Chocolate Layer Rose Cake

This is for my cousin-in-law’s mother to celebrate her retirement this year! Happy retirement, Karen!

Karen is a huge chocolate lover, so I thought this cake would be perfect for her. It is a  4 layered chocolate fudge cake, with buttercream in-between the layers and vanilla and chocolate buttercream around the outside. Truly a chocolate lover’s perfect cake, I mean you honestly cannot go wrong.

These rose cakes are seirously the easiest things to make, once you have the cake stacked, all you do is make the buttercream, and fill a piping bag fitted with a rose piping tip and pip consecutive roses all around the cake.

If I were to make this cake again, I would love to make the white buttercream part (the top of the cake) a white chocolate buttercream. Melt some white bakers chocolate in there….mmhmmm.

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter and that you ate your weight in chocolate because you KNOW that’s what I did. #butseriously #stillinmystretchypants #andistillkeepeating

P.s. I don’t know how I feel about the fact I just used hashtags… but I’m rolling with it.

P.p.s. Also don’t know how I feel about the fact that I just said “I’m rolling with it” but I’m still gonna roll with it.

chocolate fudge cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
2. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
3. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
4. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.

chocolate fudge BUTTERCREAM

(bottom row of roses)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup chocolate syrup (I used the Smuckers brand)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Cream together the butter or margarine with the shortening.
2. Sift the cocoa with the confectioners’ sugar and add to the creamed mixture. Mix together adding 1 tablespoon at a time of milk to keep mixture smooth. Don’t add more than 1/4 cup of milk.
3. Add the hot fudge topping and the vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy.

chocolate BUTTERCREAM

(middle row of roses)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 3-4 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla.
2. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

buttercream

(top row of roses)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Sources: All Recipes, Wilton and Add a Pinch