Categories: cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour
- 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 stocks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups golden brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- optional: 10-12 strawberries, sliced (for inside cake and garnish)
- frosting:
- 1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 16 oz. cream cheese (2 pkg.)
Directions
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Position rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees generously butter two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
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Sift cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes.
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Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition.
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Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Run small knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; lift pans off cakes. Cool completely.
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For frosting:
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Sift coca powder into large bowl. Bring 1 cup cream to boil in small saucepan. Slowly cream over coca, whisking until cocoa ia completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup cream and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover, keep chilled.
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Add cream cheese to coca mixture. Using electric mixer, beat on low speed until blended and smooth. increase speed to medium until mixture is thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes.
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Using pastry brush, brush off crumbs from cakes. Place 1 cake layer, top side up, on platter. Frost first layer, add a layer of sliced strawberries if desired, then cover with more frosting. Add second layer of cake and finish frosting. Garnish with sliced strawberries.