CHOCOLATE CAKE + CHOCOLATE OR PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
YELLOW CAKE WITH MARSHMALLOW BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
reeses cup
THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE!
Not to toot my own horn… but I’m going to. This cake is the BEST. It’s super m-o-i-s-t (don’t say it out loud) and super chocolaty in a not-to-sweet way. It’s pretty easy too!
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My two cute helpers
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Ari said “Happy Birthday, Daddy! Daddy, how old are you turning? Oh wow, 32? Does that mean you’re going to go bald soon?”
THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER EVER EVER
Cake Recipe
Adapted from Ina Garten
Ingredients:
Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans (I use bread flour)
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, room temperature
1 teaspoon (good) pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans (or 11×13″ sheet pan)
Line with the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then butter and flour (or use cocoa powder) the pans.
If you’re using a sheet pan, have the parchment paper hang off on either side so you’ll have little handles to pop it out when you’re ready to cool it.
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl and mix until combined. I actually don’t like using an electric mixer with this recipe- it’s too liquidy
- In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
- Slowly 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 20-25 minutes. Always bake for a few minutes less if you’ve never made this recipe before, so you don’t over-bake the cakes. You can always add more time, you can’t take away. When you start to smell it, it’s probably almost done. Give the pan a jiggle when you start smelling it. Keep adding 3 minutes on your time and checking it again. It should jiggle like solid pudding, not like jello. It will keep baking in your pan after you take it out of the oven. If you want to really check it, put a knife in the middle and it should come off with a few crumbs.
- Cool in the pans for 5 minutes (unless you’ve over-baked it*). Run a knife around the edges so the cake will come out more easily. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack lined with parchment paper and cool completely. It’s a gooey cake, so the parchment paper on the cooling rack is KEY. If you’re baking it in a sheet pan, you’ll already have the parchment paper to just pop off and place on the cooling rack.
*If you’ve accidentally over-baked your cake, pop it out of the cake pan immediately to cool on a cooling rack or it will keep baking. Scrape off any crispy parts. Combine 1/4 cup of milk with 1/4 tsp vanilla. Brush it all over the surface of the cake.
CHOCOLATE FROSTING RECIPE
Adapted from Magnolia Bakery
* If frosting a sheet cake, I like to halve the recipe since you’re not covering as much area. This frosting is rich!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
2 tablespoons whole milk, room temp
12 ounces chocolate, melted and cooled (I use Ghiradelli 60% bittersweet chocolate)
1 pinch fleur de sel / sea salt / kosher salt
1 teaspoon (good!!) vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
- To melt the chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. Add a pinch of sea salt. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain.
- Remove from the heat and let cool for 5-15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, 3 minutes
- Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth
- Add the melted chocolate and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes.
- Gradually add the sugar and beat on medium until fluffy.
Your frosting might be a little melty so keep your mixer and beater attachment out. Refrigerate the frosting for 30 min or until the frosting is more solid, then re-whip it with the mixer.
MARSHMALLOW FROSTING
This will make the cake taste like a s’mores!
* If frosting a sheet cake, I like to halve the recipe since you’re not covering as much area. This frosting is rich!
Whip together:
1 cup salted butter, room temp (or add 1/4 tsp salt to unsalted butter)
14 ounces Marshmallow Fluff
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
Ina Garten
* If frosting a sheet cake, I like to halve the recipe since you’re not covering as much area. This frosting is rich!
Ingredients:
2 c powdered sugar
2 c creamy peanut butter
10 tbsp butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c heavy cream
Directions:
Beat all ingredients except the cream in a mixer on low until creamy. Add the cream and beat on high until fluffy and smooth.
You are going to LOVE this!! Enjoy!
-L
