My Absolutely Favorite Chocolate Layer Cake
because some like vanilla and some prefer chocolate.
This classic recipe is the one my dad made. After he passed away, I took the recipe, which had been written out on a piece of paper & stuck to
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And this is the recipe, with the Chocolate Espresso Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting, that I make for myself every year for my birthday.
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The densest, gooiest, intensely chocolate cake, it’s also the easiest to make. As is the buttercream frosting I cover it with. And the addition of water - which is what gives this cake its moistness & texture - also is what makes it so versatile: replace the water with
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strong coffee, fruit juice, or replace part of it with booze.
INGREDIENTS
1-¾ cup (240 grams) all-purpose flour
2 cups (400 grams) sugar
¾ cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1-½ teaspoons baking powder
1-½ teaspoons baking soda
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1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
½ cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (250 ml) prepared coffee *
* If you prefer, the coffee can be replaced with water or a mixture of water and fruit juice. For the Chocolate-Orange
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version, find it on page 161 of Orange Appeal.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Oil & flour two 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pans or three 7-inch (17-½-cm) cake pans generously. (I oil the pans, line with parchment & dust the sides with flour.)
Combine all of the dry
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ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk or whiz them with the electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds until everything is well combined.
Add the eggs, milk, oil, & vanilla. Beat on low until well blended then increase the mixer speed to medium & beat for about
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2 minutes.
Bring the 1 cup of coffee just barely to the boil & stir in carefully by hand until very well blended. Carefully divide the batter between the prepared cake pans – it will be very liquid.
(If you want to make the smaller 3-layer cake & only have 2 cake
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pans: oil, line & flour the two pans and divide 2/3 of the batter between the two; the pans should be filled about 1/3 to ½ full. Bake the first two layers. When they are done, remove from the oven, allow to cool for several minutes, slide a sharp knife around the edges
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to loosen & invert (then upright) on cooling racks to completely cool. Clean, oil, line and dust with flour one of the pans & pour the remaining third of the batter into this pan and bake as directed.)
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes or until the center
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is set (30 – 35 minutes for the smaller layers). Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 – 15 minutes on cooling racks before turning them out onto the racks to cool completely.
Prepare the (Mocha) Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (using mascarpone) found
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