Colossal Chocolate Cake

Directions

1. 1
   Position a rack in the middle of the oven and another rack above it. Preheat to 350 degrees.
2. 2
   Oil three 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl.
3. 3
   Add the dry ingredients to the strainer. Tap the strainer against the palm of your hand to sift the ingredients into the bowl. Stir.
4. 4
   with a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients.
5. 5
   Whisk the liquid ingredients in a separate medium bowl until well combined. Pour the dry mixture and stir with a whisk until the.
6. 6
   batter is smooth. This batter is meant to be fairly thin.
7. 7
   Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Place two pans on the lower rack and center the remaining pan on the upper rack.
8. 8
   Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the pans on wire racks for ten minutes. Run a thin knife between the cake and the inside of the pan, and invert each layer onto a rack.
9. 9
   Remove the pans and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Invert again topside up on a rack to cool completely.
10. 10
    To protect the layers from cracking or breaking, slide a cardboard circle under each one. Wrap the layers in plastic wrap, and.
11. 11
    refrigerate 1 to 8 hours, until cold, before filling and frosting.
12. 12
    Cover a cake-decorating turntable or other elevated surface with a piece of parchment paper to catch any frosting that drops off the cake.
13. 13
    Set the first layer on the turntable. Use a long serrated knife to level the tops of the layers, if needed.
14. 14
    Use an off set spatula to spread about 1 1/2 cups of frosting on the layer,covering a section at a time.
15. 15
    Place another layer bottom-side up on the cream-covered layer, remove the cardboard, and spread with another 1 1/2 cups of the cream.
16. 16
    Remove the third layer from the cardboard onto the top of the cake. Press down lightly and push one or two thin, long wooden skewers.
17. 17
    through the middle of the cake to keep the layers from slipping.
18. 18
    Spread about 1 1/2 cups frosting over the top, swirling as you go.
19. 19
    by pushing the spatula in and out of the cream.
20. 20
    Push excess frosting off the top onto the sides, then frost the sides. After the sides are covered, you can spread additional frosting on the top.
21. 21
    The cake is ready to serve immediately but can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Use a long, sharp knife to slice the cake.
22. 22
    Remove the skewers before slicing.
23. 23
    Bon Appetit!