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    Chocolate Fortissimo Cake

    Chocolate Fortissimo Cake holds a symphony of bold flavors. It’s music for your taste buds! Coffee liqueur turns up the volume on its chocolate notes.

    Quite a long time ago, when I was a little kid taking music lessons, I first learned the meaning of the word fortissimo. In music, it means to play loudly. While browsing one of my European cake books I was surprised to see the word describe a chocolate cake. I just had to know – exactly how ‘loud’ is this chocolate cake?
    Turns out, Chocolate Fortissimo Cake is loud, yet refined. It has balance just like any good piece of music. Coffee liqueur such as Tia Maria (or Kahlua) is the ingredient that intensifies all of its chocolate components without making it heavy or too sweet. The genoise is light, the mocha buttercream silky. The barely sweet chantilly filling gives harmony to the score.

    Genoise, the foundation.
    Start by making a genoise sponge. The recipe in the cake book was so similar to my own chocolate genoise, I opted for my tried and true recipe. Never made genoise? You’re in luck! There’s a video at the end of this post that will show you how to properly whip the eggs to ribbon stage. Also, you can see the batter-folding technique in action, which is essential to making a well-risen sponge.

    Truffles for cake toppers.
    While the genoise cools, make the truffles. Yes, this cake is topped with rich, deeply chocolaty cocoa-dusted orbs of deliciousness. In my opinion, this is the ‘loudest’ part of the cake. The mixture stirs up quickly and requires 40 minutes to chill.

    Crème Chantilly.
    In the meantime, whip up the chantilly. This barely sweet whipped cream has just 2 teaspoons of powdered sugar added. Pour in a tablespoon of coffee liqueur and beat to stiff peaks. Cover and chill this 3 ingredient wonder while you prepare the remaining components.

    Mocha buttercream.
    This European style of buttercream was a bit of a revelation for me. Its base is heavy on the extra-creamy salted butter (82% milkfat) to just just 1 cup of powdered sugar. Beaten to its lightest, fluffiest texture, its silkiness rivals any meringue-based buttercream. Melted chocolate and espresso impart the mocha flavors.

    The construction.
    Torte the cooled genoise into three layers. They don’t necessarily have to be even, and the top layer can be on the thin side. Coat each layer with a little coffee simple syrup. Fill the first layer with 1/2 inch of the mocha buttercream, and the second with all of the chantilly. Next you’ll cover the cake with more of the mocha buttercream.

    Remember those truffles? Place the in a ring on top of the cake. These buttery, creamy gems could be a stand-alone dessert. They are rich and totally gift worthy in a pretty tin.

    A special garnish.
    Long-time readers will recognize this as one of my favorite decorating techniques. I figured it out on my own a long time ago when I made these Poured Fondant Honey Cupcakes. You can find a video tutorial for the technique in that blog post. I thought this cake deserved a garnish worthy of its name.

    Place the remaining mocha buttercream in a piping bag and pipe stars between the truffles. Then, stand the chocolate seals upright into each star.

    This cake is pretty special. It reminds me a little of another music-inspired confection – Classic Opera Cake. But this version is lighter with a genoise sponge.

    This cake offers bold grown-up flavors, yet still retains lightness. It’s so special occasion-worthy. Don’t hesitate to give it a try! And check out my video of the entire process, if you have questions. It’s more than 3 minutes long (which, the internet tells me is too long to hold your attention). I’m sure some may find it a bit tedious to watch. But I made it for beginners that would appreciate some visual instruction.

    Chocolate Fortissimo Cake

    Heather Baird

    In music terminology fortissimo means to play a passage of music loudly. True to its namesake, this cake has bold chocolate flavor, yet it retains lightness with its sponge base, silky buttercream and chantilly fillings. Overall, a symphony of really beautiful flavors and textures. This cake has several components and steps, but each is pretty straight forward. It is of intermediate skill level, and bakers with knowledge of making genoise sponge will have no trouble. If you’re a beginner baker, use the genoise recipe along with the video provided in the blog post for success. This cake hinges on a well-risen sponge because it is torted in three layers and must be tall enough after baking to do so.Tia Maria is the suggested coffee liqueur to use in this recipe, but Kahlua is a fine substitute. For the buttercream, use salted (yes, salted!) butter with 82% milkfat. This is sometimes labeled as ‘extra-creamy’ or ‘European-style’. Imported French butters are among those with higher milkfat.

