A recipe for a Three Layer Cake full of flavor, and texture. This combination of poppyseed, fudge, and yellow cakes, filled with vanilla whipped frosting and topped with chocolate ganach is truly tasty.
Poppy Seed Cake
Soak poppy seeds in milk for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 9 inch round cake pan and line it with parchment.
Sift flour and baking powder together. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar; add poppy seeds and milk alternately with flour and baking powder. Fold in egg whites
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean 30 - 40 minutes.
Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 min. Run a thin knife around the edge and invert the cake and peel off the parchment if necessary. Invert it again onto the rack and let cool completely.
Fudge Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 9 inch round cake pan and line it with parchment.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift only if the cocoa remains lumpy after whisking.
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the eggs and vanilla; stir until well blended. Add the flour mixture all at once and stir just until all the flour is moistened. Pour the hot water over the batter; stir just until it’s incorporated and the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 min. Run a thin knife around the edge and invert the cake and peel off the parchment if necessary. Invert it again onto the rack and let cool completely.
Yellow Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 9 inch round cake pan and line it with parchment.
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar together until fluffy and light, then add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated and light. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, and finally the milk and vanilla. Beat everything together on low for 30 seconds, then high for 3 minutes.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Let cool on wire racks for at least 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge and invert the cake and peel off the parchment if necessary. Invert it again onto the rack and let cool completely.
Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting
Chill the bowl and whisk attachment of a stand mixer for 20 min. in the refrigerator or 5 min. in the freezer.
Pour the heavy cream into the bowl and whisk on medium-high speed until it just starts to thicken. Slow the speed down to medium and gradually pour in the sugar. Continue to whisk until soft peaks form.
Add the vanilla extract and continue to whisk by hand until the cream is smooth, and stiff peaks form (the cream will stand up straight when the whisk is raised).
Ganache
In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, milk and butter and bring to a boil for 30 seconds.
Remove from heat, and chocolate and Kahlua. Beat with an electric mixer until thick. The mixture will thicken even more as it cools.
Assembly
Arrange on a cake plate
First layer, yellow cake and put 1/2 the vanilla whipped cream frosting
Second layer, fudge cake, put remaining 1/2 of the vanilla whipped cream frosting
Third layer, poppy seed cake, Spread on the chocolate ganache.
* Optional to make white swirl, you would need to melt 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips in a small saucepan on medium heat. Put the melted white chocolate into a piping tool or small plastic bag with a tiny tip cut off the corner. Drizzle onto the chocolate ganach topping.