Chocolate And Earl Grey London Fog Layer Cake

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Almond Cake (makes an 8-inch, three layer cake)

2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (3 ounces) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 fluid ounces) vegetable oil
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) whole milk
1 cup (8 fluid ounces) hot strong-brewed coffee

For the Earl Grey Buttercream (makes around 4 1/2 cups, enough for one cake)

2 cups (4 sticks // 16 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup loose leaf Earl Grey tea
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups (8.75 ounces) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate And Earl Grey London Fog Layer Cake 7

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle (F). Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper circles. Set aside the parchment paper after spraying it.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium mixing bowl Remove from the equation.
Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of a standalone electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 2 big eggs, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract to the mixer while it is running. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Turn the mixer to low and alternate adding the flour mixture (from step 2) in three batches with 1 1/2 cups whole milk in two batches, beginning and finishing with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl and turn off the mixer. 1 cup hot coffee, streamed through the mixer on low. Mix for no more than 30 seconds on medium-low, or until incorporated. Make sure you don’t overmix! It will appear that the mixture is overly liquidy and runny, but that is quite normal.
Using a spatula, evenly distribute the batter across the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean, about 23 to 25 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the cakes to cool on a wire rack before flipping them and allowing them to cool entirely to room temperature before icing.

For the Earl Grey Buttercream

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter and 1/4 cup loose leaf Earl Grey tea. Place the saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted, then reduce to the lowest setting and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove the tea from the heat and steep for another 5 minutes. Refrigerate the strained butter until it approaches the consistency of softened butter, about 20 to 30 minutes after straining it through a fine-mesh sieve set over a basin. It’s fine if there are little particles of tea in your butter; it’ll make for a gorgeous icing.
In the bowl of a standalone electric mixer, combine 4 big egg whites and 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Gently whisk the egg whites and sugar together by hand until thoroughly mixed. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat with a few inches of water in it. To make a double boiler, place the mixer bowl on top of the saucepan; the bottom of the bowl containing the egg whites and sugar should not be touching the water, so drain any excess water. Heat the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until it reaches 160 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat as soon as it reaches 160°F and gently insert the mixer bowl onto the stand mixer.
Beat the egg white mixture on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until medium-stiff peaks form, using the whisk attachment. The exterior of the mixer bowl should be room temperature at this stage, and no leftover heat from the meringue should be leaking through the top of the bowl. Remove the whisk attachment and replace it with a paddle attachment.
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence to the mixer on low speed. Add the tea-infused butter (from the first step) and the remaining 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter a couple teaspoons at a time, only adding additional butter after the preceding butter pieces have thoroughly integrated. After all of the butter has been added, increase the mixer’s speed to medium-high and beat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the buttercream is silky smooth. Use right away.