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    Prep Time 45 minsCook Time 30 mins40 minutes chill time 40 minsTotal Time 3 hrs 15 mins

    Course DessertCuisine European

    Servings 12

    Equipment8×3 inch round cake pan, or springform panparchment paperwax seal stamp with music motif, such as treble clef or music notes
    Ingredients US CustomaryMetric Chocolate genoise3 large eggs3 large egg yolks3/4 cup granulated sugar1/8 teaspoon salt1/3 cup cake flour1/3 cup cornstarch1/4 cup dark unsweet cocoa powderTruffles2 teaspoons instant espresso powder2 tablespoons coffee liqueur4 oz. semisweet chocolate chopped you can also use chips4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar sifted1 tablespoon heavy cream1/4 cup unsweet cocoa powder not darkCrème Chantilly2/3 cup heavy cream2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar1 tablespoon coffee liqueurMocha buttercream2 teaspoons instant espresso powder2 teaspoons unsweet cocoa powder4 oz. semisweet chocolate chopped fine (can use mini chips)3 tablespoons boiling water2 cups european style salted butter with 82% milkfat such as Land-O-Lakes extra creamy1 cup confectioners’ sugarCoffee syrup6 tablespoons water3 tablespoons sugar3 tablespoons coffee liqueurChocolate seals2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chipsCrushed ice
    Instructions Chocolate GenoisePreheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch round baking pan. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.Set a medium saucepan filled 1/3 with water over medium heat.In a heat-proof bowl, preferably stainless, beat together the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt, using an electric hand mixer at high speed. Place the bowl over the pan of simmering water and continue beating with the hand mixer until the mixture reaches ribbon stage, about 5 minutes. Ribbon stage is when the batter increases in volume, lightens, and the batter leaves a thick trail or ribbon when the beaters are lifted from the bowl. To get this right, set a timer for 5 minutes once you start mixing over the simmering water.Remove the bowl from the water. Sift the cake flour, cornstarch, and cocoa over the egg mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Do this carefully as to not deflate the batter too much. This may take about 5-7 minutes of careful mixing. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched with a finger. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the wire rack and peel away the parchment paper. Let cool while you make the truffles.TrufflesDissolve the instant espresso in the coffee liqueur. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate with the dissolved coffee in the microwave, about 1 minute at 100% power. Stir well until smooth. Let cool slightly.In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar (I did this with a whisk, but you could use a hand mixer). Beat in the chocolate mixture and the cream. Whisk vigorously to combine. Chill for 40 minutes. Shape the mixture into 8 even-sized balls (use a small cookie scoop 4 teaspoon capacity). Dust in the cocoa powder and chill while you prepare the remaining cake components.Crème ChantillyIn a large bowl, whip together the cream and sugar with an electric hand mixer. Beat in the coffee liqueur. Beat on high speed to stiff peaks. Cover and chill.Mocha buttercreamStir together the instant espresso powder and cocoa powder in a small microwave-safe bowl. Pour in the chopped chocolate. Add 3 tablespoons boiling water and let stand 1 minute. Whisk together until smooth. If lumps of chocolate remain after whisking well, microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Let cool until thickened but not set, about 5-7 minutes.In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together for 5 minutes until fluffy and lightened in color. Add the chocolate mixture and beat again until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and beat again until lightened, thick and fluffy. Cover bowl with a damp towel and set aside at room temperature.Coffee syrupIn a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the water and sugar. Heat in the microwave at 100% power for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stir until the sugar is melted. Stir in the coffee liqueur. Let cool.Chocolate sealsGently heat chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave at 30 second intervals; be careful to not over heat. Stir smooth.Transfer chocolate to a clean bowl. Let it stand 3-5 minutes or until it’s barely warm to the touch. It’s important the chocolate is not too hot when you make an impression with the stamp. The heat from the chocolate will warm the metal stamp and it will cause the chocolate to smear.Place metal wax seal stamps in the cup filled with crushed ice. The stamp bottoms need to be thoroughly chilled.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop dime-size amounts of chocolate onto the parchment paper. Remove a stamp from the ice and quickly wipe it free of water droplets with a towel. Place the stamp onto a mound of chocolate. Let the stamp stand pressed in the chocolate for 3-5 seconds, or until the edges of the chocolate turn matte. Press down very gently but firmly and lift the stamp (see instructional video for clear visual). You should be left with a clear impression in the chocolate. Replace metal wax stamp into the crushed ice until it is thoroughly chilled and repeat with remaining melted chocolate. You’ll need 8 seals for this cake’s décor. Make more than you need, and pick out the best 8. Refrigerate finished chocolate seals until firm.AssembleSlice the genoise cake into 3 layers using a wire cake leveler or a serrated knife. Sprinkle or brush on the coffee syrup onto each cake layer. Place one cake layer on a plate or cake board. Fill with about 1/2 inch thickness of the mocha buttercream. Spread evenly. Top with another cake layer. Fill with all of the Chantilly cream. Spread evenly. Cover with the remaining cake layer.Remove about 1/2 cup of the mocha buttercream frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip. Set aside. Cover the entire cake with a thick layer of the remaining mocha buttercream. Place the chilled truffles on top of the cake, well-spaced. Pipe stars of buttercream between each truffle. Stand chocolate seals into the buttercream stars upright.Serve cake slightly chilled or at room temperature. This cake improves over 24 hours, as the flavors marry and syrup brushed crumb settles. Leftovers keep for 1 week in the refrigerator.
    NotesOrigins: This is an abbreviated version of Chocolate Fortissimo from the book Ultimate Cake by Barbara Maher. The original has the same components but is made with two genoise cakes. I developed this single layer genoise version to save a little time on an even lengthier recipe.
    Longevity: Improves over 24 hours in the refrigerator. Keeps for 1 week refrigerated. Freezes for 1-2 months, undecorated.
    Make ahead: The truffles and coffee syrup can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. The genoise can be made and frozen for future assembly.

