So, yesterday (and today) was (is) my birthday. Gotta love being a Leap Year baby! 😉 Immediately following my only class of the day – compounding lab – I drove 3 1/2 hours to spend my birthday with my family in Pittsburgh. My mom is a bit under the weather, so we had a nice night in just relaxing and spending time together. Of course, as soon as I got home, I got to work on assembling my birthday cake. I had baked the cake layers earlier in the week and froze them so that they’d be all set for when I got home – defrosted but still cold – so I just had to make the filling and frosting to get it all assembled.
But anyway, back to some cake talk.. my sister reminded me I have to share a picture of my cake once my “candles” were on it. My dad thought it needed candles, so he quickly found a 1 in the cupboard, and he cut out a 2 from a wood flooring ad. My dad’s awesome. And now.. for the recipe!
- 1 1/2 cups sprouted whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 27 packets truvia (or 1 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut sugar)
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 1/4 tsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup coffee, hot
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 75 g dark chocolate, chopped, melted, and slightly cooled
- 1/3 cup hazelnut butter (hazelnuts ground in food processor, lightly salted/sweetened)
- 1 Tbsp coconut milk
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 125 g dark chocolate, chopped, melted, and slightly cooled
- 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp coconut milk
- pinch of salt
Line 3 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper, butter, and sprinkle cocoa powder to ensure they don't stick. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, coffee, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, truvia/sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt.
Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet, and mix for about 2 minutes on medium speed.
Split the batter between the 8-inch cake pans, and bake for about 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick just comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
Chill in the fridge or freezer, well wrapped, until ready to frost.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Add the melted chocolate and hazelnut butter, and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the milk and salt, and beat until fluffy (about one more minute).
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter, cocoa, and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Add the melted chocolate, and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the milk and salt, and beat until fluffy (about one more minute).
Take the chilled cake layers and place one layer on an 8-inch cake board, glued into place by a pea sized amount of frosting.
Place a dollop of the chocolate hazelnut filling in the center of the layer (half of the filling), and spread with a small offset spatula to about 1/2 inch away from the edge of the cake.
Place the second cake layer on top, repeat with the other half of the filling, and top it with the final cake layer.
Place a generous dollop of the chocolate frosting on top of the cake, spread evenly with an offset spatula, working down the sides until you have a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake. Chill until set, about 30 minutes.
Once set, remove from fridge and add another large dollop on top of the cake and spread the same way, adding another coat of frosting. Scrape off the excess frosting with a straight blade spatula and smooth out. Use remaining frosting to pipe a border on the bottom of the cake or around the top of the cake (optional).
Chill in the fridge until about a half hour before ready to serve. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days (or at room temperature, covered, for up to 2 days).
adapted from Sweetapolita