Chocolate and Vanilla Layer Cake

Made with love!

I had so many ideas for my son’s first birthday cake but as the date got closer, I went into multiple moments of quiet introspection.

It isn’t about buying him the most expensive cake. Neither is it about throwing him the biggest party.

What’s more important is the love I put in every plan I made towards the day and to think that isn’t even the most important thing was quite a revelation!

What’s most important is the care and love I show him every passing day, not just on his birthday.

So instead of buying him an expensive cake, I decided to commit some time and effort into baking him a layer cake with chocolate cake on the top and bottom layer and vanilla cake in the middle.

It’s not a conventional birthday cake!

Heck it’s not even perfect but every layer was undoubtedly made with love and he really enjoyed it.

Now let’s get to the recipe. Shall we?

INGREDIENTS

1st & 3rd layers-Chocolate cake

3 cups of flour

3 cups of sugar

21/2 cups of cocoa powder

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon vanilla essence

3 eggs

Salt

1 cup butter milk

4 bananas

Middle layer-Vanilla cake

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking power

1/2 cup melted butter

3 tablespoons vanilla extract

Chocolate frosting

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chocolate chunks

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

Making the cake

Chocolate cake

• Mash or blend the banana and set aside
• Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar,salt,cocoa powder, baking soda) together in a large bowl
• In another bowl, whisk the egg and add the liquid ingredients (butter milk and vanilla essence) and mix till well blended together.
• Slowly pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients a little at a time till all the ingredients are evenly mixed into a runny batter.
• This batter is for the top and bottom layers of the cake.
• Pour batter into two 8-inch cake pan and bake

Vanilla Cake

• Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar,salt,baking soda) together in a large bowl
• In another bowl, whisk the egg and add the liquid ingredients (butter milk and vanilla essence) and mix till well blended together.
• Slowly pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients a little at a time till all the ingredients are evenly mixed into a runny batter.
• Pour batter into an 8-inch cake pan and bake.

NB: Baking time for cakes-150-190 degrees Celsius for 20-35 minutes. Let the cake cool down on a rack after baking before covering with frosting.

Making the frosting

Boil water in a large pan and place a large bowl over it. (The vapor from the boiling water will melt the butter, sugar and chocolate chunks)

Scoop in the butter, sugar and chocolate chunks and mix till all the ingredients melt and combine into a smooth paste.

Pour in your milk and unsweetened cocoa butter and stir till smooth.

You can add more milk if the frosting is too thick. If it seems too thin, add more unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar.

When your frosting is ready, stack the cakes, smearing some of the frosting in between the stacks. The chocolate cakes should be at the top and bottom and vanilla cake in the middle.

Cover the rest of the cake with the frosting and refrigerate for about 30-45 minutes

Voila, your chocolate and vanilla layer cake is ready to enjoy!

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