Baking, Dessert

Chocolate Layer Cake

Servings12

Time to Cook30 minutes

Time to Prepare20 minutes

Recipe developed for BC Egg by Eggs.ca

Classic chocolate cake, with rich, fudgy frosting between two layers of moist, delicious cake – what’s not to love?

Ingredients

Cake

1 3/4 cups (440 mL) all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup (175 mL) cocoa powder, sifted
2 tsp (10 mL) instant espresso powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups (420 mL) granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) buttermilk

Frosting

3/4 cup (175 mL) cold unsalted butter, cubed
8 oz (230 g) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/4 cup (60 mL) cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) salt
3 cups (750 mL) icing sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (75 mL) milk
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

Instructions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined; set aside.
Using electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before the next addition. Beat in vanilla.
With mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture in 3 parts and buttermilk in 2 parts, starting and ending with flour mixture; scrape down the bowl as needed between additions.
Pour batter into prepared pans; smooth top. Bake until tester comes out clean when inserted into centre, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely.

Frosting

Using electric mixer, beat butter on high speed until light and creamy; beat in melted and cooled chocolate, cocoa powder and salt until smooth. Beat in icing sugar. Stir in milk and vanilla; beat until creamy.
If frosting is too soft to spread, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. Smear a little frosting on a serving plate to prevent the cake from sliding. Place the first cake in the centre of the plate and spread 1 cup (250 mL) of frosting on top. Top with second cake layer; frost the top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes

For a sweeter frosting, use semi-sweet chocolate instead of bittersweet.

If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup; fill with milk to measure 1 cup (250 mL) to make 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk.