Every year for by husband Adam’s birthday, I bake him any cake of his choice. Without fail, each year he requests chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I am never surprised nor disappointed by his request, as I am also a huge chocolate cake lover and secretly rejoice in getting to indulge in my favorite type of cake on someone else’s birthday. It’s a win for both of us!
This popular cake recipe comes from Ina Garten. Although I don’t use her chocolate frosting recipe, I have made this cake using other chocolate frostings so many times and can confidently report that it is nearly foolproof and versatile.
The chocolate cake layers are moist while the buttercream frosting is smooth and decadent. This combination creates a harmonious symphony of chocolate.
INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE
DRY – all-purpose flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt
WET – buttermilk, vegetable oil, large eggs, vanilla extract, brewed hot coffee, butter (for greasing the pans)
Make sure the eggs are at room temperature. I usually take the eggs out of the fridge about an hour before baking.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CAKE
STEP 1: COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Sifting the dry ingredients together ensures that they will be well mixed and produces lighter cake layers.
STEP 2: COMBINE WET INGREDIENTS
In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
STEP 3: ADD THE WET INGREDIENTS TO THE DRY
If you’re using an electric stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the mixer still on low speed, add the hot coffee and stir just to combine. Since this batter does not require much mixing, you can easily do this with a handheld mixer or simply using a whisk. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix the batter. This batter will look unusually “runny” but that’s the consistency we are looking for.
STEP 4: BAKE
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Gently tap the pans to get rid of any air bubbles in the batter before putting them in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs on it. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely (about another 30 minutes).
While the cake is cooling, prepare the chocolate buttercream frosting. You can also make the frosting ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
DRY – confectioners sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, instant espresso powder
WET – softened unsalted butter, milk, vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
STEP 1: BEAT BUTTER
Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, beat butter on high speed for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
STEP 2: ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS
Dissolve the espresso powder in the vanilla extract. Add the vanilla, confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and salt to the butter. The espresso powder does not overpower the frosting. Instead, it simply enhances the chocolate flavor. If you don’t have instant espresso powder, you can use instant coffee granules. Just use double the amount of instant coffee granules since instant coffee is not as potent as instant espresso.
STEP 3: MIX ALL INGREDIENTS
Turn the mixer on low speed until sugar is well mixed in. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 3-5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl as needed. You want all the ingredients to be well incorporated and smooth.
Once the cake has fully cooled, it’s time to frost! Place one layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake stand. Spread the top with frosting using an offset spatula. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up if you are making a two-layer cake. If this is your middle layer, place the cake flat side up. Spread another even layer of frosting. After your layers are stacked, spread frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
The cake is now ready to be served!
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk shaken
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1.5 cups unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups confectioners sugar plus more as needed
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup milk plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prepare two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper. Spray with cooking oil or grease with butter.
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, oil and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and cool completely.While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting (instructions below).
- Place one layer flat side up on a plate or cake stand. With an offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up. Spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, beat butter on high speed for 4 minutes until the butter is light and fluffy.
- Dissolve espresso powder in the vanilla extract. Add the sugar, cocoa, milk, vanilla and salt to the butter.
- Beat on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
