Name: Black Onyx Cake with Vanilla Bean Paste Frosting
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: For cakes:; 3 cups milk; 3 Tbsp. lemon juice; 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; 3 cups granulated sugar; 1/2 vanilla bean of choice*:; 5 eggs; 3 1/3 cups cups all-purpose flour; For frosting:; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; 4 cups confectioners’ sugar; 4 to 6 Tbsp. milk

Black Onyx Cake with Vanilla Bean Paste Frosting

Recipe by Elizabeth Bannas, daughter of Savory Spice—Sellwood/Portland, OR owners Jim & Anne Brown

All-Purpose Cooking

Baking

This recipe yields a silky-smooth, moist cake. The cake is not too sweet, which makes the vanilla frosting a perfect pairing. We highly recommend the optional addition of maple extract in the frosting and maple sugar for dusting the finished cake.

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Serves 12 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cooking Time 40 minutes

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Black Onyx Cake with Vanilla Bean Paste Frosting

Ingredients

For cakes: 3 cups milk 3 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 3 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp. Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, OR

1/2 vanilla bean of choice*: Madagascar Vanilla Bean Mexican Vanilla Bean Ugandan Vanilla Bean 5 eggs 3 1/3 cups cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. Mayan Sea Salt

3/4 cup Black Onyx Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup Dutch Cocoa Powder For frosting: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tsp. Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste

1/2 tsp. Natural Maple Extract (optional)

4 to 6 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. Pure Maple Sugar (optional)

Madagascar Vanilla Beans

Mexican Vanilla Beans

Ugandan Vanilla Beans

Dutched Cocoa Powder

Directions

Step 1 For cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix milk with lemon juice and set aside; after 10 min. this mixture curdles/thickens into the equivalent of buttermilk.

Step 2 Beat butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste with an electric mixer until evenly blended. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and gradually add to butter mixture until combined. Add milk/lemon mixture until combined. Gradually increase speed to high and beat for 3 min., stopping to scrape sides of bowl as needed.

Step 3 Pour batter into 2 greased Bundt or cake pans and bake for 35 to 40 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes completely before turning out and frosting.

Step 4 For frosting: Beat butter, sugar, vanilla bean paste and maple extract (if using) with an electric mixer until evenly blended. Gradually add milk 1 Tbsp. at a time until desired consistency is reached. Less milk yields a spreadable frosting and more milk yields a pourable glaze. Frost cooled cakes and sprinkle with maple sugar (if using).

Recipe Notes

*To use vanilla beans: split beans in half lengthwise and scrape seeds out from pod with the back of a knife. Use empty pods to make homemade vanilla extract or flavor homemade vanilla sugar.

This recipe makes 2 (9- to 10-inch) Bundt cakes or round cakes for stacking. If using a round cake pan, make sure it has tall sides as the batter is thin and can overflow in a smaller cake pan.