A BIG BIRTHDAY CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease and dust with cocoa four 9-inch round cake pans.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa. Stir together. Add the boiling water, allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat. Pour over the flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.
• Combine the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/chocolate mixture.
• Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes.
• Cool completely before icing. Refrigerate the layers after cooling for best results.
• For the frosting: Heat the cream until very hot, and then pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir to completely melt, and then pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Refrigerate to cool.
• Once completely cooled, add the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until light and airy.
• Frost the cake in between each layer, on the top and around the sides.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch pan or three 8- or 9-inch round layer cake pans.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each one. Mix in the vanilla extract.
• Sift together the baking powder, flour, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk. Blend after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat an additional minute.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a dash of salt until stiff peaks form. Fold one third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it; gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
• Bake in preheated oven until cake springs back when touched lightly with a fingertip and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cake layers may be done baking after 25 minutes; a 9x13-inch cake may take 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack.