Ingredients
For the Cake:
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup brewed hot coffee
½ cup whole milk
For the Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
3 ½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
In a bowl, mix flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
In a measuring cup, mix together hot coffee and milk. Set aside.
In mixer, beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes, until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Slowly add in dry ingredients alternating with the coffee/milk mixture (about 3 additions of each).
Pour cake batter into two prepared pans (2-9inch round cake pans, lined with parchment paper and greased and floured). Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool about 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on parchment paper lined wire racks before frosting.
For the Frosting: In mixing bowl, beat butter for 3-5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Add in powdered sugar, cocoa, extract and heavy cream and beat for 3-5 more minutes until desired consistency.
Frost cake and enjoy!
Notes
Chocolate- you’ll notice today’s recipe uses unsweetened cocoa powder. Do not use a dutch processed cocoa.
Brewed coffee- the hot coffee enances the chocolate flavor while adding moisture to the cake, without giving it a coffee flavor. Use hot water if you need to substitute.
Milk- using whole milk or buttermilk gives this cake a rich flavor and soft crumb.
Butter- I always use unsalted butter in my baking, because brands vary with the amount of salt in their sticks of butter. If you must use salted butter, omit the extra kosher salt from the cake batter.
Why did my cake sink in the middle? Assuming your cake was checked for doneness, it’s normal for chocolate cake to sink slightly in the middle. Cocoa powder is not structurally strong enough to hold up the amount of moisture in this cake. Adding more flour would create a dense cake. It’s okay for some sinkage while it cools!
STORAGE: Store Chocolate Cake in a covered container (or cake plate with dome) at room temperature for up to 5 days. Or freeze the rest of the cake by wrapping each slice in parchment paper and sliding into a freezer bag. You can freeze chocolate frosted cake for up to three months. When you get another hankering for some chocolate cake, thaw it at room temperature and enjoy!
