If you're looking for a rich, ultra-moist chocolate layer cake, this one has a little twist that makes it stand out: it's made with half & half instead of milk. The original version was from a grocery store cookbook and credited to Patricia from Llano, which is funny because I have Patricia from Llano relative. But this is a different Pat, and I thank her for the the chocolate cake made with half & half idea!
Why Use Half & Half in Chocolate Cake?
In the U.S., half & half is a staple. But in many other countries, it's a bit of a curiosity and sometimes even considered unnecessary. After all, it's literally just a blend of milk and cream. What's really funny is it's not a true 50/50 split but more like ⅓ cream and ⅔ milk. At any rate, it sits somewhere between milk and heavy cream, and it gives this cake a richer feel while keeping it light and moist.
Similar to Hershey's Chocolate Cake (But Better?)
If the ingredient list looks familiar, you're not imagining things. This cake is very close to Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake, but with a few key upgrades:
- More sugar, flour, and cocoa for a richer flavor
- Half & half instead of milk for added creaminess
- Hot coffee instead of water to deepen the chocolate
- Extra vanilla for a more rounded taste
So if you're a tried and true Perfectly Chocolate Cake fan, you may want to try this one just for fun.
No Mixer Required (For the Cake!)
A bonus is the cake is very simple. There's no creaming of the butter so you can just stir it all together with a scraper, spoon and whisk. That batter is very thin, which is how it is supposed to be.
The Frosting (Worth Turning On the Mixer)
The frosting is a classic chocolate buttercream with a slight tang from sour cream. It's rich, creamy, and spreads beautifully, but you will definitely need a mixer for it.
Recipe
Pat's Chocolate Layer Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar (440 grams)
- 2 cups flour (260 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (70 grams)
- 1 cup half & half (240 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil (100 grams)
- 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup hot coffee (230 grams)
Frosting
- 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened (170 grams)
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream, room temperature (60 grams)
- 4 ½ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted before using
- 1 cup natural style cocoa powder (70 grams)
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6-8 tablespoons of half & half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir or sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda & baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.
- Stir in half & half, eggs, oil and vanilla until very well mixed (I do this with a heavy duty spatula scraper), then stir in coffee. Batter will be wet and soupy looking.
- Pour into pans and bake for 35 minutes or until cakes test done. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes, then flip from pan and cool completely before frosting.
Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting
- To make the frosting, beat the butter until light and creamy, then beat in the sour cream.
- Add about half of the sugar and beat until creamy. Beat in cocoa powder, salt and vanilla until it's as smooth as you can get it, scaping the side of the bowl. Gradually add remaining sugar and enough half & half to make the icing spreadable.
- Beat on medium, increasing speed gradually and adjusting liquid as needed, then beat on high until light and fluffy.
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