Chocolate Cake
A friend gave me this cookbook called Step-by-Step Cakes and I found many great recipes in it. Since I'm a chocolate lover I got stuck on one of the first pages "Chocoholic" that had pictures of chocolate recipes featured in the book. I had to make a cake for dessert because my family was going over a friends house. That friend also happens to be a chocolate lover so I found a recipe that looked easy and was quick to make. This cake is two chocolate cake layers with buttercream sandwiched in the middle. The cake took about 25 minutes to cook and 45 min in total. The first time I mad this cake it came out looking a little rough but tasted great. I ended up making it a second time for another occasion and it looked 1,000 times better, and the picture taken was from that time.
What you need:
For the cake
14 tbs. unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
1/2 cup cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup Greek, or thick plain yogurt
For the buttercream
4 tbs. unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup confectioners sugar, sifted, plus extra to serve
1/4 cup cocoa powder
a little milk if necessary
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease two 6 inch pans with butter and dust with cocoa powder.* Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer. With a electric hand mixer, or in the electric mixer, cream the mixture until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until well mixed.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Fold the flour mixture into the cake batter until well blended, trying to keep volume. Gently fold through the thick yogurt. This will help to make the cake moist.
Divide the mixture between the two cake pans, smoothing the surfaces with a knife. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes until risen and springy to the touch. Test each cake by inserting a toothpick into the middle, it should come out clean. Leave the cakes in their pans for a few minutes then turn out on to a wire rack to cool.**
For the buttercream, put butter, sugar, and cocoa powder into a large bowl. With an electric hand mixer, blend the mixture for 5 mixtures, or until light and fluffy. If the cream is still, add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches a spreading consistency. Spread the flat base of one sponge with the buttercream, then top with the other sponge. Place on a serving pate and sift confectioner's sugar evenly over the cake. Enjoy!
You can keep in an airtight container for 2 days.
Tips
*I didn't have "6" pans at the time and I made the cake with "8" pans and it came out thinner.
** I would let the cakes cool completely before frosting, or else the frosting will get too warm and run.
Recipe from Step-by-Step Cakes by Caroline Bretherton
