Triple Layer Chocolate Piñata Cake with Fudge Frosting

Birthdays are one of my favorite things to celebrate. I've always loved birthdays because I love having family gathered together to celebrate. At work there are a LOT of birthdays in July, and they all fall within two weeks of each other. One of the guys doesn't have any family in the area and didn't have any plans to celebrate, which made me really sad, so of course I made a cake! 

Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is the favorite at the office and I wanted to throw a little twist on the traditional cake, so I made it a piñata cake! It was hilarious watching everyone marvel over how the M&M's got into the cake, but seeing how excited everyone was over the fact that it wasn't just a regular cake was totally worth it.

The cake was given two thumbs up by everyone at the office and it was totally demolished. I promise it's not that hard to make and everyone is capable of creating an extremely moist and fun cake!

Triple Layer Chocolate Piñata Cake

• 1 3/4 cups gluten free (or regular) all purpose flour
• 2 cups stevia or sugar (or other sugar replacer such as swerve) 
• 3/4 cup Hershey's special dark cocoa powder
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1.5 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or skim milk
• 1/2 cup safflower oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup boiling water

Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cook spray.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, stevia/sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt.

Add in eggs, milk, vanilla, and oil. Stir VERY well. If you don't feel like using a little arm muscle, use a mixer and beat on a low to medium speed until combined.

Pour boiling water into mixer and stir until combined- the batter will be very thin (almost pure liquid). It will take awhile to get water to combine, but it will mix in!

Once the batter is ready pour batter into each of the three prepared cake pans. 

Bake at 350F degrees for 25-30 minutes. Check to see if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick in the middle, if it comes out clean it is done, if not bake for an additional 2-3 minutes and check again. Be sure to check each of the cakes.

Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting. I allowed mine to cool for 4 hours and to be double safe I popped them in the fridge for another hour to cool.

While the cakes are cooling prepare the frosting. 

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4.5 cups powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
• 3/4 cup Hershey's special dark cocoa powder

Using a stand mixer beat butter until smooth and light, use a medium/high speed.

Combine the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl and sift (or whisk) them together to prevent lumps.

Slowly add cocoa powder/powdered sugar into mixer. 

Then, add in milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix until combined and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick add a splash more of milk.

The frosting can be kept in the fridge overnight if assembling the cake the next day.

Creating the Piñata

When the cakes are completely cooled remove the cakes from the pans. 

Take one of the cakes and using a round object, such as a solo cup, trace the shape onto the cake and cut the circle out of the cake. You should have a perfectly round center cut out of one of the layers.

Take one of the uncut layers and smear a bit of frosting on the top. You don't need a ton of frosting, but enough to hold the layers together. 

Place the layer with the hole on top of the frosted layer.

Fill the hole with any goodies of choice. I used about 3/4 cup of M&M's. 

Again frost the top of the second layer and remember to frost the inner circle of the piñata layer. 

Place the third and final layer on top of the piñata layer. This layer you want to generously frost because it is your top layer. Remember to frost the sides of the cake as well. 

If you want to write on the cake allow the frosting to harden for a few hours or overnight. I saved a bit of leftover frosting in case I messed up writing on the cake.

The cake can be kept in a cool area, preferably covered, for a few days. Keep any leftover frosting in the refrigerator. 

Congrats you've just made a very chocolatey piñata cake and it wasn't even that hard (see I told you!)!!

*I did not calculate nutrition for this cake. I don't like sweets so I didn't eat it, but a birthday is a special time and as long as you're not eating the entire cake it's ok to treat yourself.