Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Classic Chocolate Cake with Mocha Buttercream


I didn't just want to eat a piece of chocolate cake. I wanted to mix and sift and bake and frost and spend a few relaxed hours in the kitchen surrounded by butter and chocolate. It was bliss. This cake did not disappoint and it only got better as days went by. The cake and the mocha frosting are mild and light, not dense and rich as some chocolate on chocolate cakes tend to be. It makes it easier to eat larger slices of cake more frequently, if that's what you're into.

Chocolate Cake with Mocha Buttercream Frosting
Cake recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson; Frosting recipe adapted from Guilty Kitchen

Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup good quality cocoa
1 1/2 sticks soft unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream

Take the eggs and butter out of the refrigerator so that they can come up to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put all the cake ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, cocoa, butter, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream into a food processor and process until you have a smooth, thick batter. If you want to use a mixer, just mix the flour, sugar and leavening agents in a large bowl and beat in the soft butter until you have a combined and creamy mixture. Now whisk together the cocoa, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs and beat this into your bowl of mixture.

Divide this batter, using a rubber spatula to help you scrape and spread, into buttered tins. I used three 6-inch tins, which baked for about 20 minutes, but test the cake before removing from the oven. When done baking, move the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before turning them out of their tins.


Mocha Buttercream Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso
1/3 cup cocoa

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat butter until fluffy, about five minutes. In a small bowl, combine instant coffee or espresso powder with vanilla extract, stir until coffee granules completely dissolve. Set aside. With mixer on low, add half of powdered sugar to butter and mix until completely incorporated. Add vanilla and coffee to butter and beat in remaining sugar. Beat in cocoa until completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Assemble and frost cooled cake using an offset spatula. Coat entire cake with thin layer of frosting, a crumb coat, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove cake and add final layer of frosting over the crumb coat. Use the back of a spoon to achieve swirls on top of the cake.

28 comments:

  1. This is heavenly. I'm bookmarking this because I think this would make a beautiful, delicious birthday cake...for me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. um, yum. youre a wizard. and a wonderful food stylist!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yum! Love the tip about the spoon; I was wondering how you got the swirls on top!

    ReplyDelete
  4. looks good and would give me a total tummy ache haha

    ReplyDelete
  5. Um, I think Jillian M. said it right---heavenly.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my... I cannot get to the store fast enough to buy the ingredients for this!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my! I cannot get to the store fast enough to get the ingredients for this!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The title intrigued me and you got me at the three layers ;-) It looks wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  9. You make my life complete! This recipe looks beyond amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh my! That looks sooooo good! x

    flora-fricker.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. That looks delicious! I cannot wait for a good baking day to make it!

    ReplyDelete
  12. That is perfection. The buttercream looks like chocolate mousse. So delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yum!! Looks amazing. Love your icing job too :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. how do you get your cake rounds to bake so flat? Or are you just very good at leveling? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am sure this wont disappoint me either. Looks so so good!

    ReplyDelete
  16. This looks so amazing and I just want to try it especially the mocha frosting. Very clever, very professional.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your cake turned out great. Loks really delicious. You such a great cook :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Nick, after I pour in the batter, I slam the pans on the counter. That seems to level them out before baking.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I know this has nothing really to do with the post, but that glass with the blue wrapping stripe is quite cool.

    ReplyDelete
  20. How gorgeous! Your cake looks amazing! I am saving this recipe for my husband's birthday! I hope I can frost it as beautiful as you have. ;)

    Cheers!
    Christi
    christischirps.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. that just looks fantastic!! now I'm dying for some chocolate cake!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I have a 9"x13" cake to make for a birthday & am wondering if this recipe could be doubled? It sounds delish!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that would be fine and you may just need to increase it by half.

      Delete

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Blogging tips