Email to Kim Shook      

Recipe Categories: Kimberlyn's HOME PAGEAPPETIZERS ASIAN BEEFVEAL BEVERAGES BREAD BREADMACHINE BREAKFAST BURGERS CAKESandPIES CANDY CASSEROLES CHEESE CHEESECAKE CONGEALEDSALADS COOKIES CROCKPOT CSOCooking DESSERTS DIABETIC DIPSSPREADS EGGS ETHNIC FISHandSEAFOOD FixedUpConvenienceFoodss FrozenDesserts FRUIT GlutenFree GREEKMIDEASTJEWISH InstantPot JAMSandJELLIES LAMB MAINDISHSALADS MARINADES MEXICANSAMERCARIBBEAN Miscellaneous PASTA PASTRIES PIZZA PORK POULTRY PRESSURECOOKER QuickBreads Relishes RICE SALADandDRESSING SANDWICHES SAUCES Seasonings SIDEDISHES SNACKS SOUPSandSTEWS SousVide SWEETBREADSROLLS SweetSaucesandFrostings VEGETABLES

Black and White Celebration Cake




Source of Recipe


My own compilation, with help from Anne Byrn, the "cake doctor"


Recipe Introduction


I served this cake for an anniversary celebration for my in-laws’ wedding anniversary. It was different and delicious. The cake is a ‘fix up’ and was very easy to work with. The intense ganache made a good foil for the plain white cake. To decorate the cake, I put the ganache in a pastry bag and drizzled it all over the top of the cake and then topped that with chocolate shavings. Really a pretty cake!


List of Ingredients




CAKE:
Baker’s Joy spray for pans
Parchment paper to line bottoms of pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
1 stick melted butter
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate shavings, for garnish

GANACHE:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips

FROSTING:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Recipe



CAKE:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with Baker’s Joy spray and then line with parchment paper. Set the pans aside.

Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla
in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.

Place the pans in the oven side by side. Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 27 to 29 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

When completely cooled, split the two layers. Spread some of the ganache between the layers and put them together. Frost with the buttercream and then use the ganache to decorate the cake. Top with chocolate shavings.

GANACHE:
For the ganache, heat the heavy cream to barely a simmer and pour over the chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly before using.

FROSTING:
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.