Happy Thursday! I’ve been eager to talk chocolate cake with you, ever since my post on Classic Vanilla Butter Cake. If you read that post, you might recall that I mentioned my husband and I often debate which cake is a bigger crowd-pleaser: chocolate or vanilla. He’s a vanilla man, and although I used to be a full-on and devoted vanilla lover, my heart is now true to my all-time favourite chocolate cake recipe: Rich & Dark Chocolate Cake. It’s simply the yummiest, richest, most delicious cake recipe I have (not to mention the easiest). It pairs well with many icings and fillings, but works particularly well with Swiss Meringue Buttercream. For fellow cake decorators, you are likely all-too familiar with it, but for those who aren’t, it will likely become an important addition to your baking repertoire. It’s super-creamy, silky, satiny texture is only beat by its buttery, rich, yet not-too-sweet taste. It also goes on so beautifully, unlike sugary frostings, and therefore gives you some beautiful and simple options when using it to decorate a cake. It’s also what’s used to coat cakes before they are covered with fondant, but it is delicious and diverse enough to be used on its own, especially for occasion and wedding cakes. That’s why I chose to do this gorgeous ruffle cake, to show you how beautiful and show-stopping Swiss Meringue Buttercream can really be. I first saw this ruffling buttercream technique on Martha Stewart, and couldn’t resist it’s frilliness, so decided to use it for this small occasion cake I made yesterday–so simple and so girly.
Speaking of girly, Reese was home while I was getting ready to make the chocolate cake, and when I called up to her room, and asked her if she wanted to help, down she came with her full ballerina-princess costume on. I swear I didn’t stage that, but it sure made for some pretty-in-pink photos of her helping bake the cake.
First thing she did (her own idea) was start cutting parchment circles for her baking pans–this is so my child!
When I look at this photo, besides relishing in how adorable she is, I can’t help but wonder if Grant would appreciate my baking adventures just a wee bit more if I wore this outfit each time I baked.
Such focus! I love this retro mixing bowl and tool set I found at my favourite vintage/shabby chic style shop near our house–perfect for her little hands.
I can’t help but think that this photo, above most others, will cause me to tear-up when she’s grown and gone…
Okay, back to cake. This chocolate cake recipe is such a simple and delicious one. I call this cake ”rich & ruffled” because not only does the cake and Swiss buttercream taste rich, but it’s also a premium cake in its ingredients, although worth every single penny. As far as the cake goes, using a premium dark cocoa powder is paramount. I always use Cacao Barry Extra Brute (Extra Dark) for this cake, and any other recipe that calls for cocoa powder. It’s a sure way to bring your chocolate baked goods to a new level of quality and decadence.
The ruffling technique itself is quite straight-forward. Once I tinted the Swiss Meringue Buttercream (I went with a retro coral colour using a combination of Sugarflair “Peach” and Spectrum “Electric Pink” gel colours) and applied a thin layer on the filled and stacked cake, to ensure that the ruffles had something to adhere to. Placing the cake on a rotating cake stand, and with a large piping bag (I used 18″) filled will buttercream and fitted with a large petal tip (I used Wilton #123), I started at the bottom, holding the piping bag straight with tip pointing at cake board and the smaller part of the tip facing outward, and just did a back and forth motion until I reached the top of the cake then started again beside that row, and so on. Once the cake was ruffled all around the outside, I did a circular ruffling around the top. If you’re a visual person, you may enjoy, and benefit from, watching a quick and helpful ruffling tutorial on YouTube, done by the fabulous Melody from Sweet & Saucy Shop in California. You can also read more about this technique from Martha Stewart here. My ruffled cake wasn’t perfect, but it’s pretty forgiving. Ruffles are always lovely (especially fluffy buttercream ones!).
Here is the finished cake in its full ruffled glory. So simple and perfect for showers, birthdays, weddings, or any special gathering. Thank you, Martha and Melody!
Let’s take a minute to adore ruffles. Ruffles, ruffles, and more ruffles!
Chocolate cake, anyone?
Happy Ruffling!
Here’s the recipe:
Rich & Dark Chocolate Cake {click here for printable recipe}
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder – Extra Dark
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong black coffee (can be hot)
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare 2 x 9″ (or 3 x 8″ for slightly shorter layers) cake pans with butter and flour or parchment paper. In bowl of electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients. Add all remaning ingredients to bowl with the dry ingredients and with paddle attachment on mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed (you may need the plastic splashguard that comes with mixer) and pour into prepared pans. Batter will be liquidy.
Bake for 20 minutes and rotate pans in oven. Cakes are done when toothpick or skewer comes clean–approximately 35 minutes. Try not to overbake. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes then gently invert onto racks until completely cool.
*If doing the ruffly cake, you will likely want to increase the cake recipe to add a third 9″ layer.
*This cake is sturdy enough to be used under fondant, stacked, etc. but also moist and tasty enough too go on its own with almost any type of frosting, glaze, etc.
*Just note that I had originally put that the coffee should be cooled, but I have used boiling hot, moderately hot, and cool, and they all work well.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream {click here for printable recipe}
Just a note that you will need approximately 3 times the Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe for this Rich & Ruffly cake. Because it does take some time to make, I always make in batches of 3, because it freezes so well and saves time.
Ingredients:
5 large egg whites (30g each–total 150g)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Method:
Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and vinegar, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly, until temperature reaches 140 degrees F, or if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the mixture is thick, glossy, and cool. Switch over to paddle attachment and, while mixing on medium speed continously, add softened butter in chunks until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). Add vanilla and salt, mix well. You can also add a wide variety of flavourings, extracts, and more.
Keep in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week, leaving out at room temperature when needed, rewhipping in mixer for 5 minutes.
Can freeze for up to 6-8 weeks.
Makes approximately 5 cups of buttercream.
Good luck & enjoy! xo
Recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream adapted from Martha Stewart.
This has to be one of the prettiest cakes I’ve ever seen! And Reese, is just scrumptious too! Thanks for sharing this, I will attempt soon!
Beautiful…as always!