    Keyword chantilly cream, chocolate buttercream, chocolate genoise, chocolate truffles, european desserts

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    Rainbow Sprinkle Cake

    Hooray for sprinkles! Get the party started with this fun and colorful rainbow sprinkle cake. White sour cream cake layers hold a flurry of funfetti inside.

    I’m writing you from my happy place, which is in front of a big slice of cake that is filled with sprinkles inside and out. You probably already know this isn’t my first foray into sprinkle cake territory. In fact, I kind of consider myself a sprinkle cake veteran. Many years ago, on the first blog birthday of Sprinkle Bakes, I made what I often refer to as the original Sprinkle Cake. It’s a great little recipe, and I’ve made it countless times throughout the years. But I love this one just as much! It has the tang of sour cream, and a thick batter that suspends a whole galaxy of rainbow sprinkles inside. It’s like that old Girl Scout song “Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” That sort of thing. Only with cake.

    You may remember the Oreo Cake I recently made. I really enjoyed the flavor and texture of that cake. It did a good job of holding all those cookie pieces inside, and I just knew it would make a really great rainbow sprinkle cake. I’m happy to report that things went just as expected! The pale sour cream batter really shows off all those rainbow sprinkle colors. And the thick, fluffy batter suspends them throughout so they evenly speckle the interior. I’m in love!

    Sprinkles: no need for fancy ones.
    Regular old ice cream sprinkles (called ‘jimmies’) are perfect for baking in cake layers. They’re often used as an ice cream topping because they won’t melt away easily with moisture. You can find them with the ice cream toppings at your local grocery store, or in the baking section.

    White Cake Flavoring is something I use when I want that old school bakery flavor. It gives the cake a rich vanilla flavor with something else that lingers in the background. The flavor reminds me of wedding cake, without as much overt almond flavor. Bakto makes a natural white cake flavor that I use often, and it’s great in this cake. If you don’t have room in your cabinet for another extract, just use pure vanilla extract mixed with just a smidge of almond extract.
    This cake is stacked and frosted with white vanilla American buttercream frosting, which is an easy frosting recipe for bakers of every skill set. A classic!

    DIY your sprinkle mix.
    I used my own sprinkle mix for the outside of the cake. It’s a mixture of rainbow sprinkles, mixed with rainbow confetti, rainbow nonpareils, and sugar pearls. My advice is to stir up a combination of shapes and colors that make you happy. However, you can simply use the rainbow jimmies instead of a sprinkle mix.
    Apply the sprinkles to the sides of the cake by pressing handfuls of sprinkles onto the sides. Use a baking sheet underneath to catch the excess. I find it easiest to press a handful at the base of the cake and slide my hand up the side of the cake. The tacky frosting will latch on to the sprinkles as you travel upward.

    Pipe swirls of frosting, spaced about 2.5 inches apart, on the top edge of the cake. Then, toss on a few more sprinkles.

    Colorful toppers!
    I wanted something fun for a cake topper, and just as eye-catching as the allsorts I used on my original sprinkle cake. My local grocery store had ‘gourmet lollipops’ at the checkout counter and I couldn’t resist them! Fun flavors like piña colada, cotton candy, blueberries and cream, blackberry, and candy apple made this cake extra special. I placed them on top of the cake beside swirls of frosting, with their sticks pointing, and meeting at, the center of the cake. If you go this route, then plan to buy a few extra lollipops to serve on the side. Not everyone will get a lollipop with their slice, and it’s best to have enough for every guest.

    How cute is the ‘HOORAY’ cake topper? I’ve had it for ages. I just needed the right cake with the right vibe to show off all those glittery letters. This rainbow sprinkle cake is its perfect match! You can find it right here for purchase.

