suemunzlinger's Recipe

Devil's food cake with orange buttercream filling and milk chocolate frosting

Category: Desserts

Cake:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier liqueur or other orange-flavored liqueur
3 eggs, separated
1 1/3 cups cold water

Buttercream filling:
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
4 to 5 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (or other orange) liqueur
Few drops of orange food coloring

Chocolate frosting:
6-ounce package milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups sifted powdered sugar

For cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour 2 8-inch cake pans

In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a mixing bowl, beat together shortening and 1 cup sugar until well-combined. Add vanilla and orange liqueur. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating on medium until well-blended. Add dry ingredients and water alternately; blend until smooth.
Using a clean bowl and beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and beat until stiff. Fold egg whites into batter. Scrape batter evenly into prepared cake pans, and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until cakes test done.
Cool completely and remove from pans. Using a ruler, place toothpicks halfway up the sides of the cake at 3-inch intervals all the way around. This will guide your knife as you split the layers. Using a long serrated-blade knife, slice the layers in half along the top edge of the guiding toothpicks. Brush off crumbs.

For buttercream filling: Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Alternately add the orange juice and powdered sugar. Stir in grated orange rind, liqueur and food coloring, and chill.

For frosting: Melt chocolate and butter over simmering water in a double boiler. Stir to blend completely. Remove, and cool about 10 minutes. Add vanilla and sour cream. Beat with mixer, adding 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until frosting is of spreading consistency.

To assemble: Place first layer of cake on plate. Spread 1/3 of the orange buttercream on cake, leaving a 1/2-inch edge uncovered. Top with second layer, and spread another 1/3 of filling over. Top with third layer, and spread rest of filling. Top with fourth layer, and cover cake with frosting. Decorate as desired.