Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Flavors and Flowers

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (598)

Cook Time:
35 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
8 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 30 min
Cook: 35 min
Total:: 1 hr 35 min

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Ingredients

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions

Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, 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 vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the 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.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and 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 teaspoons 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 the cooled cake.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Beatty's Chocolate Cake
sara Jefferson Ctiy, MO 11-19-2009
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Great Cake
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Okay...it fell in the middle but I am not sure what causes that to happen. I have an electric stove perhaps it needs to be... in a gas one? Anyone with answers let us know...Read more
recipe Beatty's Chocolate Cake
alison chicago, IL 11-18-2009
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Delicious And Moist
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Excellent recipe....delicious flavor and extremely moist. The only problem I had was that the cake ALWAYS falls in the... middle. Not just a little bit, but a lot. Any suggestions to prevent this?Read more
recipe Beatty's Chocolate Cake
Kristin Willingboro, NJ 11-17-2009
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Great cake
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this cake for my husband's birthday . I used 2 9inch pans and didn't have any trouble with it at all. Yes, it is... the same recipe as the Black Magic Cake from Hersheys in the 60's, and its still on their web site. But the icing put it over the top. I made 2 batches so there would be enough, and also used cocoa to flour the pans. Love it and have been making the same cake for years but with different icing.Read more
recipe Beatty's Chocolate Cake
Stephen Fort Worth, TX 11-17-2009
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Excellent Chocolate Cake
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this cake for a buddy for his birthday and it did not disappoint. Not only was it the most moist cake I have ever... baked it was stunning to look at. I addded walnuts to the outside of the cake (they stuck to the icing) and it made it even better. The coffee in the cake is a must as it really does make it have a more intense chocolate taste. What must be understood about Ina's recipes is that they are going to take a little longer to make but they payoff is well worth it. Ina is my favorite recipe writer because I enjoy a challenge in the kitchen. Read more
recipe Beatty's Chocolate Cake
Patricia richmond, VA 11-16-2009
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Sadly, boxed chocolate cake mix is better.
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

I followed the recipe exactly and was very excited about the cake. Should have used a deep sided 8in pan b/c the cake almost... overflowed my regular glass cake pans. But all was well. I let the cakes cook for the full 40min when a toothpick came out clean. I left the round topped cakes to sit for 20min and when I returned they had completely collapsed leaving a very dense sticky mess of a cake. I would imagine that if the cakes had not fallen then they would have turned out incredibly moist. I let the cakes cook and frosted them with the attached recipe (good) and the family dug in. Sadly, I have to say that we all agreed that the cake had no chocolate taste. There was a hint of coffee taste but if it weren't for that it would have been a truly tasteless cake. I used Hersheys Dark Cocoa...maybe it would work better with a better brand of cocoa...but I was just trying to use what was in my cabinets. Honestly, I would have been better off with a duncan hines box mix and frosting it with the attached recipe for the chocolate buttercream frosting. But you win some and you lose some. Read more
recipe Beatty's Chocolate Cake
Robert Moscow, ID 11-15-2009
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Worst Cake Ever!
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

After going through all the trouble of actually finding 8in round cake pans, no one specified the depth so they completely... went over and collapsed.... the details make a great recipe and this one fell flat... LITERALLY. Next time only Ill only fill each pan less then 1/2 way because this was ridiculous ugh Read more