Hi Rosie!!
I try bit by bit, to go through your blog/site when I have a few spare moments and today in the interim of chaos that is this house, I found myself able to read this post!!
Funnily enough I am about to bake some chocolate cake today for a wine bottle cake order and I have so much faith in you that I am going to throw my good old chocolate cake recipe aside and venture into yours!!!! It is very similar to my recipe, save a few adjustments, namely I use boiling hot coffee and scalded milk, I know sounds crazy, the batter is very soupy and thin but it bakes up sooooo fluffy it’s a bit crazy.
The ruffles and your daughter are both gorgeous and you are a bit of a phenom…keep up the good and I am sure exhausting work!!
Thanks, Richelle! Just a note that I had “cooled” coffee, but I have used it anywhere from boiling to cool, and they all seem to work well. Perhaps very hot is a bit better, so I’ve modified. Good luck with the recipe!
Lovely! Great minds think alike, I just started using this technique the last couple of weeks! I find it does use an awful lot of buttercream but much easier then trying to get a super clean finish!
This cake is as pretty as your little Reese. The ruffles are fantastic!
It’s a very beautiful cake and I love the photographs!
OMG – that is fab-u-lous.
You are amazing – I am in awe.
Fiona
omg! This is so Gorgeous!
This has got to be one of the prettiest cakes I have ever seen in my entire cake eating life! It may be the girly girl in me but the pink ruffles are splendid! Let your husband know that this glamorous chocolate cake would be out a vanilla cake any day of the week! :)
Gorgeous, gorgeous cake! How did you pipe the ruffles?
Wow! I thought your cake was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen until I scrolled down & saw your adorable daughter. I can’t wait to try a 6 layer ruffle cake w/ meringue buttercream!
This is without at doubt, the MOST adorable cake I’ve ever seen! I would have absolutely adored this as a little girl!!! Brilliant!
WOW. that cake is STUNNING! (My birthday is in October….I’ll be waiting for one of these.) ;)
I love the cake and THOSE cookes!!! GORGEOUS!!!
Thanks, Callye! I was going to tie the cookies in a bit more, but I ended up using them as props only. Thanks for noticing, but you are the cookie girl, so good eye! I ruffled the royal icing and added some gold dragees. I just love thhe crazy retro feel of that coral icing! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog :)
Thanks for all of the lovely comments–they are so fun to read!
This cake is beautiful, love your pictures! Your daughter is precious!
Rosie this is just beautiful as I mentioned on flickr. I would love to have a try at making this extravaganza, it looks so devine and oh so yummy!
And how cute is your off-sider Reese, she really looked the part.
Reese is so precious! I bet that winsome grin will break a lot of hearts some day! ;) The prettiest princess I’ve ever seen, and with such a lovely cake to match! Absolutely darling, I assure you
This is an absolutely, absolutely gorgeous cake. Love the colours and love the piping. I’ve never thought of decorating a cake like you have and will definitely give this a try the next time I am doing a layered one.
fabulous decoration for a cake! makes me want to practice it very soon ;)
new to your great feast of a blog.
what talent and generosity
and your little girl is way too cute;
lucky you…
The ruffle icing looks amazing!!
How beautiful, Rosie!! I love PINK! Hope this is coming to the lake this weekend!!!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!! That’s gorgeous post, gorgeous cake and gorgeous cakelet!
This recipe sounds delicious too!
LOVE the contrast of the pink icing and the chocolate cake. Looks divine!!!
Wow, this cake is so girly and beautiful. I love it.
Your daughter is also simply adorable and such a beauty :)
the ruffly cake is sheer perfection… especially adore the picture of the dark chocolate cake against the pale pink frosting… excellent contrast!!!
hooray!
xo
Gorgeous cake and photography! It’s almost too pretty to eat… almost. ;)
Wow, gorgeous cake! I love that method you used, it looks like it adds a lot of frosting to the cake, which in my opinion, is perfect!! I am the biggest frosting lover. I tried to make swiss meringue buttercream last week and it never got fluffy? I don’t know what I did wrong, I had to add powdered sugar to it at the end to make it piping consistency?
Thanks for the commment, Jenn! My thoughts on your buttercream not fluffing up, would be that perhaps your butter was too warm/soft and/or your meringue wasn’t quite stiff enough before you started adding the butter. Just remember that if it ever starts to look curdled, you just keep mixing (with paddle attachment), and it will come back to its fluffy self. Hope this helps!
PS. Also, just a note that you want your bowl, whisk, and anything that touches the meringue in process to be absolutely grease-free. I wipe everything with lemon juice or vinegar first. Hope this helps!
you have such a talent! for both photographing AND baking.. i love all your cakes and treats you’ve been documenting- so glad i came across your work here!
The darkness of the chocolate cake highlights the ruffles so beautifully. I prefer it to Martha’s!
Hi,
Your cake looks lovely, i was thinking to make it as my birthday cake-
just wondering can i use other cocoa powder instead of the one you used?!
Best regards,
SUE
Thanks, Sue! You can definitely substitute the Cacao Barry Extra Brute brand Cocoa Powder, but it’s best to stick with the best quality you can, since it’s really the predominant flavour in this cake. I recommend a dark cocoa powder, because I feel it really gives this cake its rich flavour. I hope this helps!
Good luck and Happy Birthday!
It looks amazing…maybe it’s the prettiest cake I’ve ever seen….Congrats!!!! It’s georgeous!!!!! It’s adorable and the dark colour and the contrast with the buttercream….AMAZING!!!!!!! I love it!!!!!
This is the most beautiful cake I’ve ever seen!
the cake is so pretty, it must be yummy too. i like your photographs
The cake is fabulous, no doubt, but it’s the matching cookies in the background that captured my heart! Love the dragee centers–what a marvelous textile effect. I’m going to remember that cookie-sized bit of brilliance. (By the way, we have an 18 month old Niamh, too. We just went with the difficult original spelling. ;-) )
Thanks for the lovely comments, everyone; I’m so glad you all love this cake too!
