Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Coffee Buttercream
A delicious, classic chocolate cake with a perfectly silky coffee buttercream.
Servings 12 or more
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup non-alkalized cocoa powder such as Hershey's
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups sifted cake flour 10.5 ounces
- 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 15.25 ounces
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, must be softened 2 sticks
For the Buttercream:
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- 2 cups unsalted butter, must be softened 1 pound or 4 sticks
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder such as Medaglia d'Oro
- 1 teaspoon boiling water
Instructions
Bake the Cakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare two round 9-inch by 1 ½-inch cake pans: grease, line bottom with parchment or wax paper, and then grease again and flour. (If you only have 2-inch high pans, either do ⅔ the recipe for 1 layer or 1 ⅓ the recipe for 2 layers). Crisco spray with flour also works well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
- In another bowl, lightly combine the eggs, ¼ of the cocoa mixture, and vanilla.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and remaining cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for 1 ½ minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides.
- Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. The pans should be about ½ full. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. It may take a little longer than 30 minutes.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and invert onto greased wire racks. To prevent splitting, reinvert so that tops are up and cool completely before wrapping airtight or frosting.
Make the Coffee Buttercream Frosting:
- Dissolve espresso powder into 1 teaspoon boiling water. Set aside to cool.
- Grease a 1-cup heatproof glass measure and place near the range.
- In a bowl, beat the yolks with an electric mixer until light in color. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan, preferably non-stick, and heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a rolling boil. The entire surface will be covered with large bubbles. Immediately transfer the syrup to the glass measure to stop the cooking.
- If using an electric hand-held mixer, beat the syrup into the yolks in a steady stream. Don't allow the syrup to fall on the beaters or they will spin it onto the sides of the bowl. If using a stand mixer, pour a small amount of syrup over the yolks with the mixer turned off. Immediately beat at high speed for 5 seconds. Stop the mixer and add a larger amount of syrup. Beat at high speed for 5 seconds. Continue with the remaining syrup. For the last addition, use a rubber scraper to remove the syrup clinging to the glass measure. Continue beating until completely cool.
- Gradually beat in the butter and the dissolved espresso. Place in an airtight bowl. Bring to room temperature before using.
Notes
Source: Adapted from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
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