Last Meal Chocolate Cake AKA Triple Layer Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

Triple Layer, Triple Chocolate, Fudge Cake!.jpg
Triple Layer, Triple Chocolate, Fudge Cake!.jpg

Last Meal Chocolate Cake AKA Triple Layer Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

I never considered myself one for eating cake, even with my mega sweet tooth. I typically prefer a cobbler, or a decadent lemon pie. And then, one fateful day, I made THIS. So moist and rich that it's what we would eat for our "last meal". The Triple Layer Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake is the top request for every birthday-even my 17 month old squeaks out "chakak cak" in an excited frenzy when his brothers clamor for me to make this beauty. It truly is the perfect birthday cake but we make it "just because" on a regular basis at our house. I'll never make another recipe for chocolate cake again. Yes, it's THAT good! Decorate it to suit your fancy, and enjoy!

What You Will Need For The Cake:

1 Box Devil’s Food Cake Mix, Such as Duncan Hines

1 Cup Water

3 Eggs

1/3 Cup Corn Oil

1/3 Cup Sour Cream

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

What You Will Need For The Icing

1 12-Ounce Bag (2 Cups) Semisweet Chocolate Chips

2 Cups Sugar

2/3 Cup Milk

1 Cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, Cut Into Pieces

¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter 3 nonstick 8-inch cake pans with 1 and 1/2 –inch sides.

To Make The Cake: Combine the cake mix, water, eggs, oil, sour cream, vanilla, and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Beat on low speed until the mixture is well blended. Increase the speed to medium if using a stand mixer (high for a hand mixer) and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely on the racks.

To Make The Icing: Put the chocolate chips in the metal bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer. Combine the sugar, milk, butter, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Let boil vigorously for exactly 1 minute. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the chocolate. Add the vanilla. Beat on medium speed until the mixture begins to thicken to a spreadable consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.

To assemble, place 1 cake, flat-side up, on a platter. Spread one third of the icing (about ¾ cup) over the top of the cake. Top with the second cake, flat-side up, and spread one third of the icing (about ¾ cup) over the top. Next, place the first two iced cakes in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to prevent the cake from sliding or toppling over. Top with the third cake, flat-side up, and spread a thick layer of the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake.

Amber’s Notes: In my opinion, this must be made with Ghiradelli chocolate chips and only Ghirardelli chocolate chips. Placing the bottom layer or 2 layers in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before icing additional layers is also a must. Adding an extra ½ cup of chocolate chips to the cake batter is a good idea too-why not? Sometimes, we cut a slice and warm it in the microwave until it’s a bit melted-deliciously gooey! You can make the icing in advance the day before and store it in a sealed container. Bring it to room temperature prior to icing the cake. Enjoy!

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YOUR TURN: What would be your last meal? My kids request this cake for every birthday, without fail. What traditional foods do you serve to your family?