Chocolate-Mocha Layer Easter Cake with Marshmallow and Chocolate-Mocha Icing

This is the cake I made for our Easter dinner. I did modify it some from a Brown Eyed Baker recipe, as well as the frostings. It came out better than I could have imagined. This will now be my go-to recipe for chocolate cake or cupcakes.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
2½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup + 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder (Vaharona, Calebut or otherwise)-I used Calebut from France
1 tablespoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups of 1% milk
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (into milk 10-15 minutes ahead)
1½ cups strong black coffee, hot
¾ cup vegetable oil
4½ teaspoons Bourbon vanilla extract

For the Marshmallow Icing:
1 bag powdered sugar
½ cup Crisco-Butter flavored (or can also use unsalted butter)
2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

1/2 cup half and half (thin to desired consistency)
1 package Cream Cheese-at room temperature
1/8 cup Monin Marshmallow flavored Syrup

For the Chocolate Mocha Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup Mocha powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate, melted and cooled
½ cup heavy cream (until desired consistency is reached)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease six 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk-with vinegar already added 10 minutes ahead), coffee, oil and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).

Divide the batter evenly among six prepared pans (greased & floured). I use a 1 cup scoop, & add just under two cups to each pan, then divide what’s left over evenly. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool the cakes (in the pans) on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely. I covered each cake with Saran wrap, & stored in the fridge to be iced the next day.

Marshmallow Icing: Beat the butter (shortening), cream cheese, and powdered sugar on low speed until blended together, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and increase the speed to medium-high; beat for 3 minutes. Stop the mixer, add the Marshmallow syrup, continue to mix on a low speed until well combined, and light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl as necessary.

Chocolate-Mocha Icing: Beat the butter and powdered sugar on low speed until blended together, about 1 minute. Add the Mocha powder, and vanilla. Beat on low until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for another minute.

Cake assembly: Place your first layer face-up on a cake plate and cover with one-third of the Marshmallow Icing. Place another cake layer face-up and cover with about ¾ to 1 cup of Chocolate-Mocha Frosting. Repeat, alternating marshmallow and chocolate filling layers, until you come to your cake final layer, which you will place face-down. Frost the entire outside of cake with the remaining
Chocolate-Mocha Frosting.

**Adapted from a Brown Eyed Baker recipe