Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
This chocolate cake recipe is so good that my mother used it as the basis for every chocolate cake she made. Why mess with success! I paired the cake with my grandmother's mocha buttercream frosting and made it with hazelnut coffee.
Prep cake: 40 minutes Bake: 27-28 minutes Bake at: 350° Pan: two 6-inch cake pans Frost cake: 20 minutes Makes: 10-12 servings
Difficulty: intermediate
Ingredients:
Cake Batter:
1 1/4 ounces Baker's unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons (192g) cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Small pinch salt
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg white
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup (203g) sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Baker's Joy
Hazelnut Mocha Frosting:
2 1/2 cups (280g) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons double strength hazelnut coffee, chilled (see "tips")
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Bring all cake batter ingredients to room temperature.
Pre-heat the oven to 350°.
To make cake batter: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate at 50% power for 2-2 1/2 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift flour with baking soda and salt. Separate eggs and place 1 egg white in a small, super clean metal or glass bowl.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer at medium speed to cream butter until whipped, about 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar and beat until pale yellow and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Add chocolate to creamed mixture and beat to combine. Add egg yolks one by one and beat for a few seconds until yellow just disappears. Working in thirds, fold in flour mixture by hand alternating with buttermilk and vanilla until almost incorporated (start and end with dry ingredients). Fully incorporate the final flour addition. With clean beaters, whip egg white until stiff peaks form and then fold into batter.
Prepare pans with Baker's Joy. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 27-28 minutes at 350°. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pans to loosen and turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.
To make frosting: In a medium bowl, sift powdered sugar with cocoa and salt. In a separate medium bowl, cream butter. Alternate adding sugar mixture with coffee and vanilla. If necessary, add a few drops more coffee to make spreadable consistency.
Use a long, serrated knife and cut the dome tops off both cakes to create a flat surface. Take a pastry brush and lightly brush away crumbs. Place one cake with cut side down on your cake stand. Spread 1/4 of the frosting across the cake. Place the second cake cut side down on top of the first layer. Place 1/4 of the remaining frosting on top and spread evenly. Use the remaining frosting around the side of the cake. Smooth with an offset or straight spatula.
Cake keeps well for 4 days. Leftover slices can be wrapped and frozen for 3 weeks.
Tips:
- If you don't keep hazelnut coffee on hand, use regular coffee.
- To make three 9-inch cake layers, use 2 1/4 cups (308g) cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, pinch salt, 3 egg yolks, 3 egg whites, 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups (305g) sugar, 1 cup buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Bake about 25 minutes. Make 4 cups frosting.
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