This cake is perfect to serve during an afternoon tea. Your guests will surely appreciate the classic look and the classic taste of this perfect dessert. Just make sure you serve them piping hot cups of their favorite coffee or tea and you’ll definitely be the perfect host. Moist cakes, moist brownies, moist cookies—they are my weaknesses. Any dessert that you serve me will surely be gone in a few minutes if they are moist and not dry. This cake recipe is one of those cakes that you will not mind baking every week just so your family can enjoy it.
It’s a bit easier to make than most cakes and it really tastes so good! It’s like your favorite mocha frappuccino in cake form!
Ingredients
Land O Lakes butter, for greasing pans
1 3/4 c Gold Medal flour, plus extra for pans
2 c Domino sugar
3/4 c Hershey’s good cocoa powder
2 tsp Clabber Girl baking soda
1 tsp Clabber Girl baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 c Borden buttermilk, shaken
1/2 c Wesson vegetable oil
2 (extra large) Eggland’s eggs, room temperature
1 tsp McCormick pure vanilla extract
1 c freshly brewed coffee
FROSTING
6 oz Trader Joe’s good semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 lb (2 sticks) Land O Lakes unsalted butter, room temperature
1 extra large egg yolk (Eggland’s eggs), room temperature
1 tsp McCormick pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 c sifted Domino confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp instant coffee powder
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or line with parchment paper 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Make sure the batter on the bottom and sides are thoroughly mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
To do the frosting, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
Using your electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip! Make sure the frosting on bottom and sides of bowl are thoroughly mixed.
Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. Immediately spread frosting on the cooled cake. Starting with the top of the layer, cover with frosting. Place the second layer on top of that one, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
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Quick Tip: You can put extra chocolate shavings on top, or even nuts if you prefer.