Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well blended.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Add Boiling Water: Carefully stir in the boiling water until fully combined. The batter will be thin.
- Divide and Color: Divide the batter evenly into three bowls. If using food coloring, add a dark shade to the first, a medium shade to the second, and a light shade (or none) to the third bowl.
- Bake Cakes: Pour each colored batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Frosting Prep: Combine the chocolate frosting and vanilla frosting to create a single blend (or use them separately for color contrast).
- Assemble: Once cooled, stack the cakes in order of color (darkest on the bottom), spreading a layer of the combined frosting between each layer and on the top and sides of the cake.
- Chill and Serve: Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes to set the frosting before slicing and serving.
Notes
Richer Flavor: Substitute half of the boiling water with brewed coffee for a richer chocolate flavor.
Lighter Version: Use a sugar substitute and a low-fat frosting for a lighter cake.
Batter Consistency: Do not worry; the batter will be very thin due to the boiling water, which is what creates a moist cake.
Ombre Effect: The color change will be subtle since the cake base is already dark chocolate; use gel food coloring for the best result.