│ Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350F. │
│ Butter one 5-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides, one 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides and one 12-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. │
│ Dust pans with flour; line bottoms with parchment. │
│ Combine 1/3 cup orange juice and 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate in heavy small saucepan. │
│ Stir mixture over medium-low heat until chocolate melts. │
│ Remove from heat. │
│ Gradually mix in 1 2/3 cups orange juice. │
│ Sift 3 cups flour, 2/3 cup cocoa, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder into medium bowl. │
│ using electric mixer, beat 1 cup (2 sticks) butter and 3 cups sugar in large bowl until blended (mixture will look grainy). │
│ Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating to blend after each. │
│ Beat in 1 tablespoon orange peel and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. │
│ Add dry ingredients alternately with orange juice mixture in 3 additions each, beating well after each addition. │
│ Mix in 1 cup chocolate chips. │
│ Transfer 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons batter to prepared 5-inch pan, 3 cups batter to prepared 8-inch pan and remaining batter (about 6 cups) to 12-inch pan. │
│ Place 5-inch and 8-inch pans on center rack of oven. │
│ Place 12-inch pan on lower rack of oven. │
│ Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. │
│ Transfer cakes in pans to racks and cool completely. │
│ Mark 4-inch diameter circle on one 6-inch-diameter cardboard cake round. │
│ Cut out marked circle. │
│ Mark 7-inch-diameter circle on one 8-inch-diameter cardboard cake round. │
│ Cut out marked circle. │
│ Mark 11-inch-diameter circle on one 12-inch-diameter cardboard cake round. │
│ Cut out marked circle. │
│ Cut around sides of 5-inch-cake to loosen. │
│ Place 4-inch cardboard over pan. │
│ Hold cardboard and pan together; turn cake out onto cardboard. │
│ Peel off parchment.Wrap cakes on its cardboard in foil. │
│ Repeat turning out, peeling off parchment and wrapping cakes in foil, using 7-inch cardboard for 8-inch cake and 11-inch cardboard for 12-inch cake. │
│ Using remaining ingredients, make 1 more batch of cake batter and bake 3 more cake layers as described above. │
│ Cool cakes in pans. │
│ Cover cakes in pans tightly with foil. │
│ (Can be prepared ahead. │
│ Let stand at room temperature up to 1 day or double-wrap all cake layers and freeze up to 1 week. │
│ Bring cake layers to room temperature before using.) │
│ Place first 12-inch cake on its cardboard on work surface. │
│ Spread 2 3/4 cups ganache over top of cake and all the way to edge. │
│ Spread 2/3 cup jam over ganache, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. │
│ Drop 1 3/4 cups white chocolate frosting by spoonfuls over jam. │
│ Gently spread frosting over jam, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. │
│ Rub some cocoa powder over second 12-inch cardboard. │
│ Cut around sides of second 12-inch cake to loosen. │
│ Place cardboard, cocoa side down, over pan. │
│ Turn cake out onto cardboard. │
│ Peel off parchment. │
│ Carefully slide cake off cardboard and onto filling on first 12-inch cake. │
│ Refrigerate. │
│ Place first 8-inch cake on its cardboard on work surface. │
│ Spread 1 cup ganache over top all the way to edge. │
│ Spread 1/4 cup jam over, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. │
│ Drop 1 cup white chocolate frosting by spoonfuls over jam. │
│ Gently spread frosting over jam, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. │
│ Rub some cocoa over second 8-inch cardboard. │
│ Cut around sides of second 8-inch cake to loosen. │
│ Place cardboard, cocoa side down, over pan. │
│ Turn cake out onto cardboard. │
│ Peel off parchment. │
│ Slide cake off cardboard and onto filling on first 8-inch cake. │
│ Refrigerate. │
│ Place first 5-inch cake on its cardboard on work surface. │
│ Spread 1/2 cup ganache over top of cake and all the way to edge. │
│ Spread 2 tablespoons jam over, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. │
│ Drop 1/3 cup white chocolate frosting by spoonfuls over jam. │
