October 28, 2021

Sunday Night® Chocolate Layer Cake

Name: Sunday Night<sup>®</sup> Chocolate Layer Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 1,
Ingredients: 2¼ cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking soda½ teaspoon salt6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and slightly cooled2½ cups dark brown sugar, packed½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened3 eggs, room temperature2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract1 cup sour cream, room temperature1 cup hot, strong coffee1 recipe Sunday Night® Chocolate Frosting; ⅓ cup cold coffee⅓ cup coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua)

Award-winning recipes

Sunday Night^® Chocolate Layer Cake

Image of Sunday Night<sup>®</sup> Chocolate Layer Cake

Our founder, Eileen, has won many awards with this cake over the years, with a wide variety of fillings and frostings. It’s softer and lighter than our Sunday Night® Chocolate Stout Bundt® Cake, and perfect for creating layers filled with our Sunday Night® Chocolate Frosting. You can bake this cake in 8-inch or 9-inch round pans.

Servings

1, two-layer 8-inch stacked cake (12 to 16 servings)

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

Author:

Eileen Gannon

Ingredients

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
2½ cups dark brown sugar, packed
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 cup hot, strong coffee
1 recipe Sunday Night® Chocolate Frosting

Coffee Soaking Liquid

⅓ cup cold coffee
⅓ cup coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua)

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut two, 8-inch circles of parchment paper and line the bottom of two, 8-inch round cake pans. Grease and flour the pans. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat beater, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Beat in melted chocolate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Using the lowest speed on the mixer, add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again with a rubber spatula. Slowly pour in hot coffee on low speed and keep stirring on low until fully incorporated.
Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans and smooth the surface with a small knife.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs still sticking to it. Do not overbake. Remove cakes from over and allow to cool in their pans for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the outside of the cake to loosen it from the sides of the pan and then invert onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
To assemble the cake, stir together the cold coffee and coffee liqueur in a small bowl. Place one cake on a serving plate or cardboard cake circle. Using a pastry brush, brush the top evenly with about 3 tablespoons of the coffee soaking liquid. Frost top with ¾ cup of Sunday Night® Chocolate Frosting. Place second cake layer on top. Repeat brushing the second cake layer with coffee soaking liquid. Using a small, offset spatula, frost the top of the second layer with ¾ cup frosting. If you wish, you can frost the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

Tips From Eileen

Tip: To store, place frosted cake in a covered container. It keeps best in a container that can be sealed. Store at room temperature or refrigerated. This cake also freezes well if wrapped tightly, unfrosted, in sealed plastic freezer bags. Thaw before frosting.