Ombré Chocolate Cake

A beautifully layered ombré chocolate cake featuring white, milk, semisweet, and dark chocolate tiers with rich, matching frosting—an elegant, decadent treat for any celebration.

Recipe Information

Total Time:

Yield:

16 servings

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

1½ cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1¾ cup sour cream

1 cup hot water

4 ounces white chocolate, melted

4 ounces milk chocolate, melted

4 ounces semisweet chocolate (60% cacao), melted and cooled

4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (100% cacao), melted and cooled

⅓ cup honey

1 recipe Ombré Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate curls, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 8-inch-round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in sugar until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream, beating until combined after each addition.
With mixer on low speed, beat in hot water until just combined. Divide cake batter evenly into four medium bowls; set two bowls aside. Add melted white chocolate to one bowl of batter, stirring until combined; set aside. Repeat by stirring melted milk chocolate into another bowl of batter.
Pour cake batters into prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers of cakes comes out clean. Cool cakes on wire racks. Remove cakes from pans; remove and discard parchment paper.
Wash cake pans; line with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Add melted semisweet chocolate to one bowl of reserved batter, stirring until combined. Repeat by stirring melted unsweetened chocolate and honey into the remaining bowl of reserved batter. Pour cake batters into prepared pans.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers of cakes comes out clean. Cool cakes on wire racks. Trim and level off tops of any rounded cake layers.
To assemble, place the darkest cake layer on a cake serving platter. Spread top with ¾ cup darkest-chocolate colored Ombré Chocolate Frosting. Place second darkest cake layer on top; frost top with ¾ cup second-darkest colored frosting. Top with milk chocolate cake layer; frost top with ¾ cup milk chocolate frosting. Finish topping with white chocolate cake layer.
Chill cake for 15 minutes to let layers set. Remove cake from refrigerator and frost top with ¾ cup white chocolate frosting. Frost side of cake with remaining frostings, corresponding to cake layers. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.