Smells Like: CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

THE ONLY CHOCOLATE CAKE YOU NEED

Ingredients

DRY

1 cup cocoa powder

2 ½ cup flour, sieved

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

2 ½ teaspoon baking soda

WET

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 ¼ cups sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

1 ¼ cup coffee

1 tsp vanilla essence

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil three 8" cake pans (or bake thrice if using one pan) and line bottoms with baking paper.

In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together - flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, vanilla essence and vegetable oil. Add coffee, and whisk until smooth.

Add wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Take care to not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For cupcakes, line cupcake tin with cupcake liners and pour batter ¾ way in. Bake for 16-18 minutes at the same temperature.

For mini-Bundt cakes, brush silicon mini-Bundt cake molds with oil and pour batter ¾ way in. Bake for 15-17 minutes.

LUSH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Ingredients

7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

7 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

1 ¼ teaspoon instant coffee mixed with 1 tsp hot water

2 cups sour cream, at room temperature

¼-½ cup light corn syrup

¾ teaspoon vanilla essence

Use 1 cup of the above mixture and freeze the rest in an airtight container

1 cup whipping cream (not the canned ones)

1 cup icing

For the Frosting

Melt the chocolate and instant espresso (if using) in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.

In another bowl, combine the sour cream, vanilla extract, and ¼ cup corn syrup. Add the melted chocolate and stir until smooth. The icing will have a thin consistency, but will continue to thicken as it cools to room temperature.

Beat the whipping/double cream until a little stiff. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate sour cream frosting until combined. Chill the rest of the chocolate sour cream frosting in an airtight container in the freezer.

SMOOTH-AS-SILK BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar

3 tbsp water

5 large egg yolks

Pinch of salt (avoid if using salted butter)

1 tsp vanilla

For the Buttercream

Butter prep – take out the butter and cut into large pieces. Leave for 15 minutes before using – we want the butter softened but not melted.

Make the syrup. Combine the sugar and water in the small saucepan and place on the stove over a medium flame.

While the syrup comes to temperature, beat the yolks in a stand mixer or with an electric handheld mixture. Whisk on high speed until pale and thick.

Add the syrup. When the syrup reaches the softball stage (238°F) remove from heat. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the syrup in a thin line from one side to avoid splattering the syrup on the beaters.

After all the syrup has been incorporated, beat on high speed until the mixture has cooled to room temperature. This can take about 10 minutes.

Add the butter. When the mixture and the bowl no longer feel warm, switch to the paddle attachment and start adding the butter one cube at a time, mixing well in-between each addition.

Add vanilla. Add the vanilla (or other flavoring) and continue to beat until the buttercream is smooth and slightly stiff. Add food color of choice. Gel food colors are recommended.

Use right away or store in an airtight container in the freezer. 

Cake Assembly

Sandwich each cake layer with the frosting until stacked and cover with buttercream.

For the Christmas Wreath Cake

Pipe buttercream flowers to form a wreath like the red cake and finish with a fondant bow.

For the Chocolate Ornament cake

Melt white chocolate and brush into half domes. Assemble two half domes together with some melted chocolate and paint with edible gold. Top it off with gold painted fondant handles.

For the Cupcakes

Cool cupcakes and frost with colored buttercream. Add sprinkles and fondant accents.

For the mini-Bundt cakes

Melt 100g white chocolate with 70g whipping cream. Mix till smooth and use when cooled. Pour with a spoon on sides. Pipe mistletoe with colored buttercream

Saria Saguaro is a Pastry Chef and Painter from Dhaka, Bangladesh. She is the founder of the bespoke cake studio, The Flourist. Avail their Christmas offers today!

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Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Food and Styling: Saria Saguaro