Just saw your cake picture on Tastespotting and had to check it out! So glad I found your blog, consider me your newest follower! I absolutely adore the ruffled cake! I actually just recnetly made one for my cousin’s baby shower and will be posting it on my blog soon! I love using the swiss meringue buttercream to create the ruffle effect, this is my new favorite cake decorating technique! I too am a lover of cakes and all things sweet so I am so excited to look around your site and check out more of your creations!
hiii rosie…i just checked ur blog now.. this cake is beautiful..but was wondering if u have other recipes or not…or u r just doing orders through this blog..i cant find ne recipe index here….i am a passionate baker too love ur pics…
Thanks, kk. If you look along the right side of the blog under “categories,” you can click any of those for recipes. If you were brought straight to the Ruffled cake post from another website, you are in the actual post, and just have to go back to the blog by clicking the “BLOG” tab above. Hope this helps, and thanks for visiting!
I love the ruffle detail, cakes done with buttercream only don’t seem to get enough glamour ;)
I can’t wait to try this and I love your blog! I’ll be a frequent vistor :)
Wow. This was the most amazing cake I’ve ever seen! Really cute girl too =)
Such an amazing cake!! it looks really good! and you’re daughter is adorable :D
omg the ruffles are so beautiful!
The is soooooooooo pretty I can’t wait to see more of your wonderful creation!
I just made this yesterday and it was a huge success. Thanks so much for your generosity in sharing. And the Misty Mints recipe? Let us just say “oh my goodness gracious!!!” Love, love, love and adore them. Really, Rosie, all this talent, sweetness and adorableness in one blog is just too much. I have been checking back here daily and get so excited when I see a new post. Best, Stephanie
Wow wow and wow! Your cake is absolutely stunning. The contrast of colors….the pink, black and white, wow again! Not only is your cake beautiful but it looks soooo delicious! I just have to follow your blog now!
Too cute! :)
This is one of the most adorable, girlish but stylish looking cakes I’ve seen for a while! I also love the coloring too!
I’m going to attempt making this for a friend’s bday!
Thanks for this lovely post!!!
beautiful cake and baby girl!!!!
I’ve never seen a cake like this! I ADORE IT!! Gorgeous.
I just made this to practice for my daughter’s birthday. but my ruffle edges aren’t as thick as yours. Is the larger side of the tip supposed to face out? also, I had a lot of air bubbles in the icing. But, all in all it still looks great.
Hi Erin!
The skinny side of the tip should face out, so that the ruffle edges are actually thinner. As for air bubbles, that does happen to me as well. I hope this helps in some way! Good luck!
Thanks. I opted for cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday but still did the ruffle for the frosting. So CUTE! I’m going to try the cake again soon and I’m going to use a bigger tip.
What a beautiful cake!! I love the ruffle technique. I’m hosting a baby shower next month and now I know exactly what the cake will look like. Your cake recipe is identical to Beatty’s Chocolate Cake by Barefoot Contessa which is one of my very favorite chocolate cakes, but I’ve never tried that brand of cocoa powder before. I guess I’ll be ordering some so I can give it a try! Thanks for such yummy inspiration!! :)
Absolutely beautiful. If it’s possible to be addicted to a blog, I’m a ddicted to yours.
Absolutely beautiful. If it’s possible to be addicted to a blog, I’m addicted to yours.
I found this on tastespotting and would so love to make it! How much should you increase the recipe by if you are using 3 cake pans? Also, are there any good recipes to use up all those egg yokes?!?
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for the note. If you are using 3 x 9″ cake pans, you would want to increase the cake recipe by 50%. It currently makes 2 x 9″ round cake pans. The Swiss Meringue Recipe should be x 3 to have enough to ruffle the 9″ round cake. Oh, and for the egg whites, I always use pasteurized egg whites in the carton–safe, freeze well, and no yolks wasted! Hope this helps. Good luck & enjoy!
Thanks, everyone, for the lovely comments!
This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing and posting this! I can’t wait to try this ‘ruffled’ look on my next cake baking endeavour :)
I LOVED this cake! The frosting was amazing! My cakes fell a bit in the middle so my layers weren’t perfect but it tasted SO good! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Rosie
I want to make 1 layer, do I cut all the ingredients in half.
This looks amazing! Im gonna try to make it for my daughters birthday. Thanks for posting!
Yum yum yum! And SOOOOO pretty too! How can you eat something so beautiful???
Thanks for sharing – please visit my blog sometime!
love
amy
x
Speechless…….just speechless…… What number tip did you use?
Thanks, Lynn! I used the Wilton tip #123. There are instructions in the blog post as well as a link to a video tutorial from Melanie from Sweet & Saucy. Hope this helps!
Oh, this cake and the campfire delight cake look amazing. Any recommendations for those who can’t do coffee due to allergies?
Hi Kimberly! Thanks so much for the kind words, You can replace the coffee with boiling water, and it will still be delicious!
This cake is absolutely STUNNING! And your little one is so adorable!
Rosie – your cakes are all so beautiful! I share a similar and rather frightening obsession with baked goods, cake in particular, and your site offers wonderful inspiration. This cake is so pretty – I love ruffles and can’t wait to try this technique for frosting!
Gorgeous!
Would it work to use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour in this recipe?
Thanks, Sandra! Yes, you can definitely use cake flour, but you’ll need to add a touch more. Here’s the info: http://www.ehow.com/how_7729278_substitute-pastry-flour-allpurpose-flour.html
Good luck!
Beautiful!!
Hi! I have made your Neopolitan Cake twice now and it has turned out beautifully each time. I’m going to make this one for a bridal shower this weekend. The filling in your cake is white; is it just untinted Buttercream? Thank you for sharing your endless talent.
Hi Jennifer! Thanks so much, and I’m so glad you liked the cake! As for this ruffled cake, yep, that’s vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream untinted. I just prefer that when there’s so much colour around the rest of the cake. Just a note you will definitely need 3 times the Swiss meringue buttercream recipe. It may seem like a ton, but trust me, it takes so much to ruffle! Good luck!
