Best Chocolate Cake, Ever!
Adapted from Addapinch.com
Ingredients for Chocolate Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon espresso powderhomemade or store-bought
1 cup milk or buttermilk, almond, or coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil, or melted coconut oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Ingredients for Buttercream Frosting
1½ cups butter softened
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon espresso powder
Directions for Chocolate Cake
Set oven to 350ºF. Prepare two 9” pans by buttering them and line with parchment paper, buttering all and dusting in cocoa. Instead of using flour use cocoa powder to keep cake in the same color. It works and keeps your cakes nice and chocolaty!
In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder and whisk through to combine until all well mixed.
In a small bowl put milk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla and lightly mix. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix on medium until well combined.
Carefully add the boiling water and mix by hand until it’s all well combined. Distribute the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Do not over bake. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
Directions for Buttercream Frosting
Put cocoa powder in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk to remove lumps, you can also sift but it’s messier. Add the softened butter and mix until well combined. Add sugar and milk to cocoa by adding 1 cup of sugar by about a tablespoon of milk.
Combine well after each addition until all sugar and milk are added and you have a smooth mixture. Add vanilla and espresso powder until well combined. If too wet you can add a bit more confectioner’s sugar, if too dry add a few drops of milk.
Cake variations:
Use dulce de leche in the middle for a delicious creamy center. You can make this a boozy cake by replacing 2 tablespoons of milk with 2 of Grand Marnier. The orange flavor especially comes through if you also add the zest from an orange. To make this a bit more special I always add some very fine ground black pepper. People don’t know what it is they taste but they like it.
