Have you ever eaten something so good that you have to sit down to finish it? This cake was just that. I have made at least 50 different chocolate cake recipes in the past 20 years, but this one wins for the most deliciously good and (here's that M word everyone hates) moist!
There are two things in this recipe that I normally don't put in my cakes and don't always have on hand. Dark Cocoa Powder and Buttermilk.
Dark Cocoa powder: it's not something I was able to find in my local grocery store, so I opted to purchase it on Amazon. I purchased the King Arthur Flour brand which came in a nice resealable bag. What this is going to do for the recipe is enhance the chocolate taste and also make the cake itself very dark in color.
Buttermilk: I never have buttermilk in the house. I usually just use regular milk in place of it in recipes, but I decided to splurge and get it. I think it's $2.50 at the local store for a small jug. You can make buttermilk at home with milk and vinegar, but that takes some extra chemistry that I just didn't feel like doing. Buttermilk is going to help make the cake softer and maybe even add a little tang to it. I didn't taste the tang, but this cake is very soft.
This recipe is super easy and if you don't have dark cocoa powder, you don't need it. It's optional like when they ask you if you want a receipt at a fast food restaurant (I don't want evidence that I scarfed down a burger and a large fry!). If you don't have buttermilk, then the texture may be off... or if you're willing to do chemistry, then make your own buttermilk at home. The ratio is 1 cup of milk (2% or whole milk) to 1 tablespoon of vinegar; the milk must be room temp. It takes about 5 minutes for the chemical reaction to happen, but it will and then you'll have what appears to be thick milk.
Anyway, I used two 8" round pans, but you can use a 9"x13" or even a cupcake pan. Baking times will vary depending on what you decide to use.
Here's what you're going to need to make this amazing cake:
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
- 3/4 cups of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp King Arthur Black Cocoa (this is what I used, if you have another brand, I am sure it will be just as good)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup of coffee (I like to make mine in the Keurig, usually a French Roast or something dark)
1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Using a stand mixer, I used a whisk attachment, but a paddle would work as well. Add in the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa powder, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt). Mix it up for a minute or so. You want everything to be mixed together well.
3. Add in the vanilla and the eggs. Mix well. Then add in the buttermilk and oil. I added the coffee last. Mix everything for two minutes on medium-low speed. Don't over-mix. This batter is runny so don't think it's wrong if it's not like the stuff you get out of a box.
4. Prepare two 8" rounds or whatever type of pan you'd like. I use PAM for Baking. It's easy and I've never had an issue with cakes sticking to the pan using it. You can also grease and flour or in place of flour, use cocoa powder so that you don't see the white flour on the outside of your cake.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake at 350 F for 30-32 minutes.
When I baked my cakes, they rose nice and evenly. I let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before popping them out and onto a cooling rack. I let them cool for an hour before I frosted them in chocolate buttercream (recipe to be posted later).
These cakes are super moist, so be careful when handling. You don't want them to crack. They didn't crumb much on the sides which was great for frosting. And the taste... OMG! You don't even need to frost this. It's so good! But I love chocolate and the more the better, so I added the buttercream.
I hope you enjoy as much as I do!