Wow – amazing cake. So, will a triple batch of this frosting fit in my 5q kitchenaid???
Thanks! A triple batch fits perfectly in the 5qt–just! I always make it that way because it freezes so well, and takes time to make. Good luck!
I’ve been dying to try this very technique since I saw Melody’s youtube video! It’s just so girly and lovely. I love the matching cookies you made and your little helper is adorable!
This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!! ♥
Do you use the ruffling technique in the video for the top of your cake? The top of the one you did, the pictures look more like little loops, opposed to the back and forth motion.
This is incredibly stunning and I’m dying to try it out.
Thanks, Hailey! Yep, I did my top differently then Melody from the video does it. I just started around the outside edge of the top and did little loops, or petals, using the same piping tip as the ruffles, and worked my way into the middle. If you play around and do what feels comfortable, you really can’t go wrong! Good luck!
hello rosie
i really love your blog,and this cake is just amazing!!waw!! thank you for sharing your tips and recipes,that helps a lot,specially because i am an amateur,and i m learning everyday from talented people like you!!
the place where i live is very hot and humid,do you think i can try SMBC for this ruffle cake or do you recommend another recipe for a more stable buttercream?(i ve heard that SMBC doesn t like the heat,is that right? can i substitute a part of butter by some crisco to make it more stable?
what do you recommend me ,please?
thanks for answering
Hi, Rosie! Wow, this cake is beautiful! I love the ruffles! Your daughter is precious, too. :)
The cake looks so beautiful, and absolutely mouthwatering delicious. However, my favorite part of all of this is the adorable photos of your daughter in action. What a time to cherish! (My sweet girl just turned 21, so enjoy every special moment!)
I feel carpal tunnel coming on just look at all of that piping work. Amazing!
Amazing! I have a dress just like it. x
The ruffles are gorgeous!
This cake is absolutely gorgeous!! I just found your blog through twitter and am so delighted I did! Your photographs are amazing and the kiddos are too cute!
This is a beautiful cake. Just like everything you do! :)
Hi!
I love love love your blog! So informative, albeit always tempting. I also love that you’ve managed to clear the air about Swiss Meringue Buttercream! Although, if I was making this to frost two 9″ layers of cake/24 cupcakes, just how many egg whites etc would I need? Should I just halve the recipe for it?
Also, how do you get these icing all ruffled? Which icing tip do you recommend? Thanks in advance!
Beautiful pictures!!! Is it possible to use a different kind of icing (i.e., vanilla buttercream) to make the ruffles? We have an egg allergy in the family, so the egg whites are a big no-no. I want really bad to make this cake for my daughter’s birthday next week! Thanks for your time.
Do you think it’s possible to use whole milk or something different in place of the coffee? I can’t stand the taste of coffee and this recipe looks amazing otherwise!
Katie, I wouldn’t use more milk in place of the coffee, but you can use boiling water. Just so you know, the coffee just enhances the chocolate–the cake tastes absolutely nothing like coffee; I promise :)
oh, found my answer! I wanted to know if we can replace the coffee as I’d like to make this for a kid’s birthday. Love your site, I’ve just discovered it and it’s so inspiring!
I made this cake for my daughters 4th birthday party yesterday and everyone said it was the best chocolate cake they have ever had. I doubled the recipe so I would have extra layers. I used “Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa” and it came out moist, dark, and delicious. It had a great texture for layering. I made a cream cheese buttercream icing since I didn’t want to mess with egg whites and the ruffles turned out beautifully. Thanks for the great recipe. I’m about to work on a way to convert it to a gluten free cake so I can try it myself. :)
Love this cake! I put a wee few drops of almond oil in and add in a bit of extra vanilla bean and its the best! But don’t use the even bake wilton cake strips on them!! I multiplied the recipe by .5 and they almost went over the edges of my 9″ pans!!! painful and scary to watch.. phew..
Thanks, Trina! Yes, it does rise quite a bit! In my opinion, you should never have to use the Wilton strips :) If you bake more shallow cakes in layers, they don’t tend to dome up. So glad it worked out for you!
Could I use cream cheese frosting to do this?
Thank you Rosie!! I whipped up my first batch of Swiss Meringue Buttercream last night, thanks to your lovely website. I wanted to cry at the beautiful glossiness in front of me :)
The picture of your daughter Reese is spectacular! It made me SMILE all the way here in Vegas!! :)
Love your recipes and am going to try something very, soon!
I came to find your blog from cakewrecks.com where she was showing your asparagus cake. You are very talented!!
Leslie
Hi! I’m from Penang M”sia.
I couldn’t restrain my self from saying
HOW ADORABLE u’r daughter is…. She so… cute!!
while searching for the ruffles cake tutorial, I happened to stumble upon
u’r site & this is one neat ruffles cake i say!
Hi!!! I love ur blog and I did this cake but i had a problem with the buttercream, even though i did everything like u said i wasnt 100% sold on it….but it was ok…but when i added the colouring it started to separate from the frosting and started to bleed when i put it on the cake….can u tell me why thins could have happened???
Thanks, Sarah! If you’re using Wilton colours, they tend to separate in buttercream. I use only AmeriColor and Sugarflair brands, which are professional grade and seemingly more stable, but I’ve had many people who use Wilton email me with your exact dilemma. I hope this helps!
Thank you for replying!! I did use Wilton..the stores here in my country Trinidad (in the Caribbean) mostly carry wilton…so we have to order americolor online which is expensive. We also get Ateco’s Spectrum colours but its really expensive….take a looksie at my cake!! tell me what you think :) the pics i got were the ones that the bleeding didnt show up
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.208084759232230.57002.156456674395039
I just made this buttercream for the first time and LOVE LOVE IT!…Did i mention that i love it..and I’m not the only one, my husband is licking everything that has buttercream on it..I think he is trying to take my container and run away w/ it…UGH…lol. Anyway, so, being that it was my first time making this, I was scared to try a cooked icing but I was patient and patient some more and then my icing curdled (I about had a heart attack) but then saw that you wrote if it curdles keep going will smooth back out…so i did…and voila…THE best BC EVER! Thanks sooo much. And I am making my sister the ruffle cake in 2 days..I am stoked bcuz she is gonna LOVE it. I saw the picture and just knew I had to make it for her. And bcuz my normal bc recipe is so heavy i had to try yours since it obviously worked and knew mine would fall off the side of the cake.
