This rich,dense, spectacularly chocolate cake in every is my absolute favorite of all cakes. It has a delicate moist crumb and the dream-like chocolate buttercream frosting stays light and fluffy to the very last slice. This is the cake I make for any and every occasion.
For every day snacking I make it as a one layer cake or loaf cake. You can double the recipe for a two layer cake or a sheet cake. I have made a magnificent three layer birthday cake using this recipe. Baking is a science and one can not always double a recipe successfully. This sweetheart of a cake does allow you to double the ingredients ( but no further). For a three layer cake I bake a double cake and then the single cake. All this belies that fact that it is incredibly easy to make.
This most chocolate of cakes uses unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder in the cake and the frosting. It has a smoother, more mellow flavour than cocoa but you can use either. Buttermilk adds a suggestion of tangy flavour and a small amount of coffee brings a deeper note of richness to the cake. If you don’t have a mixer you a generous sized whip will do the trick. The icing does require a mixer so the chocolate glaze would be the answer.
If you are passionate about cooking and baking I high recommend using a scale. I use a combination of measuring spoons and a scale. It is more accurate than measuring cups and eliminates scraping sour cream or honey out of a measuring cup or spoon. Clean up is much easier and that makes me happy.
| CHOCOLATEY CHOCOLATE CAKE . . . WITH SINFULLY FLUFFY ICING | Print |
- CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, well shaken at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 jl) neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
- ¼ cup (55 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¾ cup (68 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup (60 ml) strong hot coffee (or water)
- FLUFFY CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- 6 tb (85 g) unsalted butter, VERY SOFT
- ¼ (23 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, SIFTED
- 1 cup (100g) confectioners' sugar, SIFTED
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 to 3 tbs milk (or a tiny bit more if needed)
- COCOA GLAZE
- 1 cup (100g) confectioners' sugar,SIFTED
- 3 tbs unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 tbs unsalted butter, VERY SOFT
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 to 3 tbsp boiling water
- Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Your cake will rise better if you wait at least 15 minutes or more AFTER the oven reaches temperature before putting the cake in. (Something to remember no matter what you are baking or roasting)
- Butter your 9-inch round baking pan and line with parchment paper. If you are using an 8-inch square baking pan line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edge. This allows you to easily remove the cooled baked cake.
- MAKE THE CAKE
- In your stand mixer whisk the eggs for two or three minutes until they begin to thicken and become creamy.
- Add the sugar and whip for another two minutes.
- Add the buttermilk, oil, butter, vanilla and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified.
- Add the cocoa powder and whisk until combined. It will take a couple of minutes for the cocoa powder to be completed absorbed by the liquid mixture. Be sure all the cocoa is combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and whisk at low speed until well combined. Do not over mix.
- Gently stir in the coffee.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and smooth the top of the batter with an offset spatula.
- Bake the cake until puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then turn out on to a rack to cool completely. If you have baked your cake in the square baking pan use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it to cool on a rack.
- MAKE THE FROSTING
- Add the very soft butter to the bowl and mix on medium-high until sooth and creamy.
- Turn the mixer to low, add the cocoa powder and mix until smooth, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. The cocoa powder and butter do not assimilate quickly so be patient.
- Add the sugar slowly. A couple of tablespoons at a time. Mix until the sugar is moistened then add the vanilla, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons milk.
- Turn the mixer to medium high and whip until light and fluffy, adding more milk as necessary to make a smooth and fluffy frosting.
- Top the cooled cake with swoops of frosting. Store the cake, covered, at room temperature or in the fridge for up to three days.
- TO MAKE THE GLAZE
- Add the confectioners' sugar and cocoa to a bowl. Whisk until combined and any lumps in the cocoa have been broken up. Add the butter, salt and 2 tablespoons boiling water and quickly whisk until smooth; If the glaze is very thick add a few drops of water until it has a smooth and pourable consistency.
- Immediately pour the glaze over the cooked cake. The glaze will harden to a more spreadable rather than pourable consistency if you let it set. Let the glaze set for about 20 minutes before slicing the cake. Store the cake, covered at room temperature or in the fridge for u to three days.
