Do Better

the chocolate cake

I’m not at liberty to discuss why, but I needed to make a chocolate cake. Comforting, welcoming, soothing to the soul, chocolate cake. So, it couldn’t be just any cake, it had to be beatty’s chocolate cake.

For the frosting, I consulted Cupcake Bakeshop’s All About Frosting for some basic chocolate ganache tips. From there, a frosting was created that was born to be on this cake.

The chocolate cake. Just what I needed.

beatty’s chocolate cake
from barefoot contessa at home, by ina garten

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 1 cup nonfat milk*
• 1 T vinegar*
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 cup hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 8 inch round cake pans with Pam, line with parchment paper and spray again.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into standing mixer’s bowl. In another bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Turn mixer on low and slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Keep the mixer on low and slowly pour in the hot coffee. Be sure to scrape down the sides and mix again.

Pour the batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes and then allow to cool completely on wire racks.

For the frosting:

• 1 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 T butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened

Put the chocolate chips in a standing mixer’s bowl. Heat heavy cream until small bubbles form along the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and allow to sit for a minute. Then stir until the chocolate chips are completely melted into the cream. Stir in softened butter. Then sift in confectioners sugar and mix with a paddle attachment on low. Finally, mix in the softened cream cheese. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. Store covered in the refrigerator.

*The original recipe calls for 1 cup of buttermilk. I never keep buttermilk on hand, but Gretchen taught me a great trick- 1 cup of buttermilk is equivalent to 1T of vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1 cup.