    This colorful confection makes a great birthday cake – just add candles! The crumb is sturdy yet moist thanks to the sour cream in the batter. Serve this cake at room temperature, because the flavors and textures will be at their best!

    Sprinkle Cake

    Heather Baird

    Get the party started with this fun and colorful rainbow sprinkle cake. White sour cream cake layers hold a flurry of funfetti inside.There’s no need to use fancy sprinkles for the inside of this cake. Look for ice cream sprinkles, called ‘jimmies’ in the ice cream toppings section at the grocery store. They won’t melt with moisture, but under the oven’s heat, they melt just right to leave colorful speckles throughout the cake layers.

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    Prep Time 30 minsCook Time 30 mins40 minutes chill time 40 minsTotal Time 1 hr 40 mins

    Course DessertCuisine American

    Servings 12

    Equipment8 inch cake pans, 3Large open star piping tip (French pastry tube)Piping bagLarge offset spatula
    Ingredients US CustomaryMetric Oreo cake layers1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature1 1/2 cups granulated sugar3 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt5 egg whites at room temperature1 1/2 teaspoons white cake flavor such as Bakto brand or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract plus 1/4 teaspoon almond extract3/4 cup sour cream at room temperature2/3 cup whole milk at room temperature3/4 cup rainbow sprinkles ice cream type, called ‘jimmies’Chocolate sprinkles buttercream1 1/2 cups unsalted butter6 cups confectioners’ sugar2 teaspoons vanilla extractMilk or cream to thin1 1/4 cup Mixed rainbow sprinkles jimmies, confetti, nonpareils, sugar pearlsDecor8 round gourmet lollipops see blog post for shopping link
    Instructions Sprinkle cake layersPreheat the oven to 350F.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar gradually as you mix. Beat until light and fluffy.In a separate large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.In a 4-cup measure or batter bowl with a pour spout, whisk together the egg whites, vanilla, sour cream, and milk.Switch the mixer beater to the paddle attachment Beat 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture until just incorporated. Add in half of the liquid mixture; beat until combined. Continue adding 1/3 flour mixture followed by the remaining liquid; end with the flour mixture. Beat until the mixture is lightened in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Fold in the rainbow sprinkles.Coat three 8-inch cake pans with flour-based baking spray. Alternatively, grease and flour the pans. Divide the cake batter between the prepared pans. Smooth the top of the batter with the flat edge of the offset spatula.Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed in the centers. Remove the cakes from the oven. If the tops are slightly rounded, flatten gently using a paper towel while the cakes are still warm. Do this gently and carefully as steam will escape as you press.Remove cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.ButtercreamBeat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until combined. Add vanilla extract; mix well. Beat on medium speed adding milk or cream 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture thins to piping consistency. Beat on high speed until the frosting turns almost white in color, about 4 minutes with a timer set. Scrape down the bowl. Beat again on high speed. Remove 2/3 cup of frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (also called French pastry tube).Fill two of the cooled cake layers with about 1/2 cup of the buttercream on each layer. Spread evenly. Stack them and then place the remaining cake layer on top. Generously cover the cake with the remaining buttercream using an offset spatula. Immediately coat the sides of the cake with sprinkles. To do this, place the cake on a baking sheet. Pick up handfuls of sprinkles and press them on from the bottom edge of the cake to the top. Repeat until the entire cake is coated Refrigerate the cake until the frosting firms.Using the reserved piping bag of frosting, pipe 8 large swirls on the top edge of the cake, well-spaced. Immediately top with sprinkles. Just before serving add a lollipop between each swirl on top of the cake with their sticks meeting at the top center of the cake.Serve this cake at room temperature. The cake’s texture and flavors are completely developed at room temperature.
    NotesWhat to expect: Moist cake layers with a light sour cream tang and lots of beautiful rainbow sprinkles inside. White cakes are notorious for drying out quickly, so be sure to keep this cake covered.  
    Decor: Top the cake with the lollipops just before serving. If you have leftovers, remove the lollipops from the cake before refrigerating. If left on the cake for more than 6 hours, the lollipops will begin to melt with the moisture from the cake.
    White Cake Flavor: I use Bakto White Cake Flavor (extract) in this cake, which gives it that old school bakery flavor. (See blog post for link.)  It reminds me a little of Princess Cake emulsion, but not as strong, as it is a natural flavoring, and not an artificial product. It has vanilla flavor with small background notes of almond and something a little floral. If you don’t have White Cake Flavor in your cabinet, use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract for a close approximation. Or, if you’re strictly a vanilla lover, just use vanilla extract.

    Keyword american buttercream, rainbow sprinkles, sour cream cake layers, white buttercream, white cake flavor

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