Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cake Recipe

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This is an old recipe for chocolate cake from Ina Garten.  This warm, rich, chocolate cake is what I think of when I hear the word "dessert."  At least once, everyone should do it.

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Ingredient

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DRY INGREDIENTS – 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour – 2 cups granulated sugar – 3/4 cup cocoa powder – 2 tsp baking soda – 1 tsp baking powder – 1 tsp salt WET INGREDIENTS – 1 cup buttermilk (I used half-and-half, which worked fine, too!) – 1/2 cup vegetable oil – 2 large eggs – 1 tsp vanilla extract – 1 cup hot coffee FOR THE FROSTING – 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped – 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature – 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted – 1 pinch salt – 1 tsp vanilla extract – 1/2 cup sour cream

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FOR CAKE  Preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. 

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Step 1

Instructions

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Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients except coffee in a separate dish.

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Step 2

Stir the wet components into the dry ingredients slowly. After incorporating, add hot coffee and stir until no dry flour remains. Thin batter. 

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Step 3

Divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake for 35 minutes until risen and a toothpick put into the centre comes out clean. 

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Step 4

After half cooling in the pans, transfer the cakes to a cooling rack to finish cooling before frosting. The cakes can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated before frosting. 

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Step 5

FROSTING  Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave in short bursts. Allow to cool after stirring until smooth. 

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Step 6

Beat room-temperature butter in a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment for two minutes until smooth and pale. Add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla slowly and beat on low-medium speed until smooth. 

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Step 7

Mix sour cream with slightly melted chocolate. Before adding to the butter mixture, this cools the chocolate and heats the sour cream to room temperature. 

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Step 8

Combine the chocolate and sour cream in the mixer bowl and beat on low speed until smooth. 

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Step 9

To firm up loose frosting, refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes. Be sure to whisk it before icing the cake.

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Step 10

Also see

Orange Creamsicle Cake Recipe 

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