
- Preheat the oven to 165°C (conventional, not fan-assisted). Grease a 10-inch round sandwich tin with butter and line the base with a circle of greaseproof paper. Set aside.
- Make the batter for one cake layer at a time, using the single layer quantities listed in italics in the ingredients list.
- Place the instant coffee granules (2 1/4 tsp) into a large jug. Cover with the boiling water (225ml), then stir to dissolve. Add the cocoa powder (75g) and whisk until smooth.
- Gradually add the diced butter (105g) to the hot cocoa mixture, stirring in each addition until all the butter has been added and everything is melted and smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour (300g), caster sugar (345g) and bicarbonate of soda (1 tsp) to combine. Set aside.
- Add the buttermilk (225g), oil (90g) and vanilla extract (1 splash) to the cocoa mixture. Whisk until incorporated.
- Add the eggs (3) to the wet ingredients and whisk again until completely incorporated.
- Pour the cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until fully combined and you have a smooth batter. Stir with a spatula to make sure everything has been incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin (it will be quite full, but it shouldn’t overflow. Place on a cold baking tray on the oven shelf just in case), then bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Leave baked cake to cool completely in tin, then run a knife around the edge of the the tin to loosen the cake before levelling and flipping out onto a wire rack.
Make the chocolate buttercream:
- I recommend making the buttercream in two separate batches (use the half quantities listed in italics in the ingredients list).
- Fit mixer with paddle attachment. Beat butter (300g) until smooth, pale and creamy (about 3-5 mins), scraping down the sides when necessary.
- While the butter is beating, sift together the icing sugar (600g) and cocoa powder (55g) to remove any lumps. Whisk to ensure evenly combined. Warm the milk (55ml) in the microwave (20 seconds on high), then add the coffee granules (1/8 tsp) and stir to dissolve.
- With mixer on low, add half of the icing sugar mixture to the butter, a spoonful at a time, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
- With mixer on low, pour milk mixture into buttercream, then add vanilla extract (1 splash) and mix until incorporated.
- Add the rest of the icing sugar with the mixer still running, a spoonful at a time.
- Once everything has been added, turn the mixer up to high and beat until fluffy and fully mixed (about 1 minute). Add a little more milk if icing is too stiff.
- Remove a spoonful of icing and microwave on high for 10-15 seconds to melt. Stir to ensure evenly melted, then mix into the rest of the icing by hand to smooth and darken (this also helps to bloom the cocoa powder slightly).
Assemble the cake:
- Secure the 10-inch cake drum to the 12-inch cake board (if using) with paper adhesive stickers (or other similar, temporary adhesive). Set on a turntable, with a layer of non-slip fabric in-between the turntable and the boards.
- Spread a dollop of icing onto the cake drum, then set the first, cooled cake layer on top, making sure it is level and centred on the drum. It should line up with the sides of the drum.
- Place some buttercream into the piping bag, fitted with the large, round nozzle. Pipe an even layer of chocolate icing all over the surface of the cake layer, making sure to go right to the edges. Use an offset palette knife to spread the icing out evenly, ensuring there is some overhanging icing at the edges.
- Place the next layer of cake on top, making sure it is centred and level. Repeat the icing process, adding another even layer of icing on top, then topping with the final layer of cake.
- Smooth the excess icing around the sides with a palette knife/icing smoother, then chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Insert 4 cake dowels, if using.
- Apply a thin crumb coat, then chill again for 15 minutes.
- Apply a generous layer of icing all over the top and sides of the cake. At this stage, cover the sides of the cake drum with icing too. Smooth out the top, making sure to leave some overhanging icing all around the top edge, then use the icing smoother to smooth out the sides, moving the turntable, rather than the smoother, for best results. The overhanging icing should be pushed upwards and inwards during this process, forming a nice 'lip' around the top of the cake.
- If needed, apply more icing to any uneven sections and smooth again.
- Once happy with the finished cake, set aside at cool room temperature to firm up, until ready to eat/transport.
Decorating the cake with pressed flowers:
- As close to serving as possible, lay the pressed flowers onto the surface of the cake (on which the buttercream has hardened), making sure you are happy with the arrangement before sticking them down. Use a small amount of icing on the end of skewer to stick down each flower individually.
Notes
Notes:
- I use the Silverwood 10-inch sandwich tin.
- You can skip the extra board/adhesive if you don't need to transport the cake— these just make it easier to manoeuvre the cake without worrying about it slipping/sliding.
- If you want smooth sides on a cake, you really need to invest in an icing smoother. I use this one by Wilton.
- The cocoa powder you use makes a huge difference to the taste/chocolatiness of the finished cake, so, if you can afford to, I definitely recommend splashing out on the fancy stuff (I used this one, by Valrhona)!
- I've used salted butter here, because salt really brings out the flavour of the chocolate, but you can use unsalted butter and add some fine sea salt separately, if you prefer.
- I purchased the violas from Nurtured in Norfolk. On this cake, I used the colourways 'Cream' and 'Midnight Blue & Cream'.