Chocolate Cake

From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis

Yield

2 8-inch layers or 1 9x13-inch cake

Introduction

For those of you who have forgotten—or never knew—how delicious and easy it is to make a cake from scratch, here is our offering. The recipe comes from a friend with a reputation for being an exceptional cook. It is a simple, not terribly rich cake. We like to bake it in square pans because it is easier to cut, but you can certainly use round pans or even an oblong one if that’s what you prefer or have available.

Ingredients

Chocolate Syrup

	½	cup unsweetened cocoa powder
	½	cup granulated sugar
	½	cup water

Chocolate Cake

	¼	lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
	¾	cup granulated sugar
	2	extra-large eggs
	2	tsp. pure vanilla extract
	2	cups all-purpose flour
	1	tsp. baking soda
	1	cup buttermilk

Chocolate Frosting

	6	Tbsp. (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
	1	large egg
	½	cup unsweetened cocoa powder
	2	cups powdered sugar
	1	tsp. pure vanilla extract

Steps

Chocolate Cake

Combine ingredients for chocolate syrup in a 1½-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (this will take about 45 minutes).
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two 8-inch square baking pans with squares of parchment or waxed paper.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream butter until it turns pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add the ¾ cup sugar and continue beating another 5 minutes. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until they are completely blended in. Mix in vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl using a fork, mix together flour and baking soda. Beat about ½ cup of the flour mixture into the creamed butter; then add ¼ cup of the buttermilk. Continue adding flour and buttermilk alternately ending with flour and beating after each addition. With a spoon, stir in cooled chocolate syrup and continue stirring until it is well incorporated and there are no white spots left in the batter.
Divide the batter equally between the prepared pans. Bang the pans once or twice on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Place pans on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes. Then remove cakes from pans, peel off the paper bottom, and cool completely on the rack while preparing frosting.
When cake has cooled, place 1 layer upside down on a serving plate and, using a spatula, spread frosting on top of it; then place the other layer over it right side up. Frost the sides all the way around to cover and finally frost the top with the remaining frosting. You can make a simple decoration on the top by using the back of a spoon to make little peaks.

Chocolate Frosting

In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter until it is pale yellow and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and continue beating a few more minutes. On low speed, beat in cocoa, then powdered sugar, a little at a time. Add vanilla extract and beat on high speed until the frosting is fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Notes

In order to divide the batter equally in the pans, so that you have even-sized layers, use a kitchen scale. Weigh each pan with batter to be sure the amount is equal. You can also use a 4-cup measuring cup and pour an equal amount of batter into each pan.
Instead of using square baking pans, bake cake in two 9-inch round cake pans or one 9x13-inch baking pan.
Top frosting with chopped walnuts, pecans, or any nuts you like.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.