Chocolatey Chocolate Cake

The annual family get together was this past weekend and dinner was at our house on Friday.  Since I couldn’t plan the meal until Friday morning, I decided to make it simple and only try out 3 new recipes on my family.  The family was gracious as always – the meal was not ready when I thought it would be; the potato casserole spilled over and there was smoke throughout the house; the shrimp dish was intended to be an appetizer but my mismanagement of time made it part of the full meal which means that I should have bought more shrimp and I will have to make again so I can take a picture and post the recipe on this blog.  This chocolate cake was one of the 2 dessert options (the other being a raspberry clafoutis) and was inspired by Barefoot Contessa’s Beatty’s Chocolate Cake with an adjustment to the frosting. 

Every good hostess gives their guests a thoughtful and inspired party favor.  My parting gift?  The flu. 

 

Chocolatey Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

1. Butter or Pam, for greasing the pans
2. 1 3/4 c all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
3. 2 c sugar
4. 3/4 c good cocoa powder
5. 2 t baking soda
6. 1 t baking powder
7. 1 t kosher salt
8. 1 c buttermilk
9. 1/2 c vegetable oil
10. 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
11. 1 t pure vanilla extract
12. 1 c freshly brewed hot coffee

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (from the Brown Eyed Baker)

1. 1 c (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2. 2½ c powdered sugar
3. 1 t vanilla extract
4. 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

To make the frosting:

Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the chocolate.

You can store any unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container; let it come to room temperature and then give it a quick whip in the mixer before using.