Choco-Buttermilk Layer Cake

Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 sticks (6oz) unsaled butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee, cooled

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour with the cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the eggs with the vanilla until blended, then whisk in the buttermilk, melted butter and coffee. Whisk the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 65 minutes or until the cakes test done in the center. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 30 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around the edge of each cake, invert onto the rack and let cool completely, roughly 2 hours.

Filling, Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 (1.4oz ea) skor bars, finely crushed
• cornstarch
• 1 1/2 pounds prepared fondant
• colored fondant and diluted food coloring (for decorating)
• 2 1/2 sticks (10oz) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large egg whites

Instructions:

In a bowl with a wooden spoon, cream the butter with the vanilla. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar with the egg whites. Set the bowl over a pan containing 1-inch of simmering water and whisk the egg whites constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the bowl from the heat. Using an electric mixer, beat the whites at high speed until a medium-firm meringue forms, roughly 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to moderate. Beat the creamed butter into the meringue a 1/4-cup at a time, beating until it is fully incorporated before adding more.

Set 1 of the cakes on a cake circle. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half horizontally and set the top aside. Spread a 1/3-inch thick layer of the buttercream meringue over the cake bottom, spreading all the way to the edge. Sprinkle the skor bits over the buttercream meringue and cover with the top cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with a thin, even layer of the meringue. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour. Dust a work surface with cornstarch and roll out the fondant to a 13 1/2-inch round. Roll the fondant onto the rolling pin and unroll it over the cake. Smooth the surface of the fondant and trim around the base of the cake. Decorate as desired.