Anyway, amazing!!!!
~Laura
This cake is amazing.. I’m going to make it for my friend who has been 5 years cancer free this month and we are throwing a surprise party for her! I have 4 other cakes to make that same weekend… Can the Rich and Dark Chocolate cake be made ahead of time and put in the freezer until I’m ready to use it?
Love the blog. You are soo talented!!
Thanks so much! Yep, the Rich & Dark Chocolate Cake freezes like a dream. You can bake it up to a week or so ahead, and wrap tightly and freeze. Be sure to thaw in the refrigerator and then bring it to room temperature, otherwise it will thaw “wet.” Good luck!
Hi Rosie! Getting ready to help a friend bake the cakes for a wedding cake she will decorate. I’m going to use your recipe for rich chocolate cake, but can you help me? — how many times should I multiply this recipe to fill 2 12″ round pans? Thanks for your help, and as always I just love your site. Melissa
WOW! HOW DID YOU FROST THE COOKIE IN THE BACKGROUND. DO U MIND SHARING THE TECHNIQUE USED.
THANKS
Rosie – I know this is a late post to this but I eventually got around to trying this recipe. Took a while to convert over to Australian quantities but got there in the end…….so worth the effort – YYYYYYUUUMMMMMMM! I made it for my mother in laws birthday and everyone loved it – thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for sharing your creative energies. Cannot wait to attempt another one of your delicious morsels :)
Hi Rosie! This recipe turned out fantastic. We posted details and photos of our masterpiece. Thank you for sharing. http://bestfriendsforfrosting.com/2011/06/chocolate-celebration-cake-recipe-part-1/
PS. Will post the link to our custom frosting recipe (part 2) this weekend.
Happy Baking! :)
So I made an attempt at the ruffle cake this past weekend. The frosting tasted great before I put it in the fridge and even after I took it out to re-whip it and frost the cake with it Sunday night. Well today the frosting tasted awful. :( I’m very sad it was a failure for me.
Hi Kim. I have to be honest with you when I say I’ve never heard that before. If it tasted great at the beginning, then suddenly didn’t, that’s quite a mystery to me. What do you mean when you say it “tasted awful?”
Well the way my coworkers put it was that it tasted like eating a stick of butter. The night before when I was assembling the cake I was thinking about keeping the frosting all to myself because it was so good! Not so good the next day. I’m going to try and make it again, but not until I have a stand mixer. That was a lot of work with a little hand mixer!
The only thing I can suggest is making sure it’s served at room temperature, and not even a bit cold or chilled; that is when it definitely has a butter-texture. It’s just the nature of this buttercream. It’s the most delicious when, and intended to be, served soft and fluffy. Otherwise, it’s possible it’s just not for their taste.
Thanks for the tips! I will definitely try this again.
Your photos look just great and I am definitely intrigued! The ruffles made me stare at them with appreciation. Loved your collection of recipes and everything about this blog. Do visit my curry blog at http://cosmopolitancurrymania.blogspot.com
Hi there!
I’m soooo excited to try this! I used your sugary buttercream frosting this weekend and it was incredible :) I read your comment about Wilton food coloring, but it worked fine when I used that buttercream recipe- my question is, will it be different for the swiss meringue buttercream recipe?
Thanks so much, I’m in love with your blog :)
Kelly
Dear Rosie,
Thank you for this recipe, i have made this cake 3 days ago and it is amazing. It is stil moist after 3 days that is what i like.
And filled with the SMBC o my gosh to die for.
I want to use this recipe for a birthday cake for a friend of mine, i am going to make the Debbie Brown spiderhouse cake. It has to serve 20 people. My problem is i always bake to much cake ;-) Can i double this recipe??
Now my oven is a small one and i can only bake one cake at a time so no 2 9 inch cake pans for me… can i bake this in a one 9 inch 3inch high cake pan?? Or can i devide the batter in two 9 inch cake pans and put on cake pan in the fridge and bake after. I hope i am clear in what i am trying to say haahaa. Have a great weekend Best regards Astrid
Oh my! Talk about good! This chocolate cake is one of the best cakes I’ve ever had!! And I attempted the SMB for the first time and it came out perfectly! Your directions (especially after reading your demystified post) were such a great help. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes! I’m so glad I found your site. :)
are you kidding me? i want this — oh my. i am SOO going to make this… even if it’s only our 9 year anniversary.. it IS worthy of this cake! :)
thanks rosie for the delicious recipe.tried your swiss meringue buttercream and i can’t stop eating it.Thanks
Wow this look great! I think i’ll try it next week. But I have one question: Is there any way to turn the buttercream frosting into a chocolate buttercream frosting? Can I just add some melted chocolate to it?
Pavi, you’re exactly right! If you melt about 300 grams (10.5 ounces) of a good-quality milk, semi-sweet, or bittersweet (I like using semi or bittersweet) for every 5 cups of buttercream, let it cool, you can add it to the vanilla buttercream for a yummy chocolate variation. Add as the very last step of the buttercream and mix on medium-low speed until incorporated. Always serve at room temperature–it’s so delicious!
Looking at that fabulous ruffled cake….I can just smell it….I can just smell it all the way through the computer! Thanks for the treat!
Rosie, I just recently stumbled across your site and I absolutely love it! I made this cake yesterday after thinking about it for two weeks! Thank you for the tips on the SMB; yesterday was my first try and I must have had beginners luck – or your directions were super great…maybe both :-) Thanks for the inspiration – my version of the Ruffle Cake was a big hit in Sunday School this morning! I’d send you a pic if I could… :-)
Nina, I got your photo, and you did an incredible job with the ruffle cake. Really beautiful and precise! Congratulations on such a gorgeous creation!
Hello Rosie!
