Chocolate Birthday Cake, Two Layer

My mom would now say her favourite chocolate cake is one from a cake mix, because in her nineties, she has lost some enthusiasm for baking.

This chocolate butter cake is a dense butter cake that tastes like a chocolate bar. My mom made it first, from a book she was given for her birthday in the late 80's, Rose Levy Bernbaum's "The Cake Bible." It's the best instructional cake baking book! Bernbaum calls this recipe the "Perfect All-American Chocolate Butter Cake."  

She says you'll get the best results from weighing all your ingredients. I confess I never do this, I measure with measuring cups and spoons, making sure to level the ingredients and taking care not to scoop flour out of the bag, but spoon it into the measuring cup. 

I fill and frost the cake with chocolate buttercream icing.

Tips: Measure the unsalted butter and cut it when it's cold, leave the 1 cup needed to soften on the counter the night before or a few hours before you start, unless it's very hot in your kitchen. Take the 3 eggs out of the fridge at least a half-hour before you start baking so they are also at room temperature. Mix the cocoa and boiling water first, so it has time to cool to room temperature. Mixing the cocoa powder with hot water brings out its flavour. 

If you refrigerate the frosted cake before serving, it will harden. Take the decorated cake out of the fridge  a half-hour before serving so it will be easier to cut and to enhance the chocolate flavours.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp (63 grams) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa, lightly spooned into the measuring cup.
• 1 liquid cup boiling water
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 2-1/4 tsp (9 grams) real vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp (235 grams) sifted cake flour
• 1-1/2 cups (300 grams) white granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp (15 grams) baking powder
• 3/4 tsp (5 grams) table salt
• 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter (must be softened to room temperature on the counter)

1. Prepare two 9" round cake pans: grease the insides, line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper, and then grease and flour the pans again. Also grease 2 wire cooling racks.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a medium bowl, using a whisk, whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Set aside and let sit to cool to room temperature.
4. In another bowl, lightly combine the 3 large eggs, 1/4 of the cooled cocoa mixture, and 2-1/4 tsp vanilla.
5. In your large mixer bowl, mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend: flour,  sugar, baking powder and salt.
6. Add the butter and remaining cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.
7. Increase the mixer speed to medium if using a stand mixer (high speed if using a hand mixer).
8. Beat the batter 1-1/2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure.
9. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
10. Gradually add the egg mixture (the eggs + vanilla + 1/4 of the cocoa) in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.
11. With a baking spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface. The pans will be about 1/2 full.
12. If you have cake wraps (fabric strips placed on the outside of a cake pan so that layers don't bake in a dome-shape) wet and place them on the cake pans. (If you don't, you can even the cake layers after they have baked and cooled by levelling with a sharp serrated knife or an adjustable wire cake leveller.)
13. Bake the layers 25 to 35 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cakes should start to shrink from the sides of the pans only after removal from the oven. Let the cakes cool in the pans on ungreased racks for 10 minutes.
14. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula or straight knife, and invert cake layers onto greased wire racks, then to prevent splitting, reinvert so the tops are up. Cool completely before wrapping the layers airtight if not frosting the cooled layers soon.
15. Fill and frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.
16. This cake is best served at room temperature.

Easy Chocolate Frosting

The buttercream in The Cake Bible is a traditional cooked buttercream and uses real chopped chocolate.

 I have always just made an easier version by whipping softened butter with sifted cocoa powder and icing sugar, adding a little heavy cream or milk until the right consistency is achieved and a little vanilla extract for flavour. The following recipe gives suggested quantities for 1/2 cup butter.  Adjust the quantity of cocoa to your liking and use less liquid if you want a stiffer icing.

You might have to make this twice (or double the recipe) to have enough to both fill and frost a 2-layer 9" cake. Use electric mixer on lower speed initially until icing sugar is moistened.  Don't fill or frost the cake layers until the cake has completely cooled or the icing will melt.  

• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 3 cups icing sugar, spooned into measuring cup.
• 4 Tbsp. warm (not hot) cream or milk (or less if you want a stiffer icing)
• 1-1/2 tsp. real vanilla extract

1. Cream butter for 5 minutes in the mixer.
2. Add cocoa and sugar alternately with milk or cream.
3. Add vanilla, whip.