Six layer chocolate cake
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325ï‚°F. Cut 3 9-inch rounds of parchment paper to line the bottoms of 3 9 x 2inch round cake pans. Coat the pans with cooking spray. Line with parchment rounds; coat the parchment with cooking spray. Flour the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl; set aside.
- Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in the creme fraiche and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and eggs in alternating additions; mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the batter is smooth.
- Reduce speed to low. Pour in the melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream; mix until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer; scrape down the sides (batter will be thick). Stir until combined.
- Divide the batter among the pans, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out with moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans on wire racks 30 minutes. Unmold the cakes; peel off the parchment. Let the cakes cool completely.
- Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make the surfaces level. Using a ruler to measure halfway up the sides of 1 cake, insert toothpicks around the cake’s middle at 3-inch intervals to mark 2 equal layers. Rest the serrated knife on the toothpicks; halve the cake horizontally using a sawing motion. Carefully slide the top cake half onto a cardboard cake round or a plate. Repeat with the remaining 2 cakes.
- Put 1 bottom cake half on a cake plate. Using a small offset spatula, spread 3/4 cup frosting on top. Carefully set the top cake half back in place. Spread 3/4 cup frosting on top. Repeat, stacking the remaining 4 cake halves on top and spreading 3/4 cup frosting between each. (Do not frost the top of the last layer.)
- Spread the top and sides of the cake with 2 cups frosting in a thin smooth layer. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides; apply with the offset spatula using an S motion to create a textured appearance. The cake can be refrigerated, under a cake dome, up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.