Triple Decker Birthday Cake
What’s a birthday celebration without a decadent layer cake? This one’s a true classic: yellow butter cake with a thin layer of raspberry jam and gooey fudge frosting, all waiting to be spiked with candles and presented to the lucky birthday boy or girl.
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 2 3/4 cups (11 oz./345 g) cake flour
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups (14 oz./440 g) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) sour cream
For the frosting:
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups (10 oz./315 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 lb. (250 g) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 2/3 cup (6 1/2 oz./200 g) raspberry jam
Directions:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Butter the bottoms of three 9-by-2-inch (23-by-5-cm) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment and sides of the pans and lightly dust with flour.
To make the cake, in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add the whole eggs and yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Beating on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Beat in the sour cream and then the remaining dry ingredients until combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes, then invert the cakes onto the racks, peel off the parchment and let cool before frosting.
To make the frosting, in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Add the cooled chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated, then increase the speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
To frost the cake, place one layer, top side down, on a flat serving plate. With an icing spatula, spread the top with a thin layer of frosting. Spread half of the raspberry jam over the frosting. Top with a second cake layer and top with a thin layer of frosting and the remaining jam. Top with the third cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thick layer of the remaining frosting. Cut into slices and serve immediately, or keep covered at room temperature until ready to serve. Serves 12.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Home Baked Comfort (Weldon Owen, 2011)
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