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Ingredients
- Chocolate Icing:
- 1 pound plus 3 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups hot brewed coffee
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- Chocolate Icing, recipe below
- 1 recipe Butter Toffee, recipe follows
- 4 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 sticks unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 2 pounds semisweet chocolate, chopped into pieces
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Combine the cream, butter, cocoa, and corn syrup in a large saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
- Put the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Add the hot cream mixture and let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and whisk to bl
- Butter Toffee:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 packed cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
- Combine the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cream in a medium heavy saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook until the mixture rea
- Remove from the heat, add the vanilla, and stir. Pour onto the prepared sheet and let cool completely.
- Crack the toffee into large shards with a rolling pin. Place the pieces in a large deep pot and break into smaller pieces with the end of the rolling pin. Store in an airtight container until ready to
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease 3 (10-inch) cake pans with the 2 teaspoons of the butter. Line each with parchment paper and butter with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Set aside.
Place the cocoa in a bowl and slowly add the hot coffee, whisking until smooth. Set aside and cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream and vanilla. Whisk in the cooled coffee mixture.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together onto a sheet of waxed paper or into a bowl.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the remaining pound butter and the sugar. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the coffee-sour cream mixture. Beat until glossy.
Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans. Bake a cake tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely in the pans on a wire rack.
Remove the cakes from the pans and peel off the parchment paper. Using a long serrated knife, trim off the rounded top from each to make a flat surface. Place the first cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate icing across the top, out to the edge of the cake, and sprinkle with about 3/4 cup crushed butter toffee. Repeat with the second layer and another 1 1/2 cups icing and 3/4 cup crushed toffee. Place the third layer upside-down on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing, and press the remaining crushed toffee onto the sides and top of the cake. Serve.