4-Layer Vanilla Espresso Cake
As featured in Episode 4 of Deepa Does It on YouTube!
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Ingredients
1 cup
240ml egg whites
2 cups
400g sugar
3 cups
675g butter, must be completely room temperature, cut into cubes
1 tbsp
vanilla
salt, pinch
Espresso Meringue Buttercream
1/2 cup
120g egg whites
1 cup
200g sugar
1 1/2 cup
340g butter, must be completely room temperature, cut into cubes
2 tbsp
1/4 cup brewed expresso
salt, pinch
Ganache and Chocolate Drip
60z
dark chocolate, finely chopped, or use chocolate chips
60oz
heavy cream
Instructions
Swiss meringue Buttercream:
- In the bowl of the stand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a medium-size pot of boiling water, the base of the bowl must not touch the water. Keep whisking, until the mixture reaches between 75 - 85 degrees. Do not stop whisking, you want to avoid turning this into scrambled egg whites.
- Remove from heat and using the whisk attachment, whisk on high speed with the stand mixer until the base of the bowl feels room temp on your wrist. That is a good way to gauge that the meringue is cool enough to add the butter. Otherwise, you will end up with soupy buttercream.
- At this point, one cube at a time, add the butter. If it looks like it’s starting to curdle, don’t stress, just keep mixing at high speed, it will emulsify!
- Once all the butter is combined, add the vanilla and salt, keep mixing for another few minutes until really fluffy!
- Follow through with the same instructions above.
- Once all the butter is combined, add the espresso (amount is based on your liking) and salt, keep mixing for another few minutes until really fluffy!
- As you add the espresso, it will loosen the buttercream slightly, but as you keep whisking, it will firm back up and come together.
- Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set aside.
- Warm the cream, until it just simmers then pour directly over the chocolate. Keep whisking until the chocolate has melted and is smooth and has emulsified.
- The ganache has to be cool before it can be used as filling and as the chocolate drip.
- Cover with plastic wrap, until ready to use – you will need to whisk again before using and if needed, you can place over a double boiler to loosen.