I love everything you do…! :)
I was totally in the mood of baking any of your recipes today, and chose the Rich & Ruffled Chocolate cake.
It was because of the much appealing chocolate cake, and also the wonderful SMB icing.. the combination is just awesome and looks really yummy!
So I started with the cake today… but instead of dividing the batter into two pans, I baked the whole recipe in a single 9″ pan – have you ever done that?
It came out more like a pudding, and took twice the time to bake.
The double time to bake is ok, I got that more batter would take more time to be ready.
But, what about the texture? Is it alright?
Should it look pudding-y or like a really moist brownie?
Or should it looks like a regular sponge cake?
… Just wanted to share the outcome of my first try at this recipe, as I would prevent others to make the same mistake I did, baking it all in a single pan, instead of two of them… :)
I made this icing (and that yellow cake? of yours) this weekend. It was devine. I will never make regular buttercream icing again.
Thank you. xx
Just want to ask how the buttercream will hold up in the fridge and whether it’ll harden and can it be thawed? What are the best kinds of cakes that can be kept in the fridge without ruining the texture of the cake?
I wanna make this cake with another kind of buttercream but I’m not sure how many cups of buttercream I need. Can anyone helps me? :)
Edith, you need about 15 cups of buttercream to make this cake, which is why I definitely recommend something not too sweet, such as a meringue-based buttercream. I hope this helps!
Cake is beautiful but your girl is even more beautiful. She’s just so adorable. :)
hi – I love this – it’s so pretty! The contrast of the white frosting, chocolate cake and coral icing in particular. I can’t wait to try it, but not being particularly talented at cake decorating, was wondering if you could share a picture and/or instructions for the ruffles on the top of the cake? Thank you!
I know this may be a silly question…. but how do you increase the recipie by 50% when you use cups?
Should I just weight everything and add 50%
Hi do you have a tutorial of the ruffle cake? How you pipping it on and what tip? Its very beautiful and I would love to recreate it.
Thanks, Lorie. The info is all included in the post, and there is a link to a video tutorial in the post as well. Good luck!
Hi Rosie,
First I would like to say that I love your blog! Every recipe I have tried has been absolutely amazing and easy since you give such great detail in your method descriptions. I also love all of the adorable birthday cakes you make for your daughters and was wondering if you have any suggestions for a boy’s birthday cake. My son is turning three in a couples months and I am stumped on how to make his cake “boyish” yet still cute and elegant.
Awesome bog, awesome cakes, an inspiration !
Now if i can get as good as you…. I’ll keep you posted ;) keep up the wonderfull work of art!
Hi,
First of all congratulations on you blog and specially on your wonderful creations. I am an amateur baker from Spain. Last weekend i tried your Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe and to my great joy it turned out perfect. I decided to leave in the fridge until the next day, as your recipe said it refrigerates and freezes well.
Unfortunately, the next day, when it came time to ice the cake and i tried rewhipping in mixer disaster struck. My buttercream fell completely apart (butter melting) and no amount of whipping would revive it.
Now I’m scared of trying again and messing up all my lovely frosting. Any tips? What did I do wrong???
Thank you!!!!
Ishtar
Hi Ishtar,
I’m so sorry to hear that the buttercream gave you trouble. I’m curious if you left the buttercream at room temperature overnight before whipping? It should also be refrigeratred/frozen in an airtight container. If by chance you began rewhipping while it was cold and/or it wasn’t airtight while chilled, you likely had some water content from it being straight from the fridge, which would have separated the mixture. If you’re freezing it or refrigerating it, you would want to keep in the airtight container until you thaw on the countertop/room temp. I hope this helps!
This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever eaten. I’ve made it several times and it is always fantastic. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’d like to make this in cupcake form–should I just use the same recipe? (No other recipes I have tried compare.)
Thanks again!
This looks divine!
I am new to your website but now I know where to get my bake recipes from! thanks for sharing!
btw your daughter is adorable :)
I am new to your website but this cake looks divine! thanks for sharing the recipe! now I know where to get my baking recipes from :)
have a great sunday!
Martie*
Beautiful cake. I tried to make the cake part of this today. (I haven’t even attempted the buttercream yet, that’s a battle for another day). I very carefully followed the recipe and directions to the letter, and the cake tasted pretty good and was moist and fluffy, but it completely fell apart when I tried to take it out of the tin. I did it in two layers, and even just trying to lift the edge up a little bit broke it into pieces.
I don’t know what went wrong :(
At least the mangled bits of cake taste good.
It’s ok, crisis averted. I had another go and increased the flour significantly and now it’s perfect.
My first attempt at the meringue buttercream also failed, but I’m going to have another go later today. Here’s hoping the trend will continue :p
Sorry to hear that you had trouble, Zoe. To be honest, I haven’t heard that issue before with this cake, but I’m glad that you made it work. I wish you luck with the buttercream!
OMG! I luv your site…this is heaven sent, I have been looking through it for the past several days. I am in awe with the information, the sharing and wonderful photographs. I am so glad I came across your site through facebook. Congrats and many blessings. The cake looks yummy and most certainly beautiful. Is this dense enough to double the batter and use in a wedding cake?
I just made this cake for my daughter’s 3rd birthday – a princess party, so it was perfect! The cake was easy to make, but I accidentally prepared 3 pans (out of habit) and poured the batter without thinking. I baked them anyway & was happy that I had no doming, plus I didn’t have to cut layers. I did find that it wasn’t quite as sturdy as I had expected, so it was a good thing the layers were cooked thinner. I think I would’ve had a hard time getting them out of the pan without breaking. I had great success with the frosting, but it wasn’t completely creamy when it was served because I had to store the cake in the freezer overnight (absolutely no room in 2 refrigerators because of party stuff!) and forgot to take it out first thing in the morning. Soft enough to still be yummy, though. Mmmm . . . I could sit down with a bowl of that frosting & a spoon!
Hi Rosie,
I’m Bonnie from NJ. I got to say I JUST LOVE YOUR BLOG SPOT!. YOU REALLY INSPIRE ME AND ENCOURAGE ME….THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL GIFT OF CREATIVITY AND BEAUTY YOU HAVE THAT YOU SHARE WITH ALL OF US!
