Chocolate-Chocolate Birthday Cake
- Total Time
- Baking and cooling: About 3 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 2sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus more for the pan)
- ⅔cup (56 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for the pan)
- 2cups (272 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1½teaspoons baking powder
- ½teaspoon baking soda
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1¼cups (250 grams) sugar
- 4large eggs, at room temperature
- 2teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1cup (240 ml.) buttermilk, well shaken
- 4ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 3⅓cups (405 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 4½tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3sticks (339 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 4½tablespoons buttermilk
- Small decorations to scatter over the cake, optional
For the Cake
For the Frosting
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
683 calories; 41 grams fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 79 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 59 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 313 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Preparation
- Step 1
Center a rack in the oven, and preheat it to 350. Butter the interiors of two 9-inch round cake pans, dust with a little cocoa powder and tap out the excess. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Step 2
Working with an electric mixer (use the paddle, if you have one), beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, and beat for a minute after each goes in; beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (start and finish with the dry, and don’t worry if the buttermilk makes the batter look slightly curdled). Mix in the melted chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
- Step 3
Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until a tester poked into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer to racks, let rest 5 minutes and then run a blunt knife around the edges of the pans. Unmold the cakes onto the racks, and cool to room temperature.
- Step 4
Make the frosting: Sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder. Using an electric mixer (with the paddle, if available), beat the sugar, cocoa, salt and butter on high speed until fluffy. On low speed, add the chocolate. When it’s almost incorporated, beat in the buttermilk. It’s best to use the frosting immediately.
- Step 5
If necessary, just before you’re ready to frost the cakes, slice a sliver off the top of each layer to create a flat surface. To assemble, place one cake layer, top up, on a serving platter, and cover with frosting. Top with the second layer, top down, jiggling it into the frosting to hold it in place. Frost the top and sides of the cake — go sleek or swirly. If you’re using decorations, scatter them over the cake. Chill for at least 1 hour (or for up to 1 day); bring to room temperature before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
I recommend using Droste-brand Dutch-processed cocoa. But if you have regular cocoa, it works, too. However, easiest and the best-ever frosting is a 12 oz package of chocolate chips, melted, then blended with a pinch of salt and 1 c. of sour cream. That is what goes on the birthday cake my husband bakes for me!
My husbands hips were killing him today so I decided to make a half batch as cupcakes. A sweet treat to take his mind off the agony. As we're at 5700 feet I made a few adjustments to the recipe. The cupcakes are light with good chocolate depth. The frosting can border on cloying, as usual for American buttercream. Whip it until it is gossamer light and then sprinkle on some cocoa nibs which add a crunch of cocoa that tempers all of the sweetness . Hip therapy indeed.
S. Snedeker. Yes, the best frosting! Helen Evans Brown, from the James Beard Cookbook.
Delicious cake but my cake stuck to the pan! I wonder how to prevent that next time? Delicious otherwise though!
@Ann i usually like adding parchment paper rounds on the bottom so the cake doesn’t get stuck
This recipe sounds like it may be 30/40 years old and for me, it hasn't aged well. The icing was too sweet and perhaps not moist enough to make up for the dryness of the cakes. I would recommend slicing the tops for an even look, as this is after all a birthday cake.
I used top quality, fresh ingredients, I’ve tested my oven, and I double checked to make sure I included everything. But the cake was meh. The cake wasn’t very chocolaty, and it was dry the first day and arid the second. The frosting tasted good, and spread well. But the butter flavor was out of balance. I think the buttermilk put it over into unctuous. It cost a lot when you add in 5 sticks of butter, 10 ounces of good chocolate, nearly a box of cocoa powder, and a box of confectioners sugar. I’m sure the recipe worked well for others, but there were enough commenters giving it downvotes that I should have listened. Sadly, every chocolate cake recipe is filled with negative comments!
Advertisement