When it comes to decadent desserts, Ina Garten has you covered. Her Beatty's
Chocolate Cake is an old family recipe from a friend—Beatty’s grandson— and the
beauty of it comes from its rich, dense chocolate flavor paired with a moist, soft texture that will surely become a favorite among children and grown-ups alike.
The secret to Ina’s go-to cake is a fresh cup of brewed coffee whisked into the batter. You’ll find this trick will boost the chocolate flavor without tasting exactly of coffee, creating a dark, dense cake that will, of course, keep a light-as-air crumb.
To top it off, a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth frosting is all you’d need to complete this masterpiece. The key ingredient would be a raw egg yolk—your heard that right!—but don’t worry. The coffee mixture and melted chocolate will help you “cook” the egg, if you will, to produce a sleek, silky buttercream that lasts for days.
Tip
This delicious Beatty's Chocolate Cake recipe can also work as cupcakes! Simply separate the batter into a muffin or cupcake pan, reduce the cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes, and once it’s cooled off, frost your cupcakes with the buttercream. You may want to double the frosting recipe, especially if you’re decorating them for a birthday party or holiday festivities.
Ingredients
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Butter for greasing the pans
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1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
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2 cup granulated sugar
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¾ cup good cocoa powder
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2 teaspoon baking soda
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 cup buttermilk, shaken
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½ cup vegetable oil
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2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
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6 ounce good semisweet chocolate, such as Callebaut
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½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1 extra-large egg yolk at room temperature
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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1 ¼ cup sifted confectioners' sugar
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1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
Directions
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To make the cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour pans.
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Sift the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and 1 tsp. vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
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With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Chocolate Frosting
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For the buttercream, chop the chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and 1 tsp. vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 tsp. of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on cooled cake.
Stack and Frost
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Place one layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread top with frosting. Place second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread frosting evenly on top and sides of the cake. To create the dramatic swoops and swirls on the cover, double the frosting recipe.
Tip
Since the buttercream has melted chocolate, you’d need to work slightly fast so it doesn’t harden while you’re spreading it on the cake. Keep in mind this cake can be kept at room temperature—make sure it’s a cool, dark space—or in the fridge. If you’re going for the latter, place the cake over the counter for at least an hour before serving so the buttercream can regain its melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 842 | Calories |
| 46g | Fat |
| 108g | Carbs |
| 9g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 8 | |
| Calories 842 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 46g | 59% |
| Saturated Fat 21g | 105% |
| Cholesterol 132mg | 44% |
| Sodium 574mg | 25% |
| Total Carbohydrate 108g | 39% |
| Total Sugars 79g | |
| Protein 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin C 0.3mg | 0% |
| Calcium 118mg | 9% |
| Iron 3.5mg | 19% |
| Potassium 344mg | 7% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 1g | |
| Folate, total 67.3mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0.3mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0.1mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.