Heavenly Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream and Chocolate Shavings

I love the flavor combo of a rich chocolate cake with a light and fluffy vanilla butter cream!  I combined and tweaked a couple of recipes to come up with this moist and rich chocolate cake with a creamy vanilla butter cream, garnished with chocolate shavings, so yummy!

 

 Chocolate Cake:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon instant expresso coffee
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature

 Italian Meringue Buttercream:

• 4 large egg whites room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 sticks  unsalted butter (16 oz total) room temperature cut into tablespoon pieces
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Topping:
• Chocolate Shavings: 1/2 oz bittersweet baking chocolate

Directions:

• For the cake: Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease 2- 9 " round cake pans.
• Whisk together hot water, cocoa and expresso in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl.
• Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well. Reduce speed to low and add flour and cocoa mixtures alternately in batches. Beat until incorporated.
• Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean about 25 minutes. Cool layers.
• Make Buttercream: Combine whites and salt in a large bowl of a stand mixer. Stir together water and 1 1/3 cup of sugar in a small saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Then bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring. Keep a pastry brush dipped with water nearby and brush down any crystals. When syrup reach a boil, begin beating egg whites at medium high speed until frothy, then slowly add remaining sugar and beat at medium until whites begin to hold soft peaks, then stop. Check the sugar syrup with a thermometer and continue boiling until it reaches 240 degrees. Remove immediately from heat and with mixer at high, slowly pour syrup in a thin stream down side of bowl into whites, beating continuously, scrape down with a rubber spatula when needed. Continue beating until meringue is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. At medium speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, continue beating until buttercream is smooth. Add vanilla and beat until blended about 1 minute more.
• Assemble cake: Put 1st layer on a cake stand or platter and using an offset spatula spread top with about 1 cup buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer, and frost side and top of cake with 2 cups buttercream. Use any decorative pattern desired.
• Shave chocolate with a vegetable peeler and sprinkle shavings over top of cake.  Serves 10-12
Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

Enjoy!