Spring garden chocolate butter cake

chocolate cake

4 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup boiling water

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter

2 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

Mix the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and water together, leave it a side to cool.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  Beat butter till it is smooth and add sugar.  Beat the mixture until it is fluffy.  Add vanilla and melted chocolate mixture, beat to combine.  Add flour and milk alternately.  Beat till it is mixed.  

Prepare two 9" pans with wax paper, butter the sides and bottom. Divide the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops.  Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove the pans from the oven and leave it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.  Remove the cake from the pans and cool completely before frosting.

I halved this recipe from here to make this cake.

For the center of the cake

1 cup whip cream

1 tbsp jam

Whip the whipping cream until it has peaks and add jam.  Apply in-between the layers.  

Instead of this you can also use the frosting below to layer the cakes.

For the buttercream frosting

2 cups icing sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 tbsp meringue powder optional

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp or more whipping cream *

* Can also use milk.  The amount of cream depends on the consistency that you like the frosting to be.  

To get a spreadable consistency add 1 tbsp whipping cream at a time.  

If you want to put a second layer of icing leave it aside till the first coating of icing settles and then apply the icing again.  

I only put one layer of icing for this cake.  I let the icing on the cake settle before piping the flowers and butterflies with a thicker consistency icing.  

I made the same icing for these cupcakes, in addition to this Spring garden cake for my daughter's birthday.

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