Molly Yeh's Chocolate Chili Splatter Paint Cake
ingredients
Cake
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup flavorless oil, like canola
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup boiling water
Frosting
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- a good pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons tequila, or to taste (optional)
Splatter Paint
- gel or liquid food coloring
- for each color: 1 tb liquid (water, booze, milk) + 1/2 c powdered sugar
prep
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients except for the boiling water.
- Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then stir in the boiling water.
- Pour into cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Begin checking for doneness at 28 minutes. let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn the cakes onto a lightly greased cooling rack.
Frosting:
- Use an electric mixer to beat together all of the ingredients.
Splatter Paint:
- For each color, mix together a few drops of food coloring with 1 tb liquid and 1/2 c powdered sugar in a small bowl.
Assembly:
- Once your cakes are fully cooled, level them.
- Place one layer on a cake board, spread a thick layer of frosting on top, and then place the other layer on top of that.
- Use an offset spatula to frost the cake smoothly all over. freeze the cake for about 10 minutes, to firm up the frosting.
- Use a spoon or fork to drizzle your splatter paint all over the cake.
- Enjoy!
