Chocolate Surprise Stripe Cake

Name: Chocolate Surprise Stripe Cake
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT1H15M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT2H45M0.000S
Yield: 25 servings
Ingredients: Vegetable shortening, for greasing cake pans; 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups granulated sugar; 3/4 cup extra-dark cocoa powder; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten; 1 cup buttermilk; 1 cup espresso; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 cup pasteurized egg whites; 1 pound powdered sugar; 2 pounds salted butter, softened; 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract; 2 cups granulated sugar; 1 cup buttermilk; 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, such as Crisco; 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter; 1 teaspoon baking soda; Raspberry jam, for filling

Getting reviews...

Level: Advanced

Total: 2 hr 45 min (includes cooling time)
Active: 1 hr 15 min

Yield: 25 servings

Level: Advanced

Total: 2 hr 45 min (includes cooling time)
Active: 1 hr 15 min

Yield: 25 servings

Ingredients

Cake:

Vegetable shortening, for greasing cake pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup extra-dark cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup espresso

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Icing:

1/2 cup pasteurized egg whites

1 pound powdered sugar

2 pounds salted butter, softened

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Southern Caramel Icing/Crumble:

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, such as Crisco

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

Raspberry jam, for filling

Directions

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 2-by-9-inch round cake pans with shortening. Line with parchment cut to neatly cover the bottom and sides of the pans.
In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, espresso, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix on medium speed. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans and continue baking until an inserted skewer comes out clean, another 15 minutes. Cool on a rack, unmold and return to the rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream icing: With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg whites and powdered sugar for 5 minutes. Add the butter and vanilla and beat for 10 minutes, until fluffy. (Makes 3 pounds.)
For the caramel icing/crumble: Mix the sugar, buttermilk, shortening, butter and baking soda in a 3- or 4-quart cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook to the softball stage (235 to 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer), swirling the pan to keep the ingredients moving.
Remove from the heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and spreadable. Spread on a silicone mat and set aside. When cool, break into a crumble.
To create the striped filling: Put one-third of the vanilla buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 1/3-inch tip. Put an equivalent amount of raspberry jam into a second piping bag, also fitted with a 1/3-inch tip.
When the cakes are completely cool, pipe a dollop of buttercream into the center of one of the layers. Pipe concentric circles around the first dollop, working outward and alternating between circles of raspberry jam and buttercream¿this will be your bottom layer.
Lightly place the remaining cake layer on top of the 'piped' bottom layer. Use the remaining buttercream to ice the entire cake.
Add the crumbled caramel by patting small handfuls onto the top of the iced cake.