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French Silk Pie Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 126 reviews

This French Silk Pie Cake combines the rich, fudgy texture of a cocoa chocolate cake with a luxurious, creamy French silk frosting made from melted chocolate, butter, sugar, and eggs. Moist and decadent, it’s layered and topped with chocolate flakes for an elegant finish.

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 okay, 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 decoration)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round baking pans and dust them with cocoa powder to prevent sticking. Line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy release.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all dry ingredients: flour, granulated sugar, sifted Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir gently to blend.
  3. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Slowly pour in the hot water while whisking continuously to avoid cooking the eggs.
  4. Combine Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the batter is smooth and thin.
  5. Bake Cake Layers: Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans. Using a kitchen scale ensures equal portions. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
  6. Cool Cake: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  7. Make Frosting – Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and caster sugar in a chilled bowl for about 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
  8. Add Chocolate and Vanilla: Mix in the cooled melted unsweetened chocolate and vanilla extract, whipping until well combined. Scrape bowl as needed.
  9. Add Eggs to Frosting: Change to the whisk attachment. Add the cold pasteurized whole eggs one at a time, whipping for 5 minutes after each addition. Scrape the bowl before adding each egg to ensure thorough mixing.
  10. Chill Frosting: The frosting will be runny at this stage. Place the mixing bowl with the whisk attachment into the refrigerator. Chill for 30 minutes, removing every 10 minutes to whip again to keep the texture smooth and airy.
  11. Assemble Cake: Place one cake layer on a cake board or plate. Using a French star piping tip, pipe dollops of the chilled frosting onto the cake layer. Repeat with the second layer. Finish by sprinkling chocolate flakes or sprinkles over the top for a decorative touch.

Notes

  • Use pasteurized eggs to ensure safety since the frosting contains raw eggs.
  • Chilling the frosting between whippings helps achieve the classic silky texture of French silk.
  • For even layers, use a kitchen scale to divide batter precisely.
  • Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
  • Use a chilled bowl when creaming butter and sugar to maintain frosting texture.
  • This cake is rich and best served at room temperature.

Keywords: French Silk Pie Cake, chocolate cake, French silk frosting, chocolate dessert, layered cake, rich chocolate cake, buttercream frosting

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