I’m not stretching the truth when I say that this is the best chocolate cake you’ve probably ever had in your life. Sure, it may not be enrobed in a layer of fancy ganache, or umpteen pencil-thin layers. This is a cake your grandmother would have made. I entered it in my local fair last year, and it took 1st prize. For this small town, that is a whole lot of prestige, people.
The cake is dark and super moist – yet, very light and airy. The secret is the hot cup of coffee in the batter. And then, there’s the frosting. Oh, the frosting. Rich and chocolaty with a hint of coffee from a touch of instant espresso powder. Isn’t it funny how adding a bit of coffee can really help to boost the different notes in chocolate? Love it! It’s an easy cake to make too. Bakes beautifully, and the frosting is very easy to spread and work with. My favorite cake, hands down. I’m confident it will continue to be a favorite for many years to come!
Beatty’s Chocolate Cake
Butter, for greasing the pans
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 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
Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows
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 Frosting:
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 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 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.
Source: Barefoot Contessa At Home by Ina Garten
22 Comments
This looks like the perfect chocolate cake…the coffee is a great addition and brings out the chocolate flavor so well. Will have to try this out!
This is absolutely the most decadent and chocolaty cake around.
That looks so decadent and delicious.
This is my favorite recipe for a chocolate cake, too! It always turns out. Sooo yummy. I want to make one right now.
Boy, does this ever sound like it will take care of my chocolate cravings! Will definitely try this!
I agree – this is a great cake, but what annoys me is that it’s a direct rip-off of Hershey’s Black Magic Cake, which I’ve been making for many years:
http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=4754&name=black-magic-cake
Wow, I know Ina got busted a couple of years back for claiming one of Martha’s recipes as her own. Never the less, it’s where I found this glorious recipe. To whoever came up with it, I bow down!
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it. Is this cake firm enough for a fondant covering? Thank you!
Jo, I think it’s a little bit too delicate of a texture for fondant. Would probably cave under the weight! Can’t say for certain though, as I’ve never tried. Let me know if you do!
It’s on the back of the Hershey’s Baking Cocoa container. Have made it for years and it’s the only chocolate cake I make and have not had anyone eat it who hasn’t loved it! (Recently made it for my youngest Daughter’s 24th birthday and her boyfriend said, “I want a pillow made of this cake!”
Ina mentions in the recipe that she got the recipe from an old friend who’s father was a milkman, he’d deliver the recipe with the milk to garner more sales. Hershey’s now lists “Perfectly Chocolate Cake” on their boxes, which uses 1 cup of milk vs. the 1 cup of coffee. I like using dutch process cocoa powder, which is a finer mill than Hershey’s, and I think lends alot to the cakes final texture. Not that there’s anything wrong with Hershey’s! Love them.
Oh, who cares where it’s from originally, recipes go round and round on the internet. As long as such great recipes end up on my screen, I’m happy
Thanks for posting this Laura, I will definitely try this one out!
I’ve heard so many things about this cake, I guess it’s time to make it! Looks great!
You’ve got to trust a cake that’s been first place. Looks awesome!
This looks very good… I have a favourite chocolate cake recipe I always fall back on, but I’m going to give yours a go… love the idea of buttermilk in it.
Awesome Cake! Just made, as 24 cupcakes, and turned out great. Will be my go to chocolate recipe from here on out.
This cake looks incredible! I am going to the store right now to grab some buttermilk and get to baking! Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for sharing!
Oh this looks wonderful
I really love this photo!
The cake looks lovely. I’ve made this recipe into cupcakes many times, but they always come out very flat. I tried to increase the baking powder, to no avail. Have you experienced this, if making cupcakes? Also, were you concerned with using raw egg yolks in the buttercream?
I haven’t tried them as cupcakes, so I’m no help there. Sorry! As for the egg yolks – we don’t have any pregnant women or elderly folks in the house at the moment, so it wasn’t a concern for me. You can probably just leave it out, maybe add a splash of milk in it’s place?
OMG that cake looks delicious!!!