Paul Prudhomme's Chocolate Cake with Mocha Icing

My love of Paul Prudhomme is no secret around these parts.  I have yet to try a recipe of his that isn't completely fantastic, and this just might be the most fantastic of all....and I don't even like chocolate cake.  We first tried this cake on that first trip to K-Paul's and my family has been making it ever since. In fact, I made one this week for Daddy's birthday, which we always celebrate on Thanksgiving.  Today, I'm enjoying a piece for breakfast....shhhhh, don't tell. 

Chocolate Cake with Mocha Icing
Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen

Cake:

• 2 2/3 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2  teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark brown sugar -- packed
• 1 1/2  sticks unsalted butter -- softened
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate -- melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Glaze:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mocha Icing:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter -- room temp.
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2  cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium-size bowl and set aside. 
• Place the brown sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer; beat on high speed about 10 seconds to break up sugar. 
• Add the butter and beat until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand, about 1 minute. 
• Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended, about 10 seconds each time. 
• Add the corn syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 5 seconds. 
• Beat in the cooled chocolate until well blended and smooth, about 3-5 minutes, scraping bowl sides well. 
• Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with flour and beating after each addition just until smooth. 
• Pour equal amounts of the batter into three 8-inch round greased and lightly floured cake pans (1 1/2 inches deep). 
• Bake at 350 degrees until centers spring back when lightly pressed, about 35 - 40 minutes. 
• Remove cake layers from pans to a wire rack and glaze while still hot.  Cool thoroughly.  spread generously with icing between layers and on top and sides.

 Glaze: 

• In a small saucepan combine the water and sugar; bring to a boil. 
• Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. 
• With a pastry brush, brush hot glaze over the surface and a little on the sides of each cake layer, using all the glaze

.  Makes about 1 cup glaze. **Don't be tempted to skip this step!!

 Mocha Icing: 

• Cream the butter in a large bowl of an electric mixer on high speed until very creamy, about 2 minutes. 
• Gradually add the sugar and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, combine 1/3 cup of the cream and the remaining ingredients, stirring until thoroughly dissolved.  
• Add cream mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until well blended and sugar is completley dissolved, about 5 minutes, scraping bowl well. 
• Thin with a little more cream if desired. 
• Makes enough frosting for one 3-layer cake. (My note: when making the cake for an occasion where I want to decorate it [like Daddy's birthday] I make an extra 1/2 of the recipe to have enough to frost the cake and dye some for decorating.  However, this time I forgot, so decorated with chocolate chips.)

Happy, Happy Birthday, Pop!