This rich, tender chocolate cake is easy to make as a casual dessert, but it can be the center of attention at any special occasion. It comes along with just a bowl, a whisk and 30 minutes in the oven. This homemade chocolate cake is every chocolate lover’s dream.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
I was once asked what my last meal would be. I just said, “Chocolate cake. The whole pie.” I meant every word of it.
With this recipe I wanted to bake a holiday cake. Something I would give to a friend, make for a birthday party, or place on a holiday table. Layer cakes just scream “special” to me in a way that a sheet cake doesn’t. (Not that I wouldn’t take down a sheet cake, bite by bite, in my final moments.)
I used Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream to glaze this delicate chocolate cake. I like Swiss meringue buttercream because it’s stable at room temperature, squirtable, not as sweet as American buttercream, and the texture is nothing short of silky. That’s my favorite!
How to make a moist cake
Cakes can be dry for many reasons, but most commonly it’s because they’re overcooked, baked at too high a temperature, or didn’t have enough moisture to begin with. You don’t have to worry about that with this cake.
I use a combination of oil, buttermilk and coffee:
- The oil adds moisture and helps provide structure when mixed with flour.
- The buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to tenderize and add lift to the cake.
- Finally the coffee adds moisture and extra acidity to support this rise.
All of these ingredients help create a delicate cake with a definite chocolate flavor.
What if you don’t like coffee?
The true purpose of the coffee in this cake is to deepen the flavor of the chocolate. You can’t really taste the coffee. If you’re concerned about caffeine, feel free to use decaffeinated coffee. If you’re still not convinced, you can use hot water instead.
Tools needed to make a layered cake
I used two 9-inch rounds to make this cake, but you can also bake it in a 9×13-inch pan. Of course it wouldn’t be a layered cake, but the dough fits and makes a nice cake.
You don’t need a stand or hand mixer to make this cake. Just a few bowls, a sturdy whisk and a spatula.
I’m also a big fan of lining cake pans with parchment paper. It helps the cakes release from the pan.
How to freeze this cake
A few tricks can help make icing a layered cake easier. To glaze the cake, it helps to have a rotating cake stand and an offset spatula. Both tools make smoothing the top and sides of the cake so much easier. If you don’t have a rotating cake stand, a lazy Susan could serve as a backup, or you can just do without one.
You can also glaze this cake as decoratively or as simply as you like.
For a simple frosted cake: Spread a thick layer of frosting, then use the back of a spoon to create a large, curved texture on the top and sides of the cake. It gives this cake a rustic yet festive and beautiful look. Plus, it takes a lot less time than piping the frosting.
For a fancy frosted cake, As with the photos, do the following:
- Make sure your cakes are completely cool before frosting. Cool cakes are less likely to crack and the icing won’t melt.
- Put frosting between the two layers and then apply a crumb layer, which is just a thin layer of frosting on top and around the outside of the cake. The purpose of the crumb layer is to catch the cake crumbs so your final frosting layer is smooth and crumb-free.
- Once the streusel layer is applied, place the cake in the fridge for an hour. This will keep the crumbs away from your second layer.
- Apply your final layer by heaping the icing onto the cake and pushing it out and over the edges of the cake. Then slowly brush the icing over the sides of the cake.
- Smooth the top by drawing your offset spatula back up and across the top of the cake.
- To make the strudel on top of the cake, hold the tip of the offset spatula at a slight angle and rotate the cake stand. (You can only do this with a rotating cake stand.)
- To splash the textured dots on itI used a Wilton Large 2D Drop Flower Piping Tip.
- For the final special touchI topped a few of the dots with edible silver beads and then dusted the edges with powdered sugar.
CONTINUE READING:
Chocolate cake make-ahead tips
You can make this whole cake, glazed and decorated, up to two days before eating and keep it in the fridge. Just lay it out two hours before serving to bring it to room temperature.
You can also make the cake rounds ahead of time. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. Then frost your cake the day you plan to serve it.
Store and freeze chocolate cake
After baking and frosting, store this cake in the fridge for leftovers for up to five days. The leftovers will dry out a bit, but it’s still chocolate cake just waiting for you to eat it. That’s never a bad thing.
- Like all cakes, this one is best served at room temperature, so allow it to come to room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
- After cutting, simply place plastic wrap or parchment on the cut side of the cake to keep it from drying out.
How to freeze the unfrozen cake: Wrap each cooled cake individually in cling film, then in foil and freeze the cakes for up to three months.
How to freeze a frozen cake: Yes, you can freeze cakes glazed with Swiss meringue buttercream or ganache. I’ve done it with both. To freeze a glazed cake, allow the cake rounds to cool. Place a round on a cake board; Top with the Swiss meringue buttercream; Spread it out and place the next round on top. Cover the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting. This is your crumb coat.
Place the icing cake in the refrigerator to set, then wrap the whole cake in several layers of plastic wrap and foil. Freeze it frozen for up to a month. When you need the cake, simply take it out of the freezer, unwrap it and let it thaw at room temperature or in the fridge. Then decorate as you like.
Need more cake in your life? Try these!
- Chocolate Bourbon Cake
- Homemade vanilla cake
- Angel Food Cake
- German chocolate snack cake
- Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Guinness Cake
Chocolate Layer Cake
ingredients
-
2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
-
1 3/4 cups (270 g) granulated sugar
-
3/4 cup (75 g) dark cocoa powder
-
2 teaspoons baking powder
-
1 teaspoon kosher salt
-
2 large eggs
-
1 cup buttermilk
-
3/4 cup organic canola oil
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
1 cup of hot coffee or hot water
- For the glaze:
-
Swiss chocolate meringue buttercream
method
-
Preheat oven and prepare pans:
Preheat oven to 300°F degrees. Cut rounds of parchment to fit into two 9-inch round cake pans. Butter and flour the pans. Put aside.
-
Whisk together the dry ingredients:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
-
Whisk Wet Ingredients:
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
-
Combine the wet and the dry:
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together with a stiff spatula. The batter will be thick.
Pour in the boiling hot coffee. Stir until combined (batter will look like a muddy, lumpy lake), then thin to a cohesive, pourable consistency. Just keep stirring. Do not worry.
-
Fill into molds and bake:
Divide batter evenly between the 2 pans (approx. 1 lb 7 oz or 652 g per pan). Place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I like to turn the pans back to front halfway through cooking because it helps with even baking.
-
Cool the cakes:
Remove the cakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the molds, peel off the parchment paper and let the cakes cool completely, about 1 hour.
-
Frosting on the cake:
Place a round of cake on a platter or cake board, then place the cake on a rotating cake stand (if using). Spread a generous amount of chocolate icing over the cake base. Using an offset spatula, smooth the frosting into a thick, even layer. Then place the next round of cake, top side down, on top of the frosted round.
Top with a generous amount of icing and spread evenly over the top until it hangs over the sides. Gently spread the icing over the sides in a thin, even layer. This is your crumb coat. Place in the fridge for at least an hour and up to overnight.
Once the crumb layer has set, use 2/3 of the remaining icing to glaze the cake as before. Once the sides and top are smooth, you can start decorating.
-
Decorate cake:
To swirl the spiral at the top, take the tip of your offset spatula and tilt it at a slight angle on the outside edge of the top of the cake. Hold it there and start spinning the rotating cake stand. Slightly move the spatula inward toward the center while rotating the stand until you get the spiral swirling.
Attach a piping bag with a large coupler and attach a Wilton Large 2D Drop Flour Tip to the end. Place the remaining frosting in the piping bag. Squirt large and small blobs of icing around the top of the cake. Dot some of the top with the silver beads. Then dust with powdered sugar.
