Chocolate Butter Cake
Author: Cookie Madness
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 1 hour
Chocolate Butter Cake
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cake flour (8 oz)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 1 cup freshly brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature
Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting
  • 1 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 1/2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz) unsalted or salted butter, room temperature (important)
  • 3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 cups sifted powdered sugar (3 ½ cups unsifted)
  • 3-4 T.buttermilk (or regular milk plus more if needed) -- room temperature NOT cold
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • Pinch or two of salt -- if using salted butter, omit
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with flour-added cooking spray. Line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in mixing bowl and stir very well to combine. Add the soft butter and buttermilk and blend on low (I used a stand mixer with a paddle) until smooth.
  3. Whisk the eggs, vanilla and cooled coffee together in another bowl and add to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing until blended. Try not to beat a lot of air into the egg mixture as you add it – just stir well. Scrape bottom of bowl and make sure to mix in all batter.
  4. Divide the batter among the pans and bake on center rack for 38 to 44 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for about 5 minutes, the turn invert onto wire racks to cool completely. Remove parchment when cool.
  5. Chocolate Frosting: Melt both chocolates in microwave, double boiler or bowl set over barely simmering water; set aside to cool.
  6. Beat the butter until creamy. Make sure it's not too cold or it might cause the chocolate to re-solidify. Stir in the cocoa power, about a cup of the powdered sugar, and the cooled melted chocolate. Scrape sides of bowl and beat well; add remaining powdered sugar, then add room temperature milk, vanilla and salt, beating and scraping until you get the consistency you like.
Recipe by Cookie Madness at http://www.cookiemadness.net/2010/05/chocolate-butter-cake/