│ Gently spread frosting over jam, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. │
│ Rub cocoa over second 6-inch cardboard. │
│ Cut around sides of second 5-inch cake to loosen. │
│ Place cardboard, cocoa side down, over pan. │
│ Turn cake out onto cardboard. │
│ Peel off parchment. │
│ Slide cake off cardboard and onto filling on first 5-inch cake. │
│ Chill all cakes 1 hour to set filling. │
│ Place 12-inch tiered cake on its cardboard on revolving cake stand. │
│ Spread 2 2/3 cups frosting over top and sides of cake as a first coat. │
│ Refrigerate cake. │
│ Place 8-inch tiered cake on its cardboard on cake stand. │
│ Spread 1 1/4 cups frosting over top and sides of cake as a first coat. │
│ Refrigerate cake. │
│ Place 5-inch tiered cake on its cardboard on cake stand. │
│ Spread 3/4 cup frosting over top and sides of cake as a first coat. │
│ Refrigerate all cakes until first coats of frosting set, about 1 hour. │
│ (Cakes can be made to this point up to 1 day ahead; cover and keep refrigerate.) │
│ Prepare second batch of frosting, using remaining frosting ingredients and following directions for first batch. │
│ Spoon 2 cups frosting into pastry bag fitted with small star tip. │
│ Place 12-inch cake on its cardboard on large flat platter. │
│ Place platter on cake stand. │
│ Using icing spatula, spread 2 1/2 cups frosting over top and sides of cake; smooth top. │
│ Using filled pastry bag, pipe decorative border around top edge of cake. │
│ Refrigerate cake on platter. │
│ Place 8-inch cake on its cardboard on cake stand. │
│ Using icing spatula, spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over top and sides of cake; smooth top. │
│ Using pastry bag, pipe decorative border around top edge of cake. │
│ Refrigerate cake on its cardboard. │
│ Place 5-inch cake on its cardboard on cake stand. │
│ Using icing spatula, spread 3/4 cup frosting over top and sides of cake; smooth top. │
│ Using pastry bag, pipe decorative border around top edge of cake, spooning more frosting into bag if necessary. │
│ Refrigerate cake on its cardboard. │
│ Keep all cakes refrigerated until frosting sets, about 2 hours. │
│ (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. │
│ Cover loosely; keep refrigerated.) │
│ Place 12-inch cake on platter on work surface. │
│ Press 1 wooden dowel straight down into and completely through center of cake. │
│ Mark dowel 1/4 inch above top of frosting. │
│ Remove dowel and cut with serrated knife at marked point. │
│ Cut 4 more dowels to same length. │
│ Press 1 cut dowel back into center of cake. │
│ Press remaining 4 cut dowels into cake, positioning 3 1/2 inches inward from cake edges and spacing evenly. │
│ Place 8-inch cake on its cardboard on work surface. │
│ Press 1 dowel straight down into and completely through center of cake. │
│ Mark dowel 1/4 inch above top of frosting. │
│ Remove dowel and cut with serrated knife at marked point. │
│ Cut 3 more dowels to same length. │
│ Press 1 cut dowel back into center of cake. │
│ Press remaining 3 cut dowels into cake, positioning 2 1/2 inches inward from edges and spacing evenly. │
│ Using large metal spatula as aid, place 8-inch cake on its cardboard atop dowels in 12-inch cake, centering carefully. │
│ Gently place 5-inch cake on its cardboard atop dowels in 8-inch cake, centering carefully. │
│ Using citrus stripper, cut long strips of orange peel from oranges. │
│ Cut strips into long segments. │
│ To make orange peel coils, wrap peel segment around handle of wooden spoon; gently slide peel off handle so that peel keeps coiled shape. │
│ Garnish cake with orange peel coils, ivy or mint sprigs, and some berries. │
│ (Assembled cake can be made up to 8 hours ahead. │
│ Let stand at cool room temperature.) │
│ Remove top and middle cake tiers. │
│ Remove dowels from cakes. │
│ Cut top and middle cakes into slices. │
│ To cut 12-inch cake: Starting 3 inches inward from edge and inserting knife straight down, cut through from top to bottom to make 6-inch-diameter circle in center of cake. │
│ Cut outer portion of cake into slices; cut inner portion into slices and serve with strawberries. │