Classic Chocolate Layer Cake

I love chocolate cake. A whole lot. Usually I'm more of a brownies, cookies, cobbler kind of girl but who can resist the scrumptiousness of a good chocolate cake? I'll even admit to being addict enough to think that Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker put out pretty decent versions of this basic cake...but certainly no where as good as the one I made this morning!

One of the things that intrigued me about the Annies Eats recipe is the inclusion of espresso powder. I worked for an elderly german lady for a period of many years, doing everything from cleaning her house, wrapping her Christmas gifts, reading to her husband, taking her dogs to the vet (Daily. These were some majorly spoiled dogs!)...and anything else she could think of to make me do. In between that kind of variety of weird jobs and assignments, Mrs. Maylan (or Der Karen as my brother and I secretly called her) gave me cooking lessons. I've long since forgotten the specifics of her background but I do remember that she had trained at some famous cooking school  - the Cordon Bleu?

I still have some of her recipes written out on cards and there will be times when I'm in the kitchen and suddenly remember one of her directions. Always use room temperature eggs and scrape everything out of the inside of the eggshell. Use a scale instead of cup measurement for better accuracy in baking. And, coffee brings out the