I have several go-to chocolate cake recipes, this recipe and Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake recipe.  I am very fond of both cakes, so much so that it’s hard for me to decide between the two; especially when I want to impress.  If you click on the link above, it will take to the Hershey’s cake recipe. 

I love this cake with chocolate icing, but I also love it with the Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing as well.  This is a cake you can make so many versions of just by changing the icing or adding fillings, candies or sprinkles.   

Anyway, this chocolate cake is Beatty’s Chocolate Cake recipe,  I discovered it on the Food Network on Ina Garten’s show.  She was making it one day and it had everything in it that would make a cake moist, so I gave it a try.  I was NOT, disappointed.  If you like chocolate, you’ll love this cake!  

This cake is pictured using the Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but I have also posted the recipe Ina used (Chocolate Frosting) on her show.

Happy Cake Baking! 

 

 

Ingredients:

Butter, for greasing the pans

1 and  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 kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Swiss Meringue Buttercream, recipe follows

Chocolate Frosting recipe follows

Cake Directions:

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.

Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Directions for Chocolate Frosting:

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 the hottest tap 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.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups sugar

9 large egg whites

3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Whisk together sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water (or use a double boiler). Whisk until warm and sugar is dissolved (mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers), 2 to 3 minutes.

2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg-white-mixture 5 minutes.  Increase speed to medium high and whisk until still, glossy peaks form and meringue has cooled (test by feeling bottom of bowl), about 7 minutes.

3. Reduce speed to medium-low.  Add butter, several tablespoons at a time; beating until frosting is smooth and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.  (if the frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high until smooth again).  Butter-cream can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months in an airtight container.  Bring to room temperature, and beat on low-speed before using.

Swiss Meringue Icing recipe from “Martha Stewart’s Cakes” cookbook.  copyright 2013