Moist, Dense Chocolate Tiered Cake with Buttercream Flower Frosting

 

2 Cake Mixes of BATTER (11½c) 

for 1 Deep 10" Pan + 1 Deep 8" Cake Pan 

(or 2 Deep 9" cakes- see picture at bottom of post)

Wet Ingredients:

2 c. boiling water

1 ½ c. cocoa

1 c. canola oil

1 c. milk

1 c. greek yogurt

(2 c. buttermilk could replace milk and greek yogurt)

4 eggs (at room temperature)

2 t. vanilla extract (4t. imitation)

Dry ingredients:

4 c. white flour

4 c. sugar

2 t. baking soda

2 t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

Directions:

(Preheat oven to 350*)

1. Stir the boiling water and cocoa together and set aside

2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Beat in remaining wet ingredients, adding cocoa water last

4. Oil and flour the bottom and sides of a deep 10" pan and a deep 8" pan

(or two shallow pans of each size and half the baking time)

5. Pour the batter into the pans, filling each pan half full

(6 ¾ c. batter for 10" pan + 4 ¾ c. batter for 8" pan)

(or 5 ¾ c. batter for each 9" pan)

6. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or just until center of cake is set.

7. Remove from oven, let sit in pans for 15-20 minutes, then carefully remove to cooling racks.

8. Repeat cake baking again for 10" & 8" double layers

9. Frost when cooled or freeze for later use

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Double layer 10" +8" Frosting                Double Layer Deep 9" Frosting

Ingredients:                                                  Ingredients:

16 c. powdered sugar (2 bags + 1c)              8 c. powdered sugar (1 bag +½c)

2 c. butter, softened                                     1 c. butter, soft

4 t. vanilla                                                    2 t. vanilla

3/4 c. milk                                                    6 T. milk

4 drops red food coloring                            2 drops red food coloring

Directions: 

1. Soften butter, but don't melt it

2. Beat all ingredients with beaters, adding milk slowly.

3. Use half the frosting to crumb coat the tops and sides, 

use the other half for making the flowers.

(16 c. of powdered sugar makes over 8 c of frosting)

ALL THREE PANS

3 Cake Mixes of Batter- (17 ¼ c)

(1 deep 8" + 1 deep 9" + 1 deep 10")

Wet Ingredients:

3 c. boiling water

2 ¼ c. cocoa

1 ½ c. canola oil

1 ½ c. milk

1 ½ c. greek yogurt

(3 c. buttermilk could replace milk and greek yogurt)

6 eggs

1 T. vanilla extract (2 T. imitation)

Dry ingredients:

6 c. white flour

6 c. sugar

1 T. baking soda

1 T. salt

1 T. cinnamon

Crumb Coat for all 3 pans           Flower Icing for all 3 pans

Double Layered                             Double Layered

Ingredients:                                     Ingredients:

16 c. powdered sugar                      12 c. powdered sugar

2 c. butter, soft                                1 1/2 c. butter

4 t. vanilla                                       1 T. vanilla                                       

1/2-1 c. milk                                    1/2 -3/4 c. milk           

4 drops red food coloring                3 drops red food coloring