Double-chocolate espresso cake. Photo, Roberto Caruso.
Ingredients
-
2 cups
all-purpose
flour
-
3/4 cup
unsweetened
cocoa powder
-
1 1/2 tsp
baking soda
-
1 tsp
baking powder
-
1/2 tsp
salt
-
3/4 cup
unsalted
butter
, at room temperature
-
3/4 cup
granulated sugar
-
3/4 cup
lightly packed
brown sugar
-
2
eggs
-
2 tsp
vanilla
-
1 1/2 cups
buttermilk
FROSTING
-
1 cup
unsalted
butter
, at room temperature
-
225-g pkg
unsweetened
chocolate
, chopped and melted
-
1 tbsp
vanilla
-
1/4 tsp
salt
-
6 cups
icing sugar
, sifted
-
1/2 cup
milk
-
1/4 cup
espresso
, or strong coffee
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 2 8-in. round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment.
- Sift flour with cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt into a medium bowl. Beat butter with sugars in a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, 3 min. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in 2 tsp vanilla. Reduce speed and beat in one-third of flour mixture, then add half the buttermilk. Repeat additions, ending with flour mixture. Divide batter evenly between pans and smooth tops.
- Bake in centre of oven until a cake tester inserted in centre of cakes comes out clean, 35 to 40 min. Cool in pans on a rack for 10 min, then turn out onto rack. Remove parchment. Cool completely, about 30 min.
- Beat 1 cup butter in a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, until creamy, 1 min. Add melted chocolate, 1 tbsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 cup icing sugar. Beat for 1 min. Reduce speed and add remaining sugar in 3 parts, alternating with milk and coffee, ending with sugar. Beat on medium-high, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until fluffy and smooth, 1 to 2 min.
- Assemble by slicing each cake in half horizontally. Set 1 layer on a cake stand, cut-side down. Lay short strips of parchment under edges of cake to protect the stand. Spread cake with 3/4 cup icing, right to edge. Top with another cake layer, cut-side down. Repeat icing and layering with remaining cake layers. Then spread remaining icing on top and around sides of cake, smoothing surface. Refrigerate until icing is firm, about 1 hour. Remove parchment strips. Top with unsprayed edible flowers if desired.
Decorating Tip
A Lazy Susan doubles as a cake-decorating turntable. Slip strips of parchment underneath cake edges. Hold a wide spackling knife (available at the hardware store) against the side of the cake while turning the Lazy Susan to smooth down the icing. Start off with a thick coat of icing, then scrape more off as you smooth down the sides.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 822,
- Protein
- 8 g,
- Carbohydrates
- 122 g,
- Fat
- 39 g,
- Fibre
- 5 g,
- Sodium
- 386 mg.
