Diver cake (Ruth's 3rd birthday)

Chocolate cake from Smitten Kitchen


3 x 8 in square layers = 192 sq in


For 2 x 10" circular layers, scale factor x 0.8


Chocolate Butter Cake
Adapted from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes


The cake is insanely moist and while quite chocolaty, not so much that it is overwhelming–i.e. a perfect balance.


9.6 oz / 272 g cake flour
540g sugar141g unsweetened cocoa powder
2.5 teaspoons baking soda
0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
0.5 teaspoon salt
272g unsalted butter, at room temperature
283ml  buttermilk
2.4 eggs
283ml cups freshly brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Butter two 10" circular pans. Line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
3. In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for about 30 seconds. 
4. Add the butter and buttermilk and blend on low until moistened. 
5. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Whisk the eggs and coffee together, and add to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating only until blended after each addition. 
7. Divide the batter among the two prepared pans; each pan will take about 3 1/4 cups of batter.
8. Bake for 38 to 40 minutes (I did 35 and it was perfect - still a bit cakey), or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
9. Carefully turn them out onto wire racks and allow to cool completely. Remove the paper liners only when they are cool.

Cream cheese frosting
Makes about 5 cups (for one panda cake)

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick) 
• 220g / 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (must be sifted) 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

If you want chocolate frosting, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup cocoa, according to how rich you want it

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.




Fondant icing

Ingredients:

• 113g / 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) Unsalted Butter
• ¾ teaspoon Vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• 160ml / 2/3; cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 550g / 5 cups Sifted Confectioners' Sugar (+ 1 cup for work surface)

Steps (how to make fondant):

1. Beat butter, vanilla, and salt together until soft.
2. Add condensed milk slowly and beat until mixture is very light.
3. Add the confectioners' sugar cup-by-cup.
4. Dust your work surface with an extra cup of confectioners' sugar.
5. Turn your fondant mixture out onto the work surface and work the powdered sugar in with your hands.

Notes: this made a good fondant, easy to work with.  Needed lots of extra sugar esp when adding food colouring.  Care with storing cake - we got condensation inside the box which dripped onto the fondant and made rivers of colour :(  

Made loads - way way too much for the diver cake, could have made 1/4.