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Ingredients
Cake:
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4 eggs, separated
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3 ½ cups sifted cake flour
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1 tablespoon baking powder
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¾ cup butter, room temperature
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2 cups white sugar
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½ teaspoon salt
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1 cup milk, room temperature
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1 teaspoon lemon juice
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Custard:
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2 cups white sugar, divided
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½ teaspoon salt
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¼ cup all-purpose flour
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¼ cup cornstarch
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¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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4 large eggs, beaten
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4 cups whole milk
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2 (1 ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped
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1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
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1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting:
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1 cup butter, softened
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3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
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1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1 tablespoon hot water (Optional)
Ganache:
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2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
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2 cups heavy whipping cream
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans.
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Make cake: Beat 4 egg whites in a glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer until foamy. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift the beaters straight up: the tip of the peak should curl over slightly. Set aside.
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Sift together cake flour and baking powder in a separate bowl; set aside.
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Beat butter, sugar, and salt in a separate large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in cake flour mixture alternately with 1 cup milk, mixing until just incorporated. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla until incorporated.
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Whisk beaten egg whites a few times; use a whisk or rubber spatula to fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into batter to lighten it. Fold in remaining egg whites, mixing just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly.
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Bake in the preheated oven until cake is light golden brown and just pulling from the sides of the pan, 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
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Make custard: Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, salt, flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder in a saucepan and mix well. Whisk remaining 1/2 cup sugar into 4 beaten eggs in a medium bowl; set aside. Pour milk into sugar mixture in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat and gradually pour hot milk mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add chopped chocolate and stir until chocolate melts.
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Return custard to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until custard is thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Transfer custard to a bowl and allow to cool.
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Make buttercream: Place butter in a large bowl. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until incorporated. Beat in cocoa powder until well combined. Mix in vanilla until smooth. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon hot water or as needed to thin frosting; mix well until desired consistency is reached.
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Make ganache: Place chocolate chips in a large bowl. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan until very hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Let stand for 3 minutes, then whisk, scraping sides and bottom of the bowl, until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Allow to cool to room temperature; cover and set aside. Ganache should be spreadable and not firm.
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Assemble cake: Using a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each cake layer in half horizontally. Cover cake plate with strips of parchment paper or aluminum foil for easier clean up. Put a dab of buttercream in the center of the plate to keep cake from shifting. Set a cake half on the plate.
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Spread custard filling onto cake layer, taking care not to spread it too close to the edge (weight of the cake layers will cause it to spread out). Gently lay another cake round on top of the first and repeat with another custard layer. Repeat with remaining layers and custard, topping custard with the last cake layer. Chill cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
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Frost the top and sides of cake with chocolate buttercream. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm and set.
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Spread frosted cake with ganache. Remove parchment strips or aluminum foil from the cake plate. Store cake in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
917 | Calories |
45g | Fat |
125g | Carbs |
11g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings Per Recipe 16 | |
Calories 917 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat 45g | 58% |
Saturated Fat 27g | 136% |
Cholesterol 185mg | 62% |
Sodium 434mg | 19% |
Total Carbohydrate 125g | 45% |
Dietary Fiber 4g | 15% |
Total Sugars 90g | |
Protein 11g | 23% |
Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
Calcium 180mg | 14% |
Iron 5mg | 25% |
Potassium 400mg | 9% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.