Ultimate Chocolate Cake

 

The Ultimate Chocolate Cake! 

This chocolate cake recipe is my new favorite! I used my heavenly moist chocolate cake recipe and for the frosting, a very chocolatey cream cheese frosting! They all come together so perfect! You’ll sure impress people with this cake! 

Note: This cake is baked at a lower temperature and longer time because that is the secret to achieving a very moist and flat top cake. It can also be a bit fragile so be extra careful when handling this cake. Yes, this is not such an easy cake to make, but trust me, it’s heavenly! There’s no easy way to get to heaven, am I right? 

Recipe:

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 2 cups (400g) White sugar
• 1/2 cup (125ml) Vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (240ml) Buttermilk - 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 3/4 cup (218g) All Purpose Flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder, spooned and leveled
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Coffee - 1 cup hot water + 2 tbsp coffee

For the Frosting

• 1 cup (225g) Unsalted Butter, softened
• 8oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 tbsp Instant Coffee
• 1/2 tbsp boiling water
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp Heavy cream or all purpose cream (chilled)
• 1/8 tsp or a pinch of salt
• 50g Semisweet Chocolate
• 50g Cocoa powder
• 240g Confectioners sugar

Instructions:

Preparing the Cake:

1. Apply oil on 2 6 inch or 8 inch cake pans and dust the sides with flour. Then, place the parchment paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 266F or 130C. Yes, this is how low the temperature is because this will help the cake to have a nice flat top and will help the cake to become very moist. However, if you want faster baking time, preheat at 350F or 180C. You will still get have a moist cake but it will not be the same if baked in lower heat. Trust me! 
3. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Sprinkle the salt on top of your flour mixture then set it aside.
4. Prepare your coffee mixture by simply just adding the coffee powder to the hot boiling water. Set it aside.
5. In another bowl, add the sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and give it a mix with a whisk. Whisk until everything is fully incorporated. 
6. Then, add the dry ingredients by 1/3 parts into the wet mixture and mix gently until few lumps of flour is seen. Then, add the coffee. Mix well until no lumps of flour is seen. Do not over mix. 
7. Pour the batter in the prepared pans and bake for 1 hr and 30 minutes if baked at 266F or 130C until toothpick comes out almost clean. Why? Since it a moist cake, it’s okay if toothpick does not come out almost clean. If baked ad 350F or 180C, bake for 25-30 minutes. 
8. After baking, place the cakes on a cooling rack to let it cool. Then place it in the fridge for at least an hour. 

Preparing the frosting:

1. Cream the butter with an electric mixer on high speed for a few minutes or until the butter is light and creamy.
2. Then, add the cream cheese and mix again until well combined. 
3. Add the coffee mix (needs to be cooled down), vanilla extract, and cream. Mix again until well combined.
4. Add the melted chocolate (cooled down), and cocoa powder. Mix on low speed first, then continue to high speed for a few minutes.
5. Add the sifted powdered sugar by 1/3 parts. Mix ob low speed first to prevent the powdered sugar from making a mess. Then, continue to high speed. Make sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. 
6. If your frosting is a bit runny, place it on the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using and give it another quick mix. 

Assembling the cake:

1. Remove the cakes from the pans and remove the parchment paper. Then, with a long serrated knife, slice the cakes in halves. Gently separate the cakes because these cakes can be very fragile since they are super moist. 
2. Place the frosting in a large piping bag with a closed star tip. 
3. Place the first layer of the cake on a cake board. Then, pipe the first layer of frosting and level with an off set spatula. Repeat for the next 3 layers. Then, add a little bit of frosting on the sides and coat the whole cake with your spatula to create a crumb coat. Place it in  the fridge for another 30 minutes to let it set. 
4. After cake has set, pipe another layer of frosting all around the cake and scrape the sides with a spatula or a cake scraper to smoothen the sides and top of the cake. Then, decorate the cake however you like it. 
5. Place the cake in the fridge again before serving!