The Perfect Father’s Day Cake! (Hog Heaven Chocolate Cake)

INGREDIENTS

• ¾ cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• ½ cup very hot (almost boiling) strong coffee
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 1¾ cups vanilla sugar, (see below) or regular sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1 cup chocolate milk
• 1 1⁄2 cups pecan halves, toasted
• 4 slices bacon, cooked extra crisp
• 2 recipes Rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, (see below)

Rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (better chocolate = better frosting)
• 3 1⁄2 to 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 8 to 10 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla paste

Vanilla Sugar:

• 1 fresh (preferably organic) vanilla bean
• 3 cups sugar

DIRECTIONS

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and spray the paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and coffee and set aside to cool.
3. In a separate medium mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Gradually add the vanilla sugar and beat for 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla paste and beat just until combined.
5. Whisk the chocolate milk into the cooled cocoa-coffee mixture.
6. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour and chocolate milk mixtures to the batter, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix for 3 minutes, or until the batter is smooth and creamy. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through for even baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let the layers cool in the pans for 20 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack and removing the parchment paper.
8. Put the pecans and bacon in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times, until they are broken up, but not too fine, kind of a chunky pig fairy dust. Set aside.
9. Frost the cake using 1 heaping cup frosting for each layer and a crumb coat, then about 3 cups frosting for the final coat. (I like to make a smooth surface all over the cake and then use a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe around the entire edge of the cake top. This gives the cake a rimmed edge, so the pecans and bacon will stay in place). Sprinkle the top of the cake with the pecan and bacon mixture.

For the Rich Chocolate Buttercream:

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and creamy.
2. Turn off the mixer and stir in the cocoa powder and 3 1⁄2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar. Resume mixing on low speed for 3 minutes, until all the cocoa and confectioners’ sugar have been incorporated into the butter.
3. Add the salt, 8 tablespoons of the cream, and the vanilla paste. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until creamy. If the frosting is too thick, add a bit more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat for 30 seconds or until just combined. If the frosting is too thin, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar, 1⁄2 cup at a time, and beat for 1 minute until fully incorporated. Frosting can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

For the Vanilla Sugar:

1. Have a sterilized 1-quart jar (run through a hot dishwasher) with a tight-fitting lid ready.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a slit down one side of the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, and place the seeds and bean in the jar.
3. Fill the jar with 2 cups of the sugar. Screw the lid on tightly and give it a good shake. Remove the lid and top off the jar with the remaining 1 cup sugar.
4. Screw the lid on tightly then label and date the jar. Set aside in a cool, dry pantry for 2 weeks to achieve peak flavor before using (although I’ve been known to use it after just 2 days). Keep adding more sugar to the jar as you use it. One vanilla bean should last through 3 jars (9 cups) sugar and the sugar will keep indefinitely.

KITCHEN COUNTER

Serves 24.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Excerpted with permission from Sweet and Vicious © 2014 by Libbie Summers. Published by Rizzoli.