Directions

Spicy Marble Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray three, 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

3. Add egg yolks and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Beat in vanilla, orange extract, cayenne pepper, and oil.

5. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.

6. Add alternatively to the creamed mixture with buttermilk, stirring by hand.

7. In a separate mixer bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into the batter.

8. Divide the batter equally into 3 separate bowls and add 2 to 3 drops of red, blue, and yellow food coloring separately to make single colors per bowl.

9. Pipe alternating colors of batter into concentric circles into prepared cake pans.

10. Bake for 15 to 18  minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

11. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream

1. Heat milk in a medium saucepan over moderate heat until hot. Whisk together yolks, flour, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then add hot milk in a stream, whisking. Transfer custard to saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking, 2 minutes (mixture will be very thick), then transfer to a large bowl. Cover the surface of custard with a buttered round of wax paper and cool completely, about 45 minutes. In a standing mixer, add vanilla and remaining cup powdered sugar to custard and beat until combined well, then increase speed to medium-high and beat in butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until smooth. Add chocolates and beat until combined well. (May need to add more powdered sugar to taste).

Coffee Buttercream

1. With a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks with 3 tablespoons of  sugar until thick and pale.  In a medium saucepan, heat milk just to boiling.  Whisk in the remaining sugar, coffee and instant espresso until completely dissolved. Slowly pour ⅓ of the hot milk into yolks, whisking constantly, then add all of the mixture, and then quickly scrape the whole mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until you see bubbles. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean mixer bowl. Beat on medium until thick and doubled in volume. Beat in butter 1 tbsp. at a time, until it begins to lighten and becomes fluffy. Add Kahlua.

Coffee Soaking Liquid

1. Stir together in a small bowl.

Chocolate Ganache Drips (for decorating)

1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium, heat the heavy cream until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow the mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes. Whisk until the cream and chocolate are fully combined, and the ganache is silky smooth. Pour into a plastic squeeze bottle, keeping warm until use. You want the ganache to be slightly warm to the touch. If the ganache becomes too cool, warm it in the microwave for 5 seconds and test the temperature again.

To assemble the cake

1. Place the first cake layer on a large platter. Brush with coffee soaking liquid. Spread with 1 cup of the coffee buttercream. Repeat with the remaining 2 layers of cake. Frost top and sides with chocolate buttercream. Spoon warm ganache into a squeeze bottle and drizzle around the outsides. Pipe a decorative border of chocolate buttercream around the top.