1/4cupheavy whipping creamYou'll probably use less
For the Chocolate Buttercream
1cupbutterunsalted, room temperature
5cupsconfectioners sugar
1/4cupheavy whipping creamYou'll probably use less
4ozsemi sweet chocolatemelted
⅓cupcocoa powder
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS:
For the Cake:
Preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 4 six inch cake pans. I always use cake strips on my pans for an even bake but they're optional.
Sift the dry ingredients (not the cocoa powder), including the sugar, together in a large bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. There will be little butter lumps but don't worry about it!
Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined.
Divide the mixture into 2 bowls. 1/2 for the vanilla and 1/2 for the chocolate.
Add the cocoa powder to smaller batch and mix.
Transfer the two batters into four 6″ cake pans, which have been buttered and floured.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. Test centers with a toothpick.
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
In a standing mixer, beat the butter on low for a few minutes using a paddle attachment.
Beat in the confectioner’s sugar slowly.
Add the vanilla and drizzle in the cream slowly until you have a desirable consistency.
Transfer to 2 piping bags and snip off the tips.
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
Melt semi sweet chocolate and add 1 tablespoon of cream. Set aside to cool.
In a standing mixer, beat the butter on low for a few minutes using a paddle attachment.
Beat in the confectioner’s sugar slowly.
Add the melted chocolate and cocoa to the mixture. Mix and drizzle in the cream a tablespoon at a time until a desirable consistency is reached.
Beat until you have an even, fluffy consistency.
Transfer to 2 piping bags and snip off the tips.
Add a cocoa and vanilla to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip or snip off the end.
For the Assembly:
Start with the first layer with vanilla cake.
Pipe cocoa-vanilla combination bag between each layer.
Alternate layering vanilla and chocolate cake rounds.
Pipe with a vanilla piping bag and smooth out the outside of the cake with an uneven spatula.
Alternate by piping vanilla and chocolate rings.
Carefully smooth out.
Transfer remaining vanilla and chocolate buttercreams to piping bags fitted with an 868 star tip.
Alternate by piping chocolate and vanilla dollops.
Video
Notes
This design is buttercream heavy. So if you like your cakes with less frosting, skip the decoration scheme!
f you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
If you see little clumps of butter after you mix the wet ingredients don’t panic, it all works out by the time you mix in the dry ingredients. You can even use melted butter and warm the milk and sour cream up a bit if you like.
You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! I made a wholeblog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
To pipe the two-tone frosting you fill one bag (1/2 way full) with white frosting, one bag with blue frosting and then put both bags in a third piping bag. No need for a tip, just snip about an inch off each bag.