Yes You Can! (Bake a Chocolate Cake from Scratch)

Ahhhhhh. Chocolate Cake. I remember as a kid, getting out the Betty Crocker cake mix and helping my mom bake cakes and spread said cakes with frosting in a can. I am sure that we all have similar memories of those wonderful magic mixes in which all we had to add were eggs and oil (there were even pictures on the back of the box!!), pop it in the oven and Voila! A wonderful cake awaiting it's liberal covering in frosting! And there is nothing wrong with that - in fact I still have cake mixes in the pantry. They are quick, easy and taste pretty darn good. Not to mention the tubs of ready-made frosting. Heck, I have been known to grab a spoon and eat the frosting by itself. And I am sure I am not the only one reading this who has done that!
But this post isn't about a cake in a box. This post is about constructing something to be proud of. It is about taking the time to make a cake from scratch. It is about taking a step back in time - before Ms. Crocker made her wonderful mix. To make a cake like your Grandmother did. This can be a very soothing and therapeutic ritual. I know that it is for me. There is something wonderful about weighing and measuring ingredients to the precise degree needed. This recipe takes quite a while (with the baking and cooling times that are involved), and if done right, you will feel better once you have finished it. After all - baking something from scratch is an accomplishment to be proud of!
The recipe that I am sharing is a favorite in my household. Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, developed a wonderful recipe called "Beatty's Chocolate Cake" I don't know who Beatty is, but he or she deserves a standing ovation for this cake. Among it's ingredients is hot coffee and of course, chocolate. Here is the recipe directly from the Food Network website (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beattys-chocolate-cake-recipe/index.html). I am adding in some hints and clarifications that I feel are important:

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt *Just use regular salt*
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil *I find that using olive oil gives this cake a better flavor*
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature *I have used both large and XL eggs, and I do not notice a difference in the outcome - no need to buy different eggs*
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee *The coffee does not need to be fresh. But it does need to be hot. I have used both fresh coffee and coffee that was made a few hours before baking - I noticed no difference in taste*
• Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Ingredients Needed for the Cake

 Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. *This is a confusing part of the recipe. I am sure most of you have never had to line a pan with parchment paper. I never had until I made this recipe. I have tried this recipe without parchment paper, but the cakes tend to stick to the pan. The paper is necessary for this cake. Here is a link that I used to learn how to line the pans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxB7VRdnK5o . First, spread the butter on the pan using a paper towel. Then, butter the top of your cut parchment paper. Put about a tablespoon of flour in the pans and tap the pans until the flour is evenly distributed - make sure to tap out any excess flour. Then, roll some flour around your parchment circles. Place the circles in the pans.*

Buttering a Pan with a Paper Towel

Buttered, Floured Pans with Parchment Paper

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. *I usually whisk these ingredients together until combined.*

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. *This is a very important step! First, since you are adding a hot liquid (coffee) to a batter with raw eggs, you will need to pour the coffee into the mix slowly! Otherwise, you may end up scrambling the eggs in the batter. Also, after adding the coffee, the top of the batter will be watery, and the bottom will be thick. It is ESSENTIAL to thoroughly mix this batter with a spatula to evenly distribute the ingredients.*

Proper Consistency After Coffee has been Added

 Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

• 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder *Not straight from the jar! Instant coffee needs to be ground down to make the powder. Either use a mortar and pestle, or give it a quick whiz through the food processor*

Ingredients Needed for the Frosting

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Butter Should be Light Yellow and Fluffy

 Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.*Do not put the frosting on top or in the middle of the cakes until they are THOROUGHLY cooled. Otherwise, it will just melt into the cake. And while tasting good, it won't look appetizing at all!*

Finished Cake

If you try this, let me know how it goes and feel free to ask any questions! Good luck, and congratulations!