I tried this Rich Chocolate cake recipe and I did a Cream Cheese Peanut butter frosting with it and it was DELICIOUS!..I did the ruffle effect as well and it was beautiful. I’m going to try the strawberry cake with the strawberry whipped frosting. I hope to have pictures next time. :0)
I adore the vintage’esque shade of peachy-pink frosting. What color tint do you use for this effect?
Thanks, Lauren! It’s a mix of an electric pink and a hint of peach. In the photos the colour is a little less intense, but in “real life” it was such a brilliant colour–hope you give it a go!
Are they Americolor Brand?
Hi Rosie,
I am fairly new to your blog but so far LOVE all of your recipes that I have tried. I have one dilemma though, I do not like to use oil in baking and am wondering if I could replace it with melted butter. I understand the cake may not be as moist, but will it still be yummy? Or do you have a recommendation for another delish chocolate cake recipe that does not use oil? Thanks so much!
i was so inspired by this that once i came home from school i went into my kitchen and baked a cake with the same ruffly design. i have never bookmarked something and made it so soon
Hello Rosie,
I am thinking of making this beautiful cake but I would like to know if I can use water instead of coffee? I don’t know if it would affect the outcome of the cake… so I’d like to know what you think about it. Your advice would be very helpful for me as I have just started baking layer cakes :). Thank you!
Hi Amy,
You can go ahead and use boiling water, rather than coffee. The coffee really doesn’t come through in the taste of the cake, but rather heightens the flavours in the chocolate, but if you really would rather not, then water will still work just fine. Hope this helps!
Hi!
I was wondering if it makes a difference if the coffee is cooled or still hot?? because it doesn’t say and was just wondering. Thanks :) I LOVE your site!!! will try other recipes of yours too!
First, this cake (and the campfire delight cake) look AMAZING!! I am going to try the cake itself and then decide which version I want to finish it with (swiss meringue or the toasted marshmallow/malted belgian chocolate frosting) – I can’t decide, and it’s for valentine’s day.. We’ll see which when the time comes..
My question resides in this – I could NOT find cacao powder locally anywhere. At least not in it’s purest form – most had dairy, sugar or whatever added to it.. I would have had to order it online – and while I made the decision to make this cake a week ago, standard shipping times from places who carried that particular brand were too far off.. SO, I looked in my local stores.. I found Ghirardelli 100% cacao bars. I wondered how I could use these in place of the powder? I am under the impression that the bars typically have cocoa butter as a means of holding them together when they list no other ingredients but cacao on the label? How would I substitute this chocolate for the powder? Do I alter the amount of vegetable oil (which, I was actually going to use coconut oil in place of for the nutritional value – feel free to let me know your thoughts on that)…
Lastly, I typically use whole wheat pastry flour for most if not all flour in my baked goods now with a lot of success.. Probably will go halves on this one – pastry flour has less gluten so I don’t want the texture to be destroyed by using all pastry flour)..
Any thoughts or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!
I made it with just regular Fry’s cocao powder this weekend and it was still awesome! The coffee still gives it that rich dark colour and flavor.
This cake is amazing. I made it this weekend and it was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made and way easier than my other recipes (especially now with the invention of the Keurig single cuppers). I poured the recipe into 3 -6 inch pans. Made for a terrific high cake and served about 12 people. I also did the ruffle in the Swiss Meringue Butter. It was gorgeous! Adults loved the frosting…kids not so much! haha Thanks for posting the recipes!
So glad to hear it, Kathryn!
Hi Rosie!
I’m making this cake in steps…am making 3 tiers of heart shapes and will do the ruffles on each (I’ll post a pic on Facebook if it comes out). Oddly though each of the cakes kind of imploded in the center…like it was rising then caved in the center like sucked down and never rose back up. I’ll just put the top side down…I sliced each in half to make 6 layers total and can use flat sides up…but what did I do wrong to cause this cave in? They taste amazing though, I tasted some little crumbs. ;)
I made this cake yesterday, and I just wanted to tell you that it is AMAZING! The best chocolate cake ever! It’s a staple in my house now! Love it!
Jo-Anna
First I want to say that I love your work. Congratulations on an awesome blog. I have a question, does the meringue buttercream have to be refrigerated? Or can I leave my decorated cake out on the counter overnight?
oh my, this is such a beautiful cake, i can’t stop staring at it and it is past 1am on my side of the world. i just have a question regarding the cocoa you use in this recipe and many others, you have written above cocoa barry extra brute and then in the ingredient list, cacao barry extra dark, both links lead to extra dark and yet one has a picture of extra brute. im very sorry for asking a silly question but are these the same? im in australia so its not something i know off hand. am just wondering if im looking to buy the brute cocoa or the extra dark cocoa as i want the color to show and the brute says its an intense red/copper? just want to double check as both are listed. thanks so much for any help.
I made this chocolate cake for a co-worker and it was the moist moist and delicious chocolate cake I have ever produced! Thank you SO much for this recipe, which is now my go-to chocolate cake recipe!
To top it all off, it’s SO easy!
Yay! I just found the Cacao Barry cocoa that you recommend in our local store, so I didn’t have to order it online. I’ve never seen it there before, so I bought all of it! I can’t wait to try this recipe now!
Can you tell me what you did for the filling? Thx the Cake is Beautiful BTW!
Thanks, Star! I used the same Swiss buttercream throughout the cake, but just didn’t colour it. Hope that helps!
Thx so much for your reply, I figured thats what you did and made this beautiful cake this past Friday for a party. It turned out Delish! I have to be honest and say for some reason my oven turned out a very lopsided cake and I was very disappointed so I did not attempt to do the ruffles. I made your wonderful Buttercream frosting and just did a normal frosting on the cake and it was a huge hit at the party~!!! Thx so much for sharing!!!!
The cake looks absolutely delectable! I was just wondering if there was any kind of substitute that could be used in place of the hot coffee?
