The 7 Sins Chocolate Cake!

.....well...almost! I lost count of the chocolate sins of this cake lol!...anyway, Saturday was spent making this cake...and Sunday was spent eating the cake! This cake consists of a Devil's Food Chocolate Cake using Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe, and the finishing consisted of 3 types choc pastry cream, choc marsmallow buttercream, choc ganache, cocoa powder, but I didn't use any choc shavings or buttons to decorate! ....and Rose's Devil's Food Choc Cake is the Rolls Royce of chocolate cake, I must say! It was total heaven having this cake...and making one too, phew!

I must thank Sprinklebakes for this recipe! For all the complete instructions and steps to do this cake please visit her awesome blog ya! Here's the recipe that I adapted from her blog!

Devils's Food Chocolate Cake

1 oz. fine quality unsweetened baker's chocolate, I used Callebaut 70% cocoa
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, I used Cocoa barry 
1 cup hot coffee  (can use hot water or decaf coffee if caffeine sensitive, I used Nescafe Gold
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sour cream, I used natural yoghurt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, tightly packed
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
16 tbsp (2 US sticks) unsalted butter, softened, about 226g

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9-inch cake pans with vegetable shortening and line with a circle of parchment paper. Grease paper and flour; tap out excess and set pan aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the chocolate, cocoa and hot coffee (or water) until smooth. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, sour cream, half the chocolate mixture and vanilla until just combined.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt on low for 30 seconds. Add the softened butter and the remaining chocolate mixture.  Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. With the mixer off between additions, add the egg mixture in two parts, starting on medium-low speed and gradually increasing to medium. Beat on medium speed for 45 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. The batter will be fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula.
6. Bake for about 30-40 minutes (check at 30).  Let the baked cakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn cake out onto a wire rack sprayed with cooking oil.  Let cool completely.

Trio of Pastry Creams:Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Espresso Pastry cream
2.5 oz. dark chocolate
2.5 oz. white chocolate
2.5 oz. milk chocolate
¼ cup cornstarch
2 cups evaporated milk
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tbsp. whiskey, I didnt use
3 tbsp. dulce de leche (find this canned in the ethnic food aisle, I didnt use
1-2 tsp. espresso powder (to taste)

1. Have ready three small bowls (2 cup size), wiped spotless of any moisture.  Chop the chocolate evenly and place each type of chocolate in a separate bowl.  Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 1/2 cup of the milk. Beat the whole eggs, then the yolks, one at a time, into the cornstarch mixture.
3. In a saucepan, combine the remaining milk and the sugar; bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
4. While whisking the egg mixture, slowly pour 1/3 of the boiling milk into it, to temper the eggs.
5. Return the remaining milk in the saucepan to medium-low heat.
6. Pour the hot egg mixture into the saucepan in a thin stream, whisking, so as to not scramble the eggs.
7. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to boil.  Remove from the heat and pour the hot pastry cream over the chopped chocolate, dividing evenly between the three bowls.  Let stand for 2 minutes, and then stir each bowl until mixture is well incorporated.  Mix 1 tbsp. butter in each of the bowls.  When butter has melted and is thoroughly combined, fold in 2 tbsp. whisky into the dark chocolate pastry cream; 3 tbsp. dulce de leche into the white chocolate pastry cream;  1-2 tsp. espresso powder into the milk chocolate pastry cream.
8. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surfaces of each type of pastry cream so they do not form a skin. Cool to room temperature.
9. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chocolate Marshmallow Buttercream....loved this!

12 tbsp (1 1/2 US sticks) unsalted butter, softened, I used about 160g
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
6 oz. milk chocolate melted and slightly cooled
7 oz. marshmallow cream

1. With a hand mixer or standing mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat butter for 3 minutes until fluffy.  Add powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated.  Add melted chocolate and beat until fluffy. Add marshmallow cream and beat until frosting has lightened in color and all ingredients are well combined.
2. Scrape down bowl and mix again.  Transfer 3/4 cup to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped for later use. 

Chocolate Ganache

Boil 120g whip cream, remove from fire...let 120g stand for 2 minutes in the boiled whip cream, stir until smooth, let cool and set.

Fill and Frost The Cakes:
Cut each cake in half horizontally.  Pipe a line of frosting around the edge of the first cake piece. This makes a reservoir in which to hold the pastry cream (this is extra insurance, sometimes pastry cream is lax if not well refrigerated). I piped the pastry cream alternately on each layer of the cake and frost the entire cake with Marshmallow Choc Buttercream.  I dusted with coaoa powder and last drizzled with chocolate ganache. I let it chill in the fridge overnight before digging in the cake the next day!

....now I can say I had a real chocolate cake!