Chocolate Cake

Cake

• 2 cups All-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa powder
• 2 cups Granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Neutral oil
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 cup Hot coffee or hot water

Frosting

• 3/4 cup Butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Cocoa powder
• 3 cups Icing (powdered) sugar
• 3 tbsp Milk

Prep

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease and line two 9-inch cake pans.

Cake

1. Whisk the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
2. Whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Whisk in the hot coffee last — the batter will turn very thin, almost like a heavy cream. This is correct. (Tip: The heat is what pulls the most flavour out of the cocoa. Don't substitute cold liquid here even though the batter looks unusually loose.)

Bake

1. Divide between the pans and bake until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool

1. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Frost

1. Beat the frosting butter until smooth, then beat in the cocoa, icing sugar, and milk gradually until fluffy and spreadable. Frost the cooled layers.