Chocolate Butter Cake

Chocolate cake. What's not to love? Try it with some Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting. You will be in chocolate heaven.

Yield: 1 10-inch round cake or 2 8-inch round cakes 
Time: 1 hour 
Preheat Oven: 350°


Ingredients:

1 1/2  c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar 
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature and cut into 1 inch pieces)
1/3 c. cocoa powder (Dutch process, if can get it)
1/3 c. unsweetened chocolate (melted)
1/2 c. hot water
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line baking pans with parchment and spray sides with non-stick spray.

In a large stand mixer (like a KitchenAid) with a paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder.

While mixer is running, add butter a piece at a time. Mix until mixture looks like wet sand.

Stop mixer and pour in melted unsweetened chocolate. Mix until incorporated (about 1 minute).

Add hot water and mix. Scrape down sides and bottom with a rubber spatula.

With mixer running, add eggs one at a time.  After eggs are incorporated (about 1 minute), scrape down sides and bottom with a rubber spatula.

With motor running, pour in buttermilk and vanilla extract. After the buttermilk has mixed in about 30 seconds, stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom with a rubber spatula. Mix another minute to incorporate all ingredients.  Give one final scrape of sides and bottom with rubber spatula.

Pour into pan: Pour the batter evenly into the parchment lined cake pans.

Bake: Place the pans in the middle shelf of a pre-heated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the tooth pick comes out with few or no crumbs, remove from oven. If there are wet crumbs, bake another 5 minutes and test again.

Remove from oven: Remove cake pans from oven and place on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. 

Remove cake from pan: Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan. Place a cardboard cake round or plate on top of the cake pan. Invert the cake pan onto the the plate or cardboard. Pull off the parchment. Place the wire rack on top of and cake and invert again. Set aside and let cool thoroughly.


See the video class on how to make this delicious cake.




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