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Get the Recipe: Chocolate and Earl Grey London Fog Layer Cake

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Ingredients

For the Chocolate Almond Cake

    (makes an 8-inch, three layer cake)

    • 2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup (3 ounces) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 fluid ounces) vegetable oil
    • 2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
    • 1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) whole milk
    • 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) hot strong-brewed coffee

    For the Earl Grey Buttercream

      (makes around 4 1/2 cups, enough for one cake)

      • 2 cups (4 sticks // 16 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
      • 1/4 cup loose leaf Earl Grey tea
      • 4 large egg whites
      • 1 1/4 cups (8.75 ounces) granulated sugar
      • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

      Equipment

      • a candy thermometer (preferably digital — I love this one)
      • a fine-mesh sieve

      Instructions
       

      For the Chocolate Cake

      • Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 (F). Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by spraying generously with cooking spray, and lining the bottom of each with a parchment paper circle. Spray the parchment paper as well and set aside.
      • In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
      • In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 2 cups granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on, add 2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract. Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl.
      • Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture (from the 2nd step) in three batches, alternating with 1 1/2 cups whole milk in two batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. With the mixer on low, stream in 1 cup hot coffee. Mix on medium-low for no more than 30 seconds, or until combined. Be careful not to overmix! The mixture will look like it's too liquidy and runny, but that's totally normal, I promise.
      • Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes, before inverting the cakes out and allowing them to cool completely to room temperature before frosting.

      For the Earl Grey Buttercream

      • Place 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter in a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan with 1/4 cup loose leaf Earl Grey tea. Place the saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts, before reducing the heat to its lowest setting and simmering for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the tea steep for 5 minutes more. Strain the butter through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and refrigerate the strained butter until it reaches the same consistency as softened butter, around 20 to 30 minutes. Don't worry if there are small bits of tea in your butter — that's totally okay and will make for a pretty frosting.
      • Place 4 large egg whites and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together gently by hand until combined. Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and place it over medium-high heat. Place the mixer bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler — the bottom of the bowl containing the egg whites and sugar should NOT be touching the water, so pour out any extra water you might have. Whisking intermittently, heat the egg mixture until it registers 160 (F) on a candy thermometer. Once it reaches 160 (F), remove immediately from heat and carefully fit the mixer bowl onto the stand mixer.
      • With the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until it holds medium-stiff peaks. At this point, the outside of the mixer bowl should be room temperature and no residual heat should be escaping from the meringue out of the top of the bowl. Stop the mixer and swap out the whisk attachment for a paddle attachment.
      • With the mixer on low speed, add 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. Once the vanilla is incorporated, add the tea-infused butter (from the 1st step) and remaining 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter a couple tablespoons at a time, only adding more butter when the previous butter pieces have fully incorporated. Once all the butter has been added, turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until the buttercream is silky smooth, around 3 to 5 minutes. Use immediately.

      Notes

      Adapted from Layered
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