Thanks, Mallory! You could substitute with boiling water, but honestly, the coffee just enhances the chocolate flavour–you really can’t detect it’s even in there. Hope that helps!
This is looks both delicious and gorgeous! I am excited to try it soon! For those of us who only have a vintage mixer, one without extra attachments and plastic sides to keep ingredients from pouring out, will this still work? (I am college student who can’t afford expensive appliances or every single cooking / baking fine tool) I love to cook and bake delectable treats like this, but just don’t have all the gadgets. Is it still doable? Also for the buttercream, when made is it white/cream then it is colored to this beautiful color that yours is?
Thanks, Megan! You can definitely make the batter without the plastic splashguard, you just want to start on the lowest speed so it doesn’t splash out. You can even use a hand mixer. The buttercream is off-white before adding colour (as the filling in the photos). I hope that helps!
thank you that does help! however with my vintage mixer, will it still work? I don’t have and can’t find any additional attachments besides the those that came on it.. Also, so you put the buttercream between layers And then cover the cake with it before doing the ruffles? Makes sense, just checking details before i give it a go! Thanks again!
The cake looks amazing. Thanks for the recipe i love how easy it is to make the cake. However i have baked this cake a few times now and it’s very crumble and moist to a point where i can’t frost it. I just made it now and it was sinking in the middle in the oven and even more when i took it out of the oven. Can you please help me because this cake looks so good and should be so easy. I don’t have the coca powder you use so i used organic coco powder but apart from that i followed the recipe to a T.
Can you give the cookie recipe plz?
Linked your awesome site and yummy recipe on my page.
http://www.sugarandstitches.net/2012/03/change-your-life-rock-your-world-swiss.html
Hi Rosie, this cake looks stunning. I would like to try to make this for my daughter’s first birthday. Is it possible for me to assemble and ruffle the cake the night before the party and leave it in the fridge for the next day?
Thanks, may
Rosie,
I’ve been active in the blogging community for about a year and just stumbled upon your website. IN LOVE! Just made the frosting and the your fluffy vanilla cake will soon come. I can never make a buttercream using this method, but your recipe was perfect. At first it was too runny, but after 20 minutes in the fridge and a few more pieces of butter, it was amazing! Thank you so much for your beautiful pictures and recipes.
Gina
Thanks so much, Gina! So glad you enjoyed the buttercream–isn’t it wonderful? I appreciate the sweet comment :)
help! im trying to make this cake (well the chocolate sponge) and its not cooking? why? The cake tester keeps coming out with wet batter. I doubled the recipe and filled 8″ tins 2/3 full as u mentioned
what could i have done wrong?
vanessa
I did this recipe twice and i ended up with a really heavy cake, and quite hard too.. What could have i done wrong?
Can I ask, I have a small oven that is tempermental at the best of times. Hence I can only cook one cake at a time, can i halve your recipe so that there isnt the issue of batter being left to sit, whilst the first cake is cooking?
cheers
Hi Danielle,
I understand about baking one cake at a time, as I often bake 2 of 3 at one time, with the third on the counter. The main concern with letting the batter sit is that the baking poweder loses its power, but for the 25 minutes or so that it takes for one cake, you should be just fine. I’ve never had a problem with the second cake not baking up properly. I hope this helps!
LOVE,LOVE,LOVE the cake, the recipes, and the way you keep everything real :) such a refreshing blog and wonderful for bakers like me who find comfort in knowing that things can be delicious and decadent without the stuffy attitude to go with it..love that there are more people like me out there..LOL
Thanks so much, Lara! xo
Your blog is my baking bible! I gave birth to my second child 9 weeks ago and whilst pregnant developed a huge baking addiction which is still getting stronger and stronger ! This blog is filled with fantastic recipes! Can I ask whether you can taste the coffee much in this cake as I would love to make this for my daughters christening in a few weeks but cannot stand the smell of coffee. Keep up the great work!
I’m looking at attempting this for my possible future Mother in-law and the rest of my partner’s family for mother’s day. Just wondering what you used between the layers of each of the cakes? Is it just buuter icing without the food dye or is it cream or something else? I can’t wait to give this a go it’s definitley a cake to impress! It’s amazing!
HI!
I baked this over the weekend and the cake didn’t come out looking very good, but tasted great.
It was very hole-y and a little hard. Not soft, dense, or fluffy. Do you have any idea what i could have done wrong?
I’m just getting ready to make the swiss meringue buttercream. Once my cake has the decorated ruffles, how should I store before the party tomorrow afternoon? I’d like to keep it on the counter, but I fear the egg whites could then make some sick. But then if in the refrigerator, I worry about the texture changing and my ruffles condensating or melting. Any advice would be SO helpful. Thansks!!!
Could I make this in 2 8″ round pans and slice each layer in half to make 4? thanks!
I decided to try to make a smbc as this appears to be a little more versatile when it comes to decorating. i searched around for lots of diff recipes and decided to try this one first. ( i enjoy reading this blog when i get the time and the results of the cakes are very appealing)
Anyway i embarked on the SMBC journey fully aware of all the dangers involved and how to combat them. The end result was a a creamy swiss meringue butter cream. BUT it tasted just like a sweet butter???? my family does not eat buttercream (result of growing up with a diabetic mum) and so im hoping im a little biased. Either way i think the butter ratio was slightly too high for me / my family / freinds personal tastes. i would opt for a 1:2:2 of egg, sugar, butter ration next time as various other sites suggest. In the end i lightened the meringue with some pureed strawberyy / guavas and some whipped cream and used that as my frosting and filling! IT definitely made this more palatable to me as i couldnt bear the thought of throwing all this away!!
Hi Rosie!
Firstly I love your site, and thanks for adding the youtube link it really helped.
I made this cake last weekend for a friends birthday in London. I followed the recipe exactly but it had way too much salt in it and I had to throw it away. I used a sour cream, chocolate and raspberry recipe in the end.
But the SMB was AMAZING! it tastes a bit like ice-cream. I did the ruffles as well on four 9″ layers!!! It was the talk of the party!!!!
THANK YOU :)