Chocolate Layer Cake

A soft chocolate cake layered with rich vanilla buttercream!

Do you want to take a trip with me? Away from all the craziness of the day?

How about a trip to a delicious dessert plate? If so, I’ve got the perfect destination for you.

Take flight on a super sweet homemade airliner and then experience a soft landing on this beautifully delicious cake.

This chocolate cake is moist and oh so fluffy. It’s layered with the best ever, vanilla buttercream.

It’s made in a sheet pan, cut into equal rectangles, then stacked and frosted to create a unique rectangle layer cake.

I didn’t frost the sides, as that’s the way I like it — and I wanted it to be a more rustic looking dessert. And, I cut each piece into little rectangles so everyone could enjoy a perfect piece – not too big and not too small!

Really, if your sweet tooth is calling for something fabulous, then this is the baking adventure you need to embark on! And, if you’re in need of a new delicious journey this fall instead of all of that pumpkin spice, look no further.

This chocolate layered cake is great for any holiday celebration – and will please every tastebud!

So take flight for this amazing chocolate and vanilla vacation!

My husband and son love sweets and this definitely was one of those desserts that was devoured!

Who in their right mind could pass up a rich chocolate cake filled and topped with lots of vanilla buttercream?

Definitely not my sweet tooth bunch — it was like they had a fast-pass to first-class service and food!

Chocolate Layer Cake

Servings: 15
Difficulty: easy
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By: Sheila | Sweet Baked Life

Ingredients

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 cup butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners sugar
2-4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the Cake:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 18×13-inch sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl whisk flour, granulated sugar and salt, set aside until ready to use.
Over low heat, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the cocoa powder until throughly combined. Add the boiling water and turn up the heat to medium and allow mixture to boil for about 30 seconds, then turn off the heat and pour the hot mixture over the flour mixture and lightly stir.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Then pour mixture into chocolate flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour into prepared sheet cake pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until set.
Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

To make the Frosting:

In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter and beat on high-speed for about 5 minutes.
With the mixer on low, add the confectioners sugar, vanilla extract and the heavy cream or milk. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 5 minutes until soft and creamy. If the frosting is too thick, add a bit more heavy cream or milk, if the frosting is too thin, add more confectioner’s sugar until you get the consistency you want.

To assemble the cake:

Cut the cake in half lengthwise then cut those pieces in half croswise to create 4 equal rectangles. If you need to, trim the edges to create a more unifom look.
Put one piece of the cake onto a serving tray, top with 1/4 of the frosting and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Repeat 3 times, ending with the frosting on top.Smooth the top then swirl with the back of your offset spatula to create a pretty pattern.
Cut into pieces and serve.