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French Silk Pie Cake Recipe

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4.8 from 131 reviews

This French Silk Pie Cake recipe combines a rich, moist chocolate cake with a luscious, silky chocolate frosting inspired by classic French silk pie. The cake layers are baked to perfection and then frosted with a smooth, fluffy chocolate buttercream made with melted baker’s chocolate and eggs for a decadent dessert experience. Chocolate flakes add a finishing touch for extra texture and chocolate flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (sifted)
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

French Silk Frosting

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened, but still cool)
  • 1 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar; granulated will work, not powdered)
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 oz unsweetened Baker’s chocolate (melted and cooled completely)
  • 3 large whole eggs (pasteurized, cold)
  • Chocolate flakes or sprinkles for garnish

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cake Pans and Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round baking pans and dust them with cocoa powder. Line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy removal.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir briefly to mix evenly.
  3. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk (at room temperature), eggs, and vanilla extract. Slowly pour in the hot water while whisking to avoid cooking the eggs, blending until smooth.
  4. Mix Batter: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until combined and smooth. The batter will be very thin.
  5. Divide and Bake: Evenly pour the batter into the prepared pans. Using a kitchen scale helps to distribute the batter equally. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
  6. Cool Cakes: Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.
  7. Make French Silk Frosting: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Use a chilled bowl for best results.
  8. Add Chocolate and Vanilla: Add the melted and cooled baker’s chocolate and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Whip until fully combined, scraping the bowl when necessary.
  9. Incorporate Eggs: Switch to the whisk attachment. Add the pasteurized, cold eggs one at a time, whipping for 5 minutes after each addition. Scrape the bowl before adding the next egg. This process creates a smooth, silky frosting.
  10. Chill the Frosting: The frosting will be fairly runny. Place the entire bowl with the whisk attachment into the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes, taking it out to whip briefly every 10 minutes to maintain a light texture.
  11. Assemble Cake Layers: Place each cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Using a French star piping tip, pipe dollops of frosting on top of each layer, then sprinkle chocolate flakes on the dollops for garnish.
  12. Serve or Stack: You can serve the cake layers separately or chill both in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up. Then carefully remove one cake from its board and stack it on top of the other to create a two-layer cake.

Notes

  • Using pasteurized eggs in the frosting ensures safety since the eggs are consumed raw in this recipe.
  • Slowly add hot water to wet ingredients to prevent eggs from scrambling.
  • Chilling and whipping the frosting intermittently helps achieve the perfect silky texture.
  • Using a kitchen scale to divide batter ensures even cake layers.
  • If caster sugar is unavailable, fine granulated sugar can be used but avoid powdered sugar.
  • Chocolate flakes or sprinkles can be substituted with shaved chocolate or finely chopped chocolate for garnish.
  • Ensure cakes are completely cool before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.
  • This cake is best served within 2 days for optimal freshness.

Keywords: French Silk Pie Cake, chocolate cake, French silk frosting, chocolate dessert, classic chocolate cake, silky chocolate frosting

Find it online: https://freshrecipehub.com/french-silk-pie-cake-recipe/