Chocolate Cake for the 1st Anniversary

So, it was our first anniversary yesterday and I decided to bake.

 

This was one of the best cakes I have ever made. So moist and delicious. Yummm...

 

I used Ina Garten's recipe. And this is what I did.

 

Ingredients

 

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups sugar
• A little less than 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (though the recipe called for koshar salt I used regular salt and it was fine)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (which I made by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice in 1 cup milk)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (though I have decided that I will use butter next time. All cakes should be made of butter. No questions asked).
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 1 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans.

 

Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. You can sift them together, but I feel that mixing it with a spoon works just fine. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. I used blender at low speed for this. With the blender on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With blender still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine. 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 and cool completely.

 

Now you can double the recipe and make 2 cakes and make layers. Or you can slice this cake into half and use that too. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate. With a knife  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.

 

Enjoy. Yummmm!!!

Chocolate Frosting:

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups sugar (I used regular ones...on the hindsight I should have followed the original recipe and used confectioners' sugar)
• 1 cup brewed coffee (again..recipe called for 2 teaspoon of instant coffee; I used brewed coffee. I dont think they are interchangeable but it worked for me).

Melt chocolate. I am a lazy cook. I microwave just about everything. So to melt the chocolate I used the microwave. Put in the chocolate chips for 30 seconds on hi. Check...and then repeat for 15 seconds until the chocolate melts just enough. Only issue with microwave is that the chocolate can burn easily if you over-microwave it. So stick to the 15 second rule.Set aside until cooled to room temperature.

 

Beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Add 2 tablespoon of hot coffee (Or else, sissolve 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.