Recipe: Old-fashioned milk chocolate cake with milk chocolate frosting

Note: This model butter cake recipe is perhaps the best you’ll ever eat--three sumptuous chocolate layers. Sylvia Thompson, who developed the recipe for her “The Birthday Cake Book” (Chronicle Books: 1993), contributed the recipe to our November cake issue. If you’d rather mix a non-chocolate butter cake, simply leave out the chocolate. For a two-layer cake, just use two thirds of the ingredients. Remember that butter cakes should be served within 12 hours of baking.

3 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 tablespoon salt

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped into 1- to 2-inch pieces

1 cup water

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to consistency of mayonnaise

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup light-brown sugar, lumps crushed, packed

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla

6 extra-large eggs, warmed in shells

1 cup buttermilk or soured milk (set 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice at bottom of measure and fill with sweet milk, let clabber), at room temperature

Milk Chocolate Frosting

Unsprayed or silk leaves, such as rose, geranium or strawberry, optional

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in bowl.

In medium heat-proof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, melt chocolate in water, stirring occasionally until perfectly smooth. Remove from heat.

In large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Continue beating while sprinkling in granulated and brown sugars, 1 tablespoon at time. Add vanilla and beat until very light. Add eggs singly, beating until thoroughly blended after each, then beat until very light and creamy. Blend in chocolate. Add flour in 3 parts by sprinkling over bowl. Alternate with buttermilk in 2 parts. Beat on lowest speed manageable just until each addition disappears. Fold batter with large flexible rubber spatula just until thoroughly blended.

Divide batter among buttered 9-inch round cake pans with bottoms lined with wax paper. Smooth tops, then push batter slightly up against sides. Bake 2 layers on middle oven rack and 1 layer on lower oven rack at 350 degrees. Stagger so top pans are not directly over bottom pan. Bake until wood pick emerges clean from center of cake, 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Then turn out onto racks, top sides up, to cool completely.

Up to 6 hours before serving, set thickest layer on platter, bottoms up. Spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with second layer. Place last layer top side up. Frost top and sides, making decorative sweeps in frosting with knife. Keep cool. Do not refrigerate. Just before serving, wreathe leaves around bottom of platter. Makes 16 servings.

Each serving, with milk chocolate frosting, contains about: 776 calories; 317 mg sodium; 145 mg cholesterol; 37 grams fat; 108 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 1.72 grams fiber.

Milk Chocolate Frosting

14 ounces milk chocolate

5 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-processed)

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

7 to 8 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons vanilla

In medium heat-proof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally until perfectly smooth. Be careful not to let steam or water touch chocolate. Remove from heat.

In food processor or mixing bowl, blend sugar and cocoa. Melt butter with 7 tablespoons milk at MEDIUM power in microwave or over low heat. Add hot butter to sugar with chocolate and vanilla. Process or beat until smooth. Do not overprocess. If too thick, beat in remaining tablespoon hot milk. If too thin, add sugar. Spread at once. Makes 16 servings.

Each serving of frosting contains about: 376 calories; 37 mg sodium; 33 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.41 grams fiber.