There’s nothing more elegant than a simple, moist chocolate cake. It is one of those sweets that everybody enjoys, unlike pies and tarts and even cookies, sometimes. I am not a fan of chocolate, but as long as there is a good balance of sweet and chocolate, this cake is my favorite baked dessert.
I adapted this cake from Ina Garten’s recipe (don’t we all just adore her!!). What I like about this recipe is that it is super simple and doesn’t require extensively precise ingredients or techniques. It is great for beginners and experts alike, and is really hard to mess up. Every time I’ve made this, I’ve ended up with a beautiful, moist end product that has been devoured instantly.
Hope you all enjoy baking this as much as I do!
Chocolate Cake
A wonderfully moist cake with a hint of coffee topped with chocolate and coffee icing.
What you need:
For the cake:
All-purpose flour – 112 gms
Sugar – 128 gms (1 cup)
Cocoa powder – 48 gms
Baking powder – ½ tsp
Baking soda – 1 tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Eggs, extra-large – 1
Buttermilk – ½ cup
Vegetable oil – ¼ cup
Vanilla extract – ½ tsp
Brewed coffee – ½ cup
For the icing:
Semi-sweet Chocolate – 56 gms (2 oz)
Unsalted Butter (at room temperature) – 2/3 stick
Confectioner’s Sugar – ½ cup
Egg yolk (at room temperature) – ½
Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp
Instant coffee – ½ tbsp
Vanilla extract – ½ tsp
The Method:
Preheat the oven at 350 F.
Grease a 9” round cake pan and dust with flour.
In a large bowl (or the bowl of your Stand Mixer), sift all dry ingredients and mix well together.
In a separate bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients except coffee.
Now with the paddle attachment on and the mixer running on slow, add the liquid to the dry ingredients.
Scrape the bowl and add the brewed coffee. Combine on low speed.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let it cool for 10 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool.
For the Icing:
Whisk the butter in the stand mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for another 2-3 minutes.
Slowly sift in the sugar and cocoa, and whisk till smooth and creamy. Scrape the bowl and whisk well.
Dissolve the instant coffee in a teaspoon of warm water and add to the icing. Whisk one final time till well incorporated and you like the texture and taste. *Note: You can always adjust the ingredients if you want the icing more or less sweet or chocolatey.
Layer the icing on the cooled cake and enjoy!
Tip: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can add ½ tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to ½ cup of milk. Let it rest for about 5 minutes to get your buttermilk!
Happy baking!
