Chocolate Cake (Our Best-Ever Recipe)

Name: Chocolate Cake (Our Best-Ever Recipe)
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: United states
Ingredients: 0.75 cup sour cream; 0.5 cup buttermilk; 2 large eggs; null cooking spray or butter; 0.5 cup vegetable or canola oil; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1.75 cups all-purpose flour; 1.75 cups granulated sugar; 0.75 cup natural cocoa powder; 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 0.5 cup boiling water; 3 sticks unsalted butter; 4.5 cups powdered sugar; 1 cup natural cocoa powder; 0.25 cup heavy cream or whole milk; 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract; 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt

Make a rich chocolate cake with layers of fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting.

10 servingsUnited statesSnack

Imported from www.thekitchn.com

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Ingredients

sour cream0.75 cup
buttermilk0.5 cup
eggs2 large
cooking spray or butter0
vegetable or canola oil0.5 cup
vanilla extract1 tablespoon
kosher salt1 teaspoon
all-purpose flour1.75 cups
granulated sugar1.75 cups
natural cocoa powder0.75 cup
instant espresso powder1 tablespoon
baking soda2 teaspoons
baking powder2 teaspoons
boiling water0.5 cup
unsalted butter3 sticks
powdered sugar4.5 cups
natural cocoa powder1 cup
heavy cream or whole milk0.25 cup
vanilla extract1.5 teaspoons
kosher salt0.25 teaspoon

Nutrition

4680

Calories (kcal)

Protein (g)

612

Carbs (g)

228

Fat (g)

Instructions

Tips

•
Bloom the cocoa powder and espresso powder in boiling water before mixing into the batter—this intensifies chocolate flavor and helps the cocoa distribute evenly. Don't skip this step; dry cocoa powder can create lumps and won't hydrate properly in the batter.
•
Use the sour cream and buttermilk combination as-is without substitution if possible—their acidity activates the baking soda and creates a tender crumb. If you must substitute, use Greek yogurt thinned with milk (1:1 ratio), but avoid regular yogurt alone as it lacks sufficient acidity.
•
Bring all wet ingredients (eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, oil, vanilla) to room temperature before mixing to ensure proper emulsification and avoid a broken or lumpy batter. Cold eggs won't incorporate smoothly with the oil-based mixture.
•
Frost the cake layers while they're completely cool (at least 2 hours, ideally chilled) to prevent the frosting from melting and sliding off. The frosting itself can be made 1-2 days ahead and refrigerated; soften at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before spreading.
•
Make-ahead: Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 months, or kept at room temperature for 1 day. Fully frosted cakes are best consumed within 2-3 days refrigerated; let come to room temperature before serving for optimal texture and flavor.