Last week I had a huge hankering for a chocolate cake! Little did I realize this would be the Best Ever Dark Chocolate Cake!
As I’m writing this post today, I see that today is National Dessert Day…..how fitting.
Have you ever had a dessert/cake that was so delicious that you could eat it until you were sick? Well this is that cake!
Moist, rich,and chocolatey cake with a dark rich fudge like frosting……it’s enough to make a girl swoon!!
Dark chocolate is one of my go-to, favorite things. Dark chocolate is made with cocoa butter instead of milk based butter, and has higher percentage of cocoa. The best thing, dark chocolate contains antioxidants and is relatively low in sugar ……..so really its a health food. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it……lol
Best Ever Dark Chocolate Cake can be a show stopper of a dessert or simple cupcakes.
Enhancing chocolate with coffee is a great way get a more chocolaty cake. Coffee and chocolate have the same flavor elements, so adding coffee results in a more chocolaty cake – not a coffee-flavored one. I used a cup of strong coffee made in my Keurig. 8 ounce cup and the strong brew button. I also added espresso powder for that extra kick to the coffee.
I made my cake a three tier (6” cake pans) It was very tall……
but it can be made with using two 8 or 9 inch pans, or made into cupcakes, or a sheet cake. It’s very versatile.
You can also use whatever flavors you prefer. Almonds were my choice for this cake, but you could easily use orange, raspberry, or different kinds of nuts.
Whatever your flavor choice (try the almonds first) Best Ever Dark Chocolate Cake will be rich, moist and delicious …….
If you are looking for my Best Ever White cake click here
Best Ever Dark Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1cup buttermilk
- 1 cup strong black coffee
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Slivered almonds and chocolate chips for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray your cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add sugar, flour, dark cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of your standing mixer, and mix on medium until well blended.
- Stir espresso powder into strong black coffee until fully dissolved. Allow to cool slightly.
- Add to your flour mixture along with the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides, and then continue mixing for 90 seconds. Batter will be thin.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared baking pans.
- Bake 8″ pans for 35-40 minutes, 9″ pans for 30-35 minutes, or bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from pans.
Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter. room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 cup dark cocoa powder
- 7 c powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter alone for 30 seconds. Add salt and vanilla, and continue mixing for another minute.
- Sift together cocoa and powdered sugar. Add flour mixture in small batches to butter mixture alternately with cream, scraping down the sides of your bowl frequently. Beat until fully incorporated and fluffy.
- Frost fully cooled cakes as desired.
