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Yields:
12 - 16 serving(s)
Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs
It's only good luck when one of these delightful treats crosses your path! This stunning cake is actually pretty easy to make, with chocolate "ears" and whiskers made of licorice. But it's the dark chocolate buttercream frosting that'll guarantee people coming back for a second slice.
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Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for cake pans
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for cake pans
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. white vinegar
Dark Chocolate Buttercream:
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 (1-ounce) container black food coloring gel
Decorations:
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 to 2 teaspoons black food coloring gel
- 2 toothpicks
- 3 pieces black licorice, halved lengthwise
- Black sanding sugar
Directions
- Step 1Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper.
- Step 2Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add eggs, sour cream, oil, vanilla, vinegar (for leavening and a more tender cake), and 1 cup hot water. Mix with a wooden spoon until batter is smooth.
- Step 3Transfer batter to prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack 20 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.
- Step 4Make the frosting: Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in cocoa powder, chocolate, vanilla, and cream, scraping down sides as necessary, until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add half the confectioners’ sugar, and mix until combined. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, salt, and food coloring; beat for 1 minute.
- Step 5Decorate the cake: Trim and level cake layers, if desired. Place one cake layer on a cake plate or stand and top with 1 to 1 1/2 cups frosting. Repeat one more time. Top with third layer, then frost top and sides.
- Step 6On a piece of parchment paper, using a pen or pencil, draw two 3-inch triangles for the ears and a smaller 1 ½-inch triangle for the nose. Flip parchment over (you should be able to see the outlines through the paper). Melt chocolate chips according to package directions. Stir in food coloring. Transfer to a zip-top plastic bag with a small hole cut in one corner or a squeeze bottle. Pipe outlines of triangles, then fill in with chocolate, using a knife or spoon to spread, if necessary.
- Step 7Place the flat end of a toothpick in each of the larger (ear) triangles, about a ½ inch into the chocolate, making sure it’s covered with chocolate. Cover all three chocolate triangles with sanding sugar. Chill until set, 10 to 15 minutes. Use toothpicks to stand up ears on cake and press the nose (point side down) on the center of one side.
- Step 8Use a knife or wooden pick to make holes in the side of the cake on either side of the nose and insert licorice.
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