I wasn't kidding when I said 2017 was going to be the year of chocolate cake, so here's an Ina Garten chocolate cake. It's from her book "Make it Ahead", which Santa brought me for Christmas. He must have noticed all the times I checked it out of the library. And just so you know, this is not the famous Beatty's. Ina has more than one chocolate cake recipe!
This cake is a rich, moist, chocolate cake made with cocoa powder, half & half and butter, rather than oil. In Make it Ahead, Ina shares a 9x13 inch version. You can see her exact recipe on the Barefoot Contessa website. I've played with it a bit, making it different sizes and using different cocoa powders.
Ina Garten Chocolate Cake Notes & Changes
The way I first made it was as an 8-inch square, incorporating about 2 tablespoons of black cocoa in place of the regular Dutch process. If you don't have the black cocoa, just stick with Dutch process.
I baked it in an 8x8 inch square glass pan, lowered the temperature to 325 and baked for about 40 minutes.
4 Inch Ina Garten Chocolate Cake
I've also tested it as a little 4-inch cake. Here's a link to the pans. I don't know how practical the 4-inch size is for most families, but just know the recipe scales. I scaled it down by ¼ for the 4-inch pans.
Here's the recipe for making it as 9-inch layers. It's a pretty delicate cake so I recommend adding a round of parchment before flouring. I haven't yet tested it in 8x2 inch round pans, but I'm sure they'd work just fine as long as the baking time is adjusted. The frosting is expensive and super rich, but if you like creamy ganache type frostings it's worth making.
Recipe
Ina Garten Chocolate Cake with Half & Half
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (230 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup hot water or coffee
- ⅔ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder (65 grams)
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- ⅔ cup half-and-half
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks at room temp (170 grams)
- 2 cups sugar (390 grams)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 extra-large eggs or 3 large and 1 extra yolk, room temp
Rich Chocolate Mocha Frosting
- 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (340 grams)
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter diced, at room temperature
- 1¼ cups heavy cream (300 grams)
- 1 tablespoon Kahlúa (optional)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9x2 inch round cake pans. Line with rounds of parchment, grease again, then dust with flour.
- Carefully measure the 1 ¾ cups flour and whisk it together with the baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup or in a saucepan with a spout, mix the warm water or coffee with the cocoa powder until smooth. If using espresso powder, add that too. Pour in the half and half.
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl. Add the vanilla.
- Add each egg, one by one, beating on low until all eggs are incorporated, then increase mixer speed and beat on medium high for 1 minute.
- With the mixer on low (or by hand, using a rubber scraper), add the flour and chocolate mixtures alternately in thirds, starting and ending with the flour. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Beat low medium for 30 seconds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans (1 pound 6.5 oz batter in each), spread evenly and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cakes spring back when touched.
- Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan, but do not remove yet. Let cool for about 15 minutes in the pan. Turn out the cakes while still slightly warm. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Note: Ina let's hers cool completely in the pan, so you can try that. I always turn cake out when slightly warm.
Frosting
- Put the chopped chocolate, espresso powder and the butter in a mixing bowl, preferably a stand mixing bowl.
- Heat the cream in saucepan until it starts to boil, then pour over the chocolate and butter. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in Kahlua (if using) and vanilla.
- Cool to room temperature. Chill the mixture briefly (about 20 minutes) but do not let it get too cold, otherwise it will get too thick and you'll end up having to overbeat it and it will curdle. You just want to get it cool enough to a point where it will thicken up just enough to be spreadable.
- Beat with a handheld mixer or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer for about 30 seconds or just until spreadable.
- Frost the cake.
Anna says
Ina's recipes are always good. Glad you are out of the hospital.
Elaine Gore says
I made Ina's ice box cake and came out sooo very good my friends and family loved it .while in the hospita Ina's tv show was on and the Nurses loved here so of course l said make the ice box cake they jotted down the cake name. !!!!! And l did use regular cocoa !!!!mmmmm
Anna says
Heidi, thanks!! That's great advice. I'll stick the the Perfectly Chocolate or Black Magic recipe for cupcakes.
Heidi says
I made this cake tonight. I used regular Hershey's cocoa since I didn't have any of the special dark kind. I made a double recipe. Half I made into cupcakes and half I put in a 13x9 pan. Although everything tasted good the cupcakes were a mess. Those rose beautifully and then collapsed and each ended up having a huge crater in the middle. They were also so delicate that when I removed the paper lining to eat one, it took half the cupcake with the liner. The 13x9 cake did not collapse at all. I iced them all with a basic chocolate buttercream. It's really a delicious and easy recipe but don't make cupcakes with it!
Sonya says
Yes, I LOVE jow delicious that frosting to cake ratio looks!
Sue says
The frosting to cake ratio made for a pretty piece of cake. Thanks for making and blogging about this one.
Anna says
Mary, let me know what you think! This is a good recipe. She also has another one called Beatty's Chocolate Cake which is similar to the Hershey's Black Magic Cake.
Mary says
I have not tried Ina's chocolate cake but I printed out the recipe and I'm gonna give it a try. I make her lemon bars couple of times a year.
Anna says
I love the little nips and that's what I usually buy. Next time I go to the liquor store, I'll probably pick up some small bottles. The $18 bottle was at Trade Joe's, where of course they wouldn't sell nips.
joan says
Hi Anna,
I haven't tried this recipe, but I have tried other dessert recipes of hers. I have never been disappointed. I sometimes buy "nips" of alcohol for a recipe. They're overpriced, but you don't have to spring for the whole bottle. Or, better yet, you could buy the big bottle, and nip at it while you are baking. 🙂