The Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake is an all time favorite and something enjoyed by everyone in the family. The daughter is home for her winter break and I of course have been cooking her favorite stuff.

She is not much into sweets but a good chocolate cake is something she doesn't mind digging into. I had made this cake before for friends and knew that she too would love it. Sure enough she liked it immensely. The recipe calls for icing which I omitted as it tastes good on its own and also since we both prefer our cakes sans frosting.

It has to be said that it's a scrumptious cake, turns out absolutely feather light, and moist. The cocoa gives it a very intense chocolatey look as well as flavor. This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa (Beatty’s Chocolate Cake).

Chocolate Cake

13/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C. Butter a round cake pan or a square. 

Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and mix well.In another bowl add the eggs and sugar and beat well, then add the buttermilk, oil,  and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingrdients to the dry ones, then add the hot coffee and stir just to combine, taking care not to overbeat. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out on a cooling rack and cool.

 In case one wants to make it more rich it can be topped up with a chocolate frosting, though it tastes fabulous plain too. 


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