Golden Layer Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

So, finally, I'm home, back in my homeland of G-wich, and boy am I glad to be back. I missed home! My kitchen, my bed, my kitchen, my dogs, my kitchen, my friends, and did I mention my kitchen? Well, I had to kick off my first day back right and conveniently today happened to be my best friend Jamie's 20th birthday. WOAH 20, I know, and since its such a big deal I needed something just as big to celebrate. Personally, nothing says celebrate like a HUGE, BEAUTIFUL, MOIST, CAKE. Ya with me? I used one of my favorite cake recipes from Judy Rosenberg's Rosie's Bakery book, and they turned out lovely. For frosting, I was feeling inventive and made up my own chocolatey buttercreamy cream-cheesy creation. Two words:  UN REAL, (I know it's really one word, but when you turn it into two its more dramatic for emphasis). So since Jamie is one of my best friends I didn't just stop at this, and busted out a homemade chocolate whip cream to put between the layers. I even whipped out the piping bag to throw some beautiful details on top, feel special baby J, it took a while! So now I have this huge beautiful chocolatey golden cake and I am DYING to try it but I have to wait until the actual party, such a buzz kill. For now, I'll continue munching on frosting like I've been doing for the whole afternoon because it is seriously addicting and is the best sugar fix, especially slathered on pretzels.
RECIPES BELOW! Enjoy.

Judy Rosenberg's Golden Layer Cake (My GO to layer cake, SO good, must try)

Ingredients
2 1/4 cup plus 3 tbs flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 tbs butter, room temp (2 sticks plus 2 tbs)
1 1/4 cup plus 1 tbs sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
3/4 cup sour cream *(I substituted craime frêche)

Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 8 inch baking pans. Combine first 4 dry ingredients in a bowl. In an electric mixing bowl cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the yolks one at a time beating well after each addition. Then add the whole egg and mix well until blended, 1 minutes. Add one third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture by stirring them in lightly with the rubber spatula so liquid is absorbed. Turn the mixer on low to blend completely, about 10 seconds. Add half the sour cream and mix for 20 seconds, until well combined. Add one third of the dry ingredients by hand, followed by the remaining sour cream, then the rest of the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and blend until batter is velvety in texture, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula and blend for 20 more seconds. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and place them on the center rack of the oven. Bake until the layers are golden in color and spring back to the touch, about 35 minutes.

My Own Cocoa Creamcheese Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients
2 sticks butter
8 oz. cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3 tbs cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla

Recipe: In a double boiler melt the chocolate chips. Once totally melted, stir until smooth and refrigerate until the mixture is cool, but still slightly warm, about 10 minutes in the fridge.  In the meantime in an electrix mixer cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla and cocoa powder and vanilla and mix for 2 more minutes. Slowly add in the cooled chocolate. Whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

Ingredients
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder

Recipe: In an electric mixer, whip the cream until it starts to stiffen. Add the dry ingredients and keep whipping until stiff peaks form.

Assembly: After the cakes cool, slice each cake in half, so you'll have 4 equal rounds. Refrigrate for atleast 2 hours, as it will make it easier to frost. Put one round on the decorating plate and top with the whipping cream, then another round, whipping cream, then another round, and repeat the process until you finish with the last cake round, leaving the top UNFROSTED  Then, take the chocolate frosting and coat the top and sides of the cake. For decorative details, pipe some of the whipped cream around the edges and add some chocolate chips.

Mid Assembly pic:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY J!

xoxo

hungreegirl.