Chocolate Cake with Almond Cream Filling and Sourcream Chocolate Icing–phew, that’s a mouth-full!

This is the second post documenting the February cake I baked. I wanted to quickly write the recipes down for anyone brave enough to try a triple layer cake at home! Its already half way through March and I feel lost by the fact that I haven’t baked any delicious sweets this month. Baking is literally the butter to my bread. Without it I’m simply a dry, over-toasted slice without the buttery topping to moisten it. Lately I’ve been inspired to make something creative with cake such as icecream cupcakes sandwiches, next week is Maddie’s Birthday and I will be making her a layer “ice cream” cake so maybe that will satisfy me.

Anyway, here’s the recipe!

Chocolate Cake:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1/2 cups strongly brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 ts. baking powder
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of honey (odd I know)
3 eggs
2 ts. vanilla extract
1/2 ts. almond extract
2/3 buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms of 3 8-inch round cake pans, dust with flour.
2. Combine chocolate, 1/2 cups sugar, and coffee. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes of until chocolate is softened. Stir to blend.
3. Sift flour, cocoa, soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
4. Cream butter and remaining 3/4 cups sugar. On medium speed beat in honey, eggs (one at a time), and vanilla/almond extracts.
5. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the mixture.
6. Pour chocolate/coffee mixture in and your batter is complete!
7. Pour a third of the batter into each pan and tap them gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes, remove from oven, cool in pans for 10 minutes before turning them upside down onto cooling racks.

Almond Cream Filling:
2 whole eggs
1 egg yoke
1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 ts. almond extract
1 ts. vanilla extract

1. Beat eggs in a small bowl until well mixed
2. In a saucepan, combine sugar and flour. Gradually whisk in about 1/2 cup of milk until smooth. Whisk in eggs and remaining milk
3. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla/almond extracts
5. Cover with plastic wrap placing directly onto the cream filling to prevent a film from forming.
6. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Sour Cream Chocolate Icing:
12 onces bittersweet chocolaté, coarsely chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup half-and-half (I used heavy cream)
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Melt chocolate with butter and corn syrup in a saucepan over very low heat. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth
2. Whisk in the half-and-half and sour cream. Use while soft (pay attention to this- the icing will get firm!)

Have fun, bake yummy cakes!