Chocolate Cake
A moist, fluffy chocolate cake base.
Active Prep
30 minutes
Total Prep
1 hours
Type
Dessert
Weight
Medium
Full Cake
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Butter, for greasing the pans
1.75 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
0.75 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
0.5 cup melted butter
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 double shot espresso + enough water to fill 1 cup
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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.
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This made a very moist, very fluffy chocolate cake. It also does quite well for cupcakes.
Half Cake
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Butter, for greasing the pans
0.875 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 cups sugar
0.375 cups good cocoa powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
0.5 teaspoon baking powder
0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
0.5 cup buttermilk, shaken
0.25 cup melted butter
1 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
0.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 double shot espresso + enough water to fill 0.5 cup
-
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.
-
This was just as good as the full size.
Frosting
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1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (170g)
1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (226g)
2 cups powdered sugar (320g)
0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
0.5 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
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In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips at 15 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until chips are completely melted. Set aside and allow to cool slightly (about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally).
Cream room temperature butter with an electric mixer. Stir in slightly cooled chocolate and beat well.
Gradually add sugar, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl occasionally.
Sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract, stir well.
Gradually add heavy cream, increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute.
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This is a great chocolate frosting, some have said it is a touch salty, so that is something you can play with, but otherwise this is amazing. We generally use a double batch to frost a cake.
The Simplified Process
The General Recipe.
Butter, for greasing the pans
1.75 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
0.75 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
0.5 cup melted butter
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 double shot espresso + enough water to fill 1 cup
The General Process.
Looking at the full end to end steps, this recipe can appear a little more complicated then it really is, this is the basic cake process, cream the wets, add the drys to the wets.
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.
As a general note, this cake makes for a very wet batter. It may look like you have messed up once you add in the coffee, just trust the process.