Dark Chocolate Layer Cake with White Icing

The icing that I used on this dark chocolate cake was delicious.  I never thought I'd like an icing that has so much shortening in it.  It calls for a full 2 cups shortening but I used 1 cup butter & 1 cup shortening.  I just love the taste of butter too much to not use any.  The heavy whipping cream that I used in it made it so lucious and creamy.  I beat it on high for a long time and it became so light and fluffy.  I used clear vanilla so it was almost completely white.  If I would have used the full 2 cups of shortening it would have been ultra white.  I would definitely make this wonderful icing again.  I tried to capture it's whipped texture in the photos. 

The chocolate cake I had made previously, years before.  On my notes, I had written that it was very moist and delicious.  This time, I thought it was just ok.  It was a perfect amount of chocolate and the crumb was nice and tender and fine but it didn't have a really moist crumb.  I know I didn't overbake it because I was sure to remove it from the oven when there was moist crumbs on the toothpick.  Maybe it had too much flour...although I had measured carefully.  But....it was certainly delicous, just not perfect.  I had made it for a birthday cake and everyone raved about it. I found both of the recipes on allrecipes.com.

Dark Chocolate Cake
allrecipes.com

Ingredients:


2 cups boiling water

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/4 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.



Rick's Special Buttercream Frosting
allrecipes.com


Ingredients:


2 cups shortening (I used 1 cup butter & 1 cup shortening)

8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream



Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening until fluffy. Add sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.

2. Add salt, vanilla, and 6 ounces whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional 2 ounces whipping cream if necessary. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy