The Best Chocolate Cake

Everytime I come home my mom begs me to make chocolate cake.  Since we me and my brothers were little, we've been eating chocolate cake from our favorite bakery on our birthdays.  It was our favorite cake, until everyone tasted this cake.  Now they're putting out orders for me to bake it for them.


This recipe is from Ina Garten and it is so simple.  This is seriously the best chocolate cake I've ever had and anyone who has ever tasted it will vouch for me.  This recipe calls for a cup of coffee and instant coffee in the frosting as well which brings out the chocolate flavor. 


I know a lot of people are afraid of baking, but try it out!


Cake:

flour, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, 2 eggs, buttermilk, salt, baking powder/soda, canola oil

sift together all the dry ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer

In another bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients

Slowly incorporate the wet into the dry with the mixer speed on low.  Then add a cup of coffee

Evenly distribute mixture into 2 floured 9-inch cake pans

Frosting:

Ingredients (not pictured, sorry!):  semisweet chocolate, butter, 1 egg yolk, vanilla extract, confectioner's sugar, instant coffee powder

Start by melting the chocolate in a double boiler

in your electric mixer, toss in the room temperature butter and beat it until it turns light yellow and becomes fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).  Then, add in the sifted confectioners sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.  In a separate bowl, mix together a tablespoon of instant coffee powder with 2 teaspoons of hot water and add it to the mixture.  Add in the melted chocolate and mix well

It should smell AMAZING now.

Once the cakes are out of the oven, you MUST let them cool completely before frosting the cake, otherwise the frosting is going to soften and it won't be evenly spread on the cake.  Believe me, I've had to learn this the hard way so now I just let my cakes sit overnight

On your cake stand or whatever you're putting the cake on, arrange 3 strips of wax paper around it so the frosting doesn't get everywhere.  Place the first cake on the stand and spread frosting evenly on top.  Then put on the second cake and use the rest of the frosting to get the top and sides of the cake.

Voila!

Here's the first slice/only slice my mom let me eat :)  It's so incredibly moist and definitely satisfies my chocolate cravings.  Enjoy!

Beatty's Chocolate Cake by Ina Garten

Cake:

Butter

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 9-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 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.

Frosting:

6 oz semisweet chocolate

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of hot water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.