Chocolate Quake Cake

By remystarr

Ingredients

• Frosting:
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Cake:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, unsalted
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup canola oil, or other light tasting oil
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (again, I used dark cocoa)
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Details

Servings 14
Adapted from sites.google.com

Preparation

Step 1

Note: Make the frosting first, it will need to chill in the freezer for at least two hours.

Frosting:
In a large saucepan combine the cream and butter and set over medium heat. Stir until butter is melted. Whisk in the granulated sugar, cocoa powder and corn syrup. Whisk until smooth.
Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla. Pour into a 9x13" pan and freeze until firm, 2-4 hours. While the frosting chills, make the cake layers.

Cake:
Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and another rack in the upper third. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three round 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Grease parchment paper. Dust pans with a little flour and knock out the excess over the sink.
In a large (5 quart at least) saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, water and oil. Cook until butter is melted. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa and flour. Pour into the butter mixture and whisk until smooth.
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time then whisk in buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk in the baking soda and salt. Divide batter among prepared pans (I found this to be about 3 1/2 cups of batter per pan). Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool about 20 minutes in the pans, then turn out on a wire rack and let cool completely.

Assembly:
Remove frosting from the freezer and scrape out into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat frosting on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Paddle attachment will loosen the frosting enough for whipping. Switch to the whisk attachment and whip 5-7 minutes at high speed, or until frosting has lightened in color and is fluffy.
Remove parchment paper from cake layers. Spread 1/3 of the frosting on the top of a cake layer and top with a second cake layer. Use the remained or frosting to cover the top and sides. Slice the 3rd layer horizontally into two even layers. Cut each layer into strips, then into various shapes (cubes, triangles, rectangles). Press the cake pieces into the top and sides of the frosted cake until it is completely covered.
*Note: Entire cake may be dusted with 1/4 cup powdered sugar before serving.