Chocolate Snowy Cake

This three-layer sheet cake is a real showstopper: a dark cocoa cake on the bottom, a thick whipped cream filling in the middle, and a glossy poured chocolate frosting on top. The “snowy” part comes from that bright white filling peeking out from beneath the dark chocolate glaze.

The cake itself is a classic wacky cake formula. No eggs in the batter. Vinegar reacts with baking soda to create the lift, and vegetable oil keeps it moist. It bakes flat in a jellyroll pan, which gives you a thin, even layer that supports the heavy filling without collapsing.

The filling is where most people go wrong. The cornstarch-and-milk mixture must cool completely before you beat it into the butter and sugar. Warm custard will melt the butter and leave you with a greasy, soupy layer instead of something fluffy and cloud-like.

Pro Tips

• Beat the filling on high speed for a full 3 to 4 minutes after adding the cooled cornstarch mixture. It should look like whipped cream, not buttercream.
• Pour the chocolate frosting while it is still warm and spreadable. It sets quickly as it cools.
• Refrigerate the finished cake for at least an hour before cutting. The cold firms up all three layers so slices come out clean.
• Use Dutch-process cocoa for a darker color and smoother chocolate flavor.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the cake batter to deepen the chocolate flavor.
• Fold crushed peppermint candy into the filling for a chocolate-mint holiday version.
• Swap the whipped cream filling for a peanut butter version (add ½ cup peanut butter to the butter mixture).