recipe for beth's birthday cake

BEATTY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE by Ina Garten 

[made fabulously by Wendy!]

Ingredients:

Butter, for greasing the pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus a smidge more for dusting the pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 (8 inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, coca, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dryt. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Please 1 layer, flat side up on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate frosting ingredients:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommend Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/1/4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Frosting directions:

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of hot tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate an coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake. Enjoy!