Beatty's chocolate cake

Layer up a chocolate lover's dream

Let them eat cake — with a cup of coffee poured into the batter! Yes, coffee cake just got literal. And it's amazing. You'll never search for another chocolate cake recipe ever, ever again. So the cake sinks a bit in the middle, but when you layer it and frost it who can tell? So the original recipe is from Ina Garten and she uses extra-large eggs because why? Nobody knows. But these are two of the smallest quibbles in the history of chocolate cake, so let's not dilly-dally any longer.

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BEATTY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
CAKE
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder (Ghirardelli or bust!)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 extra large eggs OR 2 large eggs + 1 egg white, at room temp.
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

FROSTING
6 oz. good semi-sweet chocolate (Ghirardelli or bust!)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 extra-large egg yolk OR 1 TBS + 1 tsp egg yolk, at room temp.
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
(See "Coffee note" below)

WHAT YOU'LL DO: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. 

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until combined. 

3. In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until combined. With an electric mixer on low, slowly beat the wet ingredients into the dry. Add the coffee and mix until just combined. *Note: Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go. The batter will look very watery once you add the coffee, but it's supposed to look like that!

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-40 minutes. Allow to cool in the pans for about 30 minutes, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely. *Note: I used 9-in. pans, checked them at 25 minutes, and they were done. In the original recipe, Ina used 8-in. pans and recommended baking for 35-40 minutes. I recommend checking the cake after 25 minutes. If it needs more baking time, stick it back in the oven and check it every 5–7 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. For the frosting: In a microwave or on a stove-top, heat the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature or let it rest in the fridge while you get the other ingredients together. 

6. In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter on medium-high speed until it's light yellow and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, and gradually sift in powdered sugar. Beat at a medium speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, until smooth and creamy. Add melted chocolate and beat until just combined. Spread immediately on the cooled cake. 

*Coffee note: The original recipe also calls for 1 TBS coffee grounds to be added to the frosting. I choose to omit the coffee here so that the cake has a true chocolate, rather than chocolate-coffee, taste. But add the coffee grounds if you like! Either way, DO NOT omit the cup of coffee from the batter. It's what makes the magic happen, and it doesn't even add a coffee taste so much as enhances the richness of the chocolate.

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The last time I made this cake I doubled the frosting, but it made way too much. I will definitely stick with the original amount of suggested frosting from now on. If you feel like there's not enough  to cover the sides of the cake, then frost only the top and middle and leave the edges naked. Naked cakes are all the rage, and this chocolate cake is so good there's really no need to slather it in frosting — no matter how delicious it is.