We have teamed up with Stephanie from @tallgirlbakes to share a recipe for the perfect cake for any occasion. Not only does it look amazing, but it is simple to make! Grab your loved ones, make (and eat) this cake together and let us know what you think! For more delicious recipes head over to @tallgirlbakes and give her a follow!

CHOCOLATE CAKE

- 1 Box Chocolate or Devils Food Cake Mix

- 1 cup Buttermilk (room temp)

-1 cup full fat Sour Cream (room temp)

- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

- 1 Tbsp. Vanilla

- 4 Whole Eggs (room temp)

- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour

- 1/2 cup Sugar

- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

BUTTERCREAM 

- 5 oz. pasteurized egg whites (room temp)

- 6 sticks of Unsalted Butter (room temp)

- 24 oz. Powdered Sugar

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1 tbsp. real Vanilla

- 10-12 regular Oreo cookies

1. Preheat Oven to 325 degrees. Spray and line four 6-inch round sized cake pans with parchment. You can also wipe with shortening and dust with flour if parchment isn’t available.

2. Place Buttermilk, Eggs, Sour Cream, Veg Oil, and Vanilla into large bowl. Use whisk to thoroughly combine. Sift in the Cake Mix, Flour and sugar. Stir until just combined and then fold in the mini chips.

3. Split batter evenly between the four cake pans and Bake for 22-25 min, or until center is fully baked.

4. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 min before flipping cake onto wire racks to finish cooling. These cake layers come out pretty level, but if your layers dome in the middle you may need to trim the tops off. This is important for stacking later!

5. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer to firm up for 20-30 min before beginning to stack. You may wait until the next day if you want to break up the process, but let the cake layers thaw in the refrigerator for 20 min before stacking. You want them to be firm and cold but not frozen when you begin assembly.

1. Place egg whites and powdered sugar into bowl of stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip on low until combined and then on high for 4-5 min. This will form a meringue base for the buttercream.

2. With mixer on high, add butter in one stick at a time. Make sure to thoroughly mix between each one.

3. Don’t panic if mixture looks curdled at all, just keep whipping!

4. After all the butter is added, scrape down the sides of the mixer and continue to whip on high for another 5 minutes. Add extract and salt and mix until combined.

5. Using spatula, mix buttercream by hand for a few minutes to get air bubbles out. Make sure to scrape the bottom and ensure everything is fully mixed.

6. Divide buttercream in half. Cover and set one half aside for now. Color the other half with your desired shade using gel food coloring. Cover and set aside until you are ready to use. *If you are breaking the decorating process up over a couple days, you will put it in the refrigerator over night. You will need to bring it back to room temp and beat with spatula or mixer again before frosting your cake.*

7. Place Oreos into food processor and blend thoroughly. You don’t want any big pieces remaining. Mix the crushed Oreos into the other half of the buttercream (not colored) for your cake filling.

1. On a cake turntable, place an 8-inch cardboard round down and tape a 6-inch round on top of it. Place a small dollop of oreo buttercream on the middle of the board and place your first chilled cake round down. Try to center it on the 6-inch cake round as best you can and press down to ensure good contact with buttercream underneath.

2. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out 4 even scoops of the Oreo buttercream on top of the first round. Use an off-set spatula to evenly distribute and flatten the layer of buttercream to the edges of the cake round.

3. Place 2nd round of cake on top of buttercream and repeat scoop and level technique with Oreo buttercream. Continue this process with all 4 layers of cake, finishing with the last cake layer placed upside down to get as flat and even cake top as possible. Use the remaining Oreo buttercream to crumb coat the cake, making sure to keep the layers lined up and even as you go. We don’t want a lopsided cake!

4. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up before applying final coat of colored buttercream. May also leave in the refrigerator overnight if finishing the decorating process the next day.

5. Apply a final coat of the colored buttercream to the top and sides of cake. Use an off-set cake spatula and cake scraper to help get smooth sides and an even top. If applying a ganache drip you need to place in the refrigerator for an hour or the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.

- For a white chocolate drip the ratio is 4:1. So 1 cup of candy melts (in your color of choice) to 1/4 cup heavy cream.

1. Place candy melts and heavy cream into small measuring cup and microwave for 15-20 seconds. Stir well. If needed warm for another 10 seconds to make sure mixture combines together without lumps. Let it sit out at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it cools down and comes close to room temp. You don’t want it too warm or it will melt your cake when you apply it. You also don’t want it to cool down completely or it will be thick and will not drip down the sides nicely.

2. Using a plastic drip bottle (or a spoon if you don’t have a bottle), apply the ganache to the cake aiming for it to drip randomly, but not more than halfway down the cake. When finished, set the cake back into the refrigerator to set up before moving on.

- Using a sheet pan to catch any that may fall, cup some sprinkles into your hand and press gently into the bottom sides of the cake. Be careful to avoid touching the ganache drip you just did. I like to pick the big sprinkles out before doing this and apply them one by one later so they don’t smash into the sides. - Use a piping bag and a 1M tip to pipe swirls on top of the cake. Place Oreos in-between the swirls to give a look into the cake flavor hiding underneath. I like to go the extra mile and refill the Oreos with any leftover Oreo buttercream. Let them set up in the fridge first before placing them on the cake for easier maneuvering! - Finish by placing more sprinkles on the top of the cake. Fill the middle with them or place them on the swirls. Anywhere you want!

Make sure to keep finished cake refrigerated until party time. Buttercream will soften and the cake may start to sag if left out for too long. Cutting a chilled cake is always easier than a room temperature one! Enjoy!!

Stephanie is wearing the Basic Tee