30th Birthday Cake and Announcement

I have a couple things to admit.

1. I just turned 30. I'm not freaked out. I don't feel old. I don't think I look old. I'm OK with this.

2. You may have noticed that the postings on this blog are down to a bare minimum. For that, I'm sorry. You know how life sometimes gets in the way of things? Well life is very exciting at 179. I am going to have a little boy at the end of October. We had an ultrasound last week and saw fingers, toes, heart, brain, etc. He is growing and kicking!

As you may know I like to make my own birthday cake. I have a list of cakes that I want to make but need a good excuse. I narrowed it down to this one cake, Coffee Chocolate Layer Cake with Mocha Mascarpone. But then...I read the reviews. People didn't like the frosting. They said it didn't match the cake. It didn't look like the picture. It was too light. I chose to make this cake anyway. I felt like if I didn't I would always wonder what the frosting was like.

I am so glad I made this. The cake is amazing. Very moist. Very flavorful. The frosting was awesome as well. It was almost like you made the filling for tiramisu with a mocha flavoring. I have my last piece in my lunchbox to share with my lovely friend Tina at lunch today.

Fabulous.

Coffee Chocolate Layer Cake with Mocha Mascarpone Frosting

Source: Bon Appetit

Yield: 8-10 servings

2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups (packed) brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water

Frosting
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 8-ounce containers chilled mascarpone cheese

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Generously butter two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. NOTE: Grease the hell out of the pans. I thought I had done enough but had to piece the cake back together after it stuck to the pan.

Sift 2 cups cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition. Gradually add hot espresso-water mixture, beating just until smooth.

Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; lift pans off cakes and remove parchment. Place wire rack atop each cake; invert again so top side is up. Cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap each cake in plastic and store at room temperature.

Sift cocoa powder into large bowl; add espresso powder. Bring 1 cup cream to boil in small saucepan. Slowly pour cream over cocoa mixture, whisking until cocoa is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup cream and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.

Add mascarpone to chilled cocoa mixture. Using electric mixer, beat on low speed until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until mixture is thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).

Using pastry brush, brush off crumbs from cakes. Place 1 cake layer, top side up, on platter. Spoon 1 3/4 cups frosting in dollops over top of cake. Using offset spatula, spread frosting to edges. Top with second cake layer, top side up, pressing to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill 10 minutes. Using offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. Top with chocolate curls, if desired. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.