Layered Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated
• 4 Tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
• 3-5 Tablespoons cream or wholemilk
• (Makes about 3 cups)

Fruit Layer

• 1 can cherry pie filling

Chocolate Ganache

• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Chocolate Shavings

• 4 cups Melting chocolate wafers (White, Dark, or Milk)

or

• A fairly big chunk of melting chocolate (about 1x4 inches) or big enough to safely handle while using a knife)
• * You can usually find these in the bulk section of most grocery stores.

Directions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by lining with parchment paper, greasing and lightly flouring.
3. Put 2 cups of water into a saucepan, mix in the cocoa and boil. Stir until combined and smooth, then turn off and set aside to cool.
4. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
5. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla together.
6. Beat in the the dry ingredients alternating with the chocolate mixture.
7. Beat just until blended, do not over mix.
8. Divide the batter into the three prepared pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
9. Remove cakes from oven, place on cooling racks and leave them in the pans for 5 minutes.
10. After 5 minutes, remove from pans, remove the parchment paper and cool completely on wire racks before frosting.
11. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1. Place the butter in a mixing bowl and cream the butter using an electric mixer on medium. Beat about 2 minutes.
2. Beat in the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat on medium speed until well combined.
3. Add the cream one tablespoon at a time.
4. Never add all at once as the frosting may be too thin.
5. Mix in each spoon of milk until you have the consistency you would like, then mix for 2-3 minutes.
6. *Optional, if you want the frosting to be more yellow put a bit of food coloring gel.
7. The frosting sets when chilled.
8. Put 1/2 of the frosting into a piping bag.

Assembly

1. Put the first layer of cake ont your cake plate.
2. Spread the cherry pie filling.
3. Place the second layer of cake onto the cherry filling and spread on half of the lemon buttercream frosting.
4. Top with the final layer of cake.
5. Spread a layer of ganache.
6. Sprinkle the shredded chocolate on the ganache.
7. Pipe colorful little dollops of lemon buttercream frosting.
8. This cake is best kept refrigerated.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl; set aside. Place cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Pour over chocolate and let stand until chocolate has softened, about 5 minutes. Add butter and stir until smooth.

Chocolate Shavings

1. If using melting chocolate you will need to melt these down in a double boiler, or with a pot filled with water and a bowl that can rest on top of it. Use low heat when doing this.
2. When chocolate is melted pour into a small container (a small Tupperware, or glass container) lined with parchment paper, so that you can make a little brick of chocolate. Let this set, until chocolate has hardened up.
3. Now whether your using a big chunk, or the brick of melted chocolate. Take a grater with small holes and with a bit of pressure, grate the chocolate onto parchment paper.
4. Tip: Be sure not to handle chocolate too much as it will start to melt in your hands.