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Seven Layer Chocolate Cake

A family recipe for seven layers of vanilla cake and a super indulgent chocolate fudge frosting. This cake is similar to the Smith Island Cake - the state cake of Maryland. A vintage classic!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 467 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Ingredients for Cake Layers
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup superfine granulated sugar or caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups all purpose flour or plain flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup soured milk made by putting 1 tablespoon white vinegar in a measuring cup and topping up to 1 cup with whole milk, mix and leave for 10 minutes before use. This is a classic buttermilk substitution.
Ingredients for Frosting
  • 2 cups caster sugar
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 6 oz chocolate morsels, milk or dark dependent on preference

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (165C/150C Fan)
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt with a fork. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  5. Add flour mixture and soured milk alternating the two and mixing well after each addition.
  6. Grease and flour 9" cake tins (as many as you have available)
  7. Pour about 1 cup of batter into each cake tin and carefully spread evenly to the edges.
  8. Cook each layer for approximately 10 minutes, watching carefully for signs of burning. These are very thin layers and should be lightly golden around the edges, but not browning on top.
  9. Remove the layers from the oven and immediately flip out onto parchment paper, dusted with flour - repeat the baking process until you have finished making your layers (this recipe should yield seven). Allow the layers to cool completely.
  10. For the frosting, combine sugar, milk and butter in a medium saucepan and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches approximately 230°F as measured on an instant read or candy thermometer.
  11. Remove from the heat and add chocolate morsels, stirring until the mixture is smooth and chocolate melted.
  12. Spread some frosting on each layer of the cake and stack these. Move quickly as the frosting will start to harden. The frosting should make enough to sandwich each layer in chocolate, but will not go around the sides of the cake.

Notes

  • See the blog post for additional tips and tricks.

Nutrition Information

Calories 467kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 61.8g (21%) Protein 5.5g (11%) Fat 23.4g (36%) Saturated Fat 14.2g (71%) Cholesterol 103mg (34%) Sodium 278mg (12%) Potassium 118mg (3%) Fiber 1.1g (4%) Sugar 46g (92%) Calcium 82mg (8%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 467

% Daily Value*

Calories 467kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 61.8g 21%
Protein 5.5g 11%
Fat 23.4g 36%
Saturated Fat 14.2g 71%
Cholesterol 103mg 34%
Sodium 278mg 12%
Potassium 118mg 3%
Fiber 1.1g 4%
Sugar 46g 92%
Calcium 82mg 8%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.