Brittany's Ombre Birthday Cake

Ombre Birthday Cake!

A few months ago I had a special request from a friend for an ombre birthday cake. Ombre is the kind of cake that goes from dark to light shades of the same color. The request was for a chocolate ombre cake and so my search began for recipes for cake that would not all appear dark brown. After many pinterest searches, I finally was able to find some ideas and recipes. The cake I ended up with is 3 unique layers of deliciousness, chocolate frosting filling between layers, and then a vanilla buttercream covering the cake. Of all the batter spoons I licked, the middle layer was my favorite!

 Base Layer - Vanilla White Cake

Ingredients:

·         1 cup sugar

·         ½ cup butter, softened

·         2 eggs

·         2 tsp vanilla

·         1 ½ cups flour

·         1 ¾ tsp baking powder

·         ½ cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.

2.      In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.

3.      Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

Middle Layer - Brown Sugar Cake

Ingredients:

·         1 cup flour

·         ½ tsp baking powder

·         1 tsp salt

·         ¾ tsp baking soda

·         1 cup light brown sugar

·         2 large eggs

·         ¼ cup vegetable oil

·         ½ cup buttermilk

·         ¼ cup sour cream

·         ½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Spray or butter pan generously.

2.       In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

3.       In a mixing bowl, beat brown sugar and eggs at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth, approximately 3 minutes. Add oil and beat until combined. Set aside.

4.       In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla

5.       Add flour mixture to brown-sugar mixture, alternating with milk mixture

6.       Pour batter into pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean, approximately 25-30minutes.

 

Top Layer - Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

·         ¾ cup cocoa powder

·         1 ½ cups flour

·         1 ½ cups sugar

·         ½ Tbsp baking soda

·         ¾ tsp baking powder

·         ¾ tsp salt

·         1 large egg

·         ¾ cup buttermilk

·         ½ cup vegetable oil

·         ¾ tsp vanilla

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter round or square cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment, and dust with cocoa.

2.      Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, stir in eggs, 1 1/2 cups warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 minutes.

3.      Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake, rotating once, until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes for 8-inch layers, depending on amount of batter.

4.      Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely, right side up on rack.

Chocolate and Vanilla Buttercream

Instead of posting the full recipe and directions, I will direct you to the links for the chocolate buttercreamand my favorite and vanilla buttercream.

Cake Assembly

It is important to level all cake layers before assembling. I also had some "over baked" parts around the edges that I carefully cut off. When assembling, it is easiest to use a cake board. Gently center your base layer on the cake board, cover the layer with chocolate frosting, and then gently center your middle layer on the base. Do the same thing for the 3rd layer (and more if you are making a multi layer cake).

 

 

Frosting and Decorating

Frosting cakes is my least favorite part, mainly because I am not that good at it! It takes me a long time and I get easily frustrated. This is probably why I prefer cupcakes J but anything for my friend Brittany’s birthday! I frosted the cake with the vanilla buttercream and chocolate chips.  I surrounded the sides of the cake with mini chocolate chips, to bring in the chocolate theme that she had wanted.

 

I think used the left over vanilla buttercream I had and, using food coloring, I made it pink (very bright pink).  I was pretty happy with the way it turned out! I hope it is as good as it looks!