Chocolate Buttercream Cake

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Halloween for Grownups

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (37)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(37)

Cook Time:
40 min
Level:
Difficult
Yield:
18 to 20 servings

Times:

Prep: 40 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Cook: 40 min
Total:: 2 hr 20 min

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Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups good cocoa powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
3 tablespoons brewed coffee
1 recipe Orange Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on high speed until light, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in thirds, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix the batter only until blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before frosting.

Orange Buttercream:

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup water

6 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/4 pounds (5 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons Triple Sec or other orange liqueur

1 tablespoon orange food coloring

Combine the sugar with 2/3 cup water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and, without stirring, bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan and allow the mixture to boil until the sugar dissolves. Uncover and continue boiling until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Pour the syrup into a heat-proof measuring cup.

Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs form stiff peaks. With the mixer on high speed, slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites. Continue beating on high speed until the mixture is absolutely at room temperature, about 10 to 15 minutes.

With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and then add the vanilla and liqueur. (If the mixture becomes runny, the meringue was too warm and the butter melted. Chill slightly and beat again.) Add the food coloring and combine.

Yield: 6 cups

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Chocolate Buttercream Cake
Nick East Wenatchee, WA 11-02-2009
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Excellent & delicious!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This cake was a big hit at my Christmas dinnee! It was so moist and delicious! it was unbelivable! Oh my goodness! it was so... gooood!Read more
recipe Chocolate Buttercream Cake
Claudia Ashburn, VA 11-01-2009
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Great icing, dry cake!
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

Made this cake a day ahead and it looked nice and moist when it came out of the oven. Made the icing the following day,... decorated and served, and was disappointed that the cake was dry and crumbly. I'm not sure where I went wrong. The only part I didn't follow correctly was the mixing of the wet and dry ingredients. Could that have done it? The icing was fun to make even though it was a bit labor intensive. The taste was light and delicious and worth the time it took to make. Overall the cake looked great, I just wish the consistancy would have turned out better.Read more
recipe Chocolate Buttercream Cake
Staci Austin, TX 10-31-2009
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Easy, but a lot of prep time to get everything room temp
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

First of all, Janice....take a pill. This cake turned out fine. No mishaps - pretty darn easy. The only headache was the... pan dimensions - could not find a 12x18x1.5. Used a standard 11x17x1. The flavor of the cake was a bit on the bitter chocolate side, someone commented that it wasnt chocolately enough, someone said its a 'grown-up taste'. The frosting is not heavy, but light, fluffy, just sweet enough and I'll use again. You gotta drizzle the syrup in right away and be fast at it before it hardens in the heat proof container because you won't get it all in there. I think it could use more Cointreau, as well. Over all it was something I'll make again, maybe a different chocolate mixture instead of cocoa - should I have used a sweetened cocoa? I used a Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa.Read more
recipe Chocolate Buttercream Cake
Matthew Ravenna, OH 10-31-2009
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This recipe turned out perfect and delicious!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have to say, in my experience, Ina's recipes have always been reliable and tasty, and this cake and frosting was no... exception. I followed the recipe AS IT WAS WRITTEN and I had no problem with either the cake (it was chocolately and moist) or the frosting (fluffy, creamy, light and nice flavor...and yes, AS THE RECIPE STATES, you need to use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment). I have to say that is annoys me when people review a recipe, especially when it is reviewed negatively, but the person decided to take it upon themselves to alter the recipe, and then finds that it doesn't turn out correctly (or at all). At that point, you cannot blame the recipe. If you want to alter a recipe, go for it, Lord knows I have, but then don't write a review advising people not to try it because it won't work, because in most cases, it was the alterations to the recipe that caused it to not turn out properly. If you don't like a recipe and feel the need to change it all around, then it may be better to just find a different recipe. But this chocolate cake and frosting, baked as the recipe states, did turn out just like hers - it was delicious and quite a hit at my Halloween party this year!Read more
recipe Chocolate Buttercream Cake
Janice Hickory, NC 10-30-2009
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I have made buttercream before but not with room temp butter???
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Ok first off let me start by saying I have never in my 40 years ever heard of making buttercream frosting with room temp... butter , Now with that being said I did not make this icing recipe only the cake. I use marthas recipe for buttercream which is very much like this one minus the warm butter. You still make the syrup mixture and bring it to 238. Which is about 12 minutes total cook time, then crack the eggs putting all the whites in the STAND MIXER, DON'T HAVE ONE THEN DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME, OR INGREDIENTS. Butter is not cheap and it will always come out looking curdled and a big ole mess. whip the whites and here is where the recipe changes a bit, donot play lets pour the boiling hot syrup from cup to cup , JUST DRIZZLE IT IN THE BOWL for crying out loud! while Whipping the egg whites and syrup mixture , make sure you have cubed up your ICE COLD fresh from the frig butter and WHEN YOU CAN PLACE YOUR HANDS ON THE BOWL AND HOLD THEM THERE start throwing it in cube by cube and it will look like a curdles mess then it will smooth out , by the time that you have added it all. Marthas recipe calls for 1 stick less as well. Check it out at www.marthastewart.com in the recipes tab. ALSO in case anyone wonders if you have left over butter cream what in the world can you do with it , WELL you can pop it in the frig and keeping it in an airtight container and bring it out the day you want to use it and bring to room temp re whip and just use it. this is why so many folks are confused about cooking everyone is telling you a different was to do something If I was a new cook I would be a wreck! I Have been baking/cooking since i was old enough to stand on the antique milk can at my grandmothers (RIP) counter. Read more
recipe Chocolate Buttercream Cake
Gina Lombard, IL 10-29-2009
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A nice challenging recipe!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I am an avid baker and I love a good challenge. This cake is labor intensive and you do need a candy thermometer to get the... syrup just right in my opinion. But I like the science of baking. The Icing was challenging in that my egg white and syrup was a tad on the warm side when I added my butter so it did get a little runny. But, as ina says if you pop it in the fridge for a few mins to chill and whip it again you get a beautiful, surprisingly light (despite the addition 5 sticks of butter) and airy buttercream frosting. I used a half sheet pan for the cake, and instead of butter and flour to prep the pan I used cocoa powder. I like to really scramble the eggs before I add them. Also, turning the cake half way through the baking time helps to give a more evenly baked result. Ive baked a quite a few of Ina's cakes and other items and for the most part she is right on. No flops. This is no exception. Thanks for another dynamite recipe!Read more