Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Filling and Vanilla Buttercream
This 2 layer devil's food cake is filled with deliciously fluffy chocolate swiss meringue buttercream for added richness. The vanilla buttercream balances out all the chocolate perfectly. Decorate this cake how you like, or copy what I did with ombre buttercream and gold drips!
Ingredients
For Devil's Food Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt kosher
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup coffee brewed & hot
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs large, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg whites large
- 1/8 tsp salt kosher
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 6 oz semisweet chocolate melted & cooled
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For Vanilla American Buttercream
- 4 sticks unsalted butter (2 cups) room temperature
- 7 cups powdered sugar (2 lb bag)
- 1/2 tsp salt kosher
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
For Gold Drips:
- 1 tsp gold luster dust
- 20 grams powdered sugar
- 7 grams vodka
Instructions
For Devil's Food Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325℉ and grease two 8-layer cake pans and line with parchment paper.
- Sift together dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, soda, sugar) in large bowl.
- Add oil, milk, and hot coffee and mix until blended, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix for 2 more minutes. Batter will be very runny. Don't be scared!
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
For Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Combine the sugar, egg whites, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Set bowl over a saucepan filled with 1-inch of gently simmering water. Whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thicker and foamy and reaches 150°F.
- Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture on medium speed until slightly cooled and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add butter, 1 tablespoon piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. If the frosting becomes too warm and greasy, refrigerate the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes then continue to beat until smooth.
- Add chocolate and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and well combined.
For Vanilla American Buttercream:
- Beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds with paddle attachment. Slowly add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with small splashes of cream.
- Once fully mixed, add in extract and salt and beat on low until fully incorporated and desired consistency is reached.
- If frosting is too thick, add in additional cream 1 teaspoon at a time. If it's too thin, add in more powdered sugar by the 1/4 cup.
- Add in any gel food coloring and beat on low until it reaches desired color.
For Gold Drips:
- Mix luster dust, powdered sugar, and vodka together until desired dripping consistency is reached.
To Assemble Cake:
- Stack and frost cake layers on cake board using a dab of frosting to stick first layer to the board.
- Create a dam of buttercream on top of the first layer and fill with your filling.
- Stack your second layer with the flat pan side on top for an even, flat top.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting around the cake to fully cover layers. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill in fridge for 20 minutes.
- To ombre, stripe your 3 colors along the cake and smooth with bench scraper. Fill any holes with more frosting, and scrape until desired finish. Add drips along the edge of the cake with a spoon or squeeze bottle. Add any borders, writing, or sprinkles as desired and enjoy!