Chicago Cake Allan Sandwich Recipe

Prepare and preheat

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; lightly flour the sides or dust with cocoa powder.

Whisk together the dry ingredients: in a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until uniformly combined.

Combine wet ingredients: in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract until smooth.

Make the batter: add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour in the boiling water gradually while stirring (batter will be thin) until incorporated. Scrape the bowl to ensure no pockets of dry flour remain.

Divide and bake: divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans (about 2 1/2 cups per pan). Smooth tops and bake on the center rack for 28–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway through baking for even color.

Cool the layers: remove cakes from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge to loosen, invert onto cooling racks, remove parchment, and cool completely (at least 1 hour) before assembling.

Heat cream: place the semisweet chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, warm the 3/4 cup heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer (small bubbles at the edge), then pour over the chocolate.

Make ganache: let sit 1 minute, then stir gently until smooth and glossy. Stir in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter until incorporated. If the ganache is too thin for spreading, let it cool at room temperature 30–45 minutes to thicken; you can chill briefly, stirring every 5–10 minutes until spreadable.

Beat the butter: in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or whisk) attachment, beat the room-temperature unsalted butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1–2 minutes.

Add sugar: reduce speed to low and add the sifted confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping the bowl between additions. After all sugar is incorporated, increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute to lighten.

Add liquids and chocolate: with mixer on low, add the 1/2 cup heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt. Then pour in the melted dark chocolate and continue beating on medium-high until the buttercream is smooth, fluffy and spreadable, about 2–3 minutes. If too stiff, add 1 tablespoon cream; if too loose, add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and beat to adjust consistency. Taste and adjust salt or vanilla as desired.

Level and brush: if cake layers have domes, level them with a serrated knife or cake leveler so they stack evenly. Lightly brush the cut surfaces with the cooled espresso (about 2 tablespoons per layer) to add moisture and a coffee-chocolate lift.

First layer: place the first cake layer, cut-side up, on a cake board or serving plate. Spread a generous even layer (about 3/4 cup) of the cooled, thickened chocolate ganache over the top, leaving 1/4 inch from the edge.

Middle buttercream: pipe or spread about 1 1/2 cups of the Chicago buttercream over the ganache layer in a thin even layer to create contrast and structure.

Second layer: invert the second cake layer (cut-side down) onto the buttercream. Press lightly to adhere. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream around the sides and top (about 1/2 cup) and refrigerate 20 minutes to set.

Final frosting: remove cake from refrigerator and apply remaining buttercream to fully cover top and sides, smoothing with a bench scraper or offset spatula for clean edges. If you like a layered look, pipe decorative swirls around the top edge.

Finish with chocolate: sprinkle chocolate shavings or sprinkles over the top and around the base. Optionally, drizzle a little extra melted chocolate over the top for sheen. Chill the cake 30 minutes to set before slicing for cleaner cuts.

Serve: bring cake to room temperature 20–30 minutes before serving for optimal texture. Slice with a sharp knife warmed under hot water and wiped dry between cuts.