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Kuromi Birthday Cake

Kuromi Birthday Cake Recipe

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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup hot coffee
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 to 3 tbsp milk
  • Pink gel food coloring
  • Black gel food coloring

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch pans. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry. Stir in hot coffee.
  3. Divide batter between pans and bake 28 to 32 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then turn onto a rack to cool completely. Level the tops.
  4. Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla and milk. Reserve 1/3 cup white frosting. Tint remaining frosting pink and a small amount black.
  5. Fill and stack layers with pink frosting. Apply a crumb coat, chill 20 minutes, then frost with a final smooth pink layer.
  6. Pipe a white oval for the face. Add pink cheek dots, black eyes, a small mouth, and pipe a black triangle hat with side points. Let set 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

The prep time accounts for the active hands-on work; cooling the cake layers and the crumb coat chill add about 1 hour total. For the cleanest piping, keep the reserved frostings covered when not in use so they stay soft.