Chocolate Hazelnut Berry Vanilla Buttercream Cake

           

I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to bake Lotus’ (my little love) birthday cake each year. 

I’m her Auntie Ashley, and I cannot get enough of this love bug in my life.

Happy Birthday, Lotus Love! ❤️

Although a Chantilly Lace Cake almost always contains a layer of mascarpone cheese and fresh berries is extra special in that the vanilla cake itself is super soft and fluffy – more so than any other type of vanilla cake.
Thus, with a plan for several layers of DECADENT chocolate hazelnut mascarpone berry frosting in addition to a vanilla buttercream (with a hint of hazelnut chocolate), the cake layers for this masterpiece needed to be “light and fluffy.” Thus, the “Chantilly” inclusion.

Chocolate Hazelnut Berry Vanilla Buttercream Cake

Fluffy Vanilla Cake

2 2/3 cups cake flour, sifted
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 335°F and prepare three 8” baking pans with parchment paper and butter.

Ensure the butter, eggs, and buttermilk are at room temp. The butter should be soft but not melted.

Add the flour (sifted), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix together. 

Add the butter. Whisk on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined

Separately, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract until the eggs are broken down.

Add a third of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk on medium speed until combined. Scrape the bowl and add the remaining wet ingredients. Whisk on medium speed until combined. Scrape the bowl again.

Increase the mixing speed to medium-high and whisk for 2 minutes. This creates a light and fluffy cake batter.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 28-30 minutes, until the cakes are light golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.

Let the cakes cool down in the pans for 20 minutes, then very carefully remove them and place on a wire rack. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes so the cakes can thoroughly cool down (if chilling for longer, wrap the cakes in cling wrap).

Chocolate Hazelnut Berry Frosting

16 oz Chocolate Hazelnut Almond Butter
8 oz. Mascarpone Cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup mixed berries

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Whip until smooth and creamy.

Slather each of the three layers of Fluffy Vanilla Cake with the frosting and stack.
Follow up by slathering the sides of the stacked cake with the frosting. 

Double the ingredients for an extra decadent layer of this Chocolate Hazelnut Berry Frosting (the best part, in my opinion).

Chill for 30-40 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

¾ lb. shortening (or butter for a heavier frosting)
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Using the same bowl as used for the Chocolate Hazelnut Berry Frosting, whip and cream together the shortening (butter), sugar, and vanilla extract. The chocolate hazelnut residue will create a rich, chocolatey essence.

Again, for extra decadence, double the ingredients and really slather all surfaces of the chilled cake. Fluffs, peaks, valleys – do it all. Make it great!

Top the cake as desired – any sort of candy, flowers, sprinkles, etc., whatever your heart desires.

Slice and enjoy every layer, bite, flavor, and memory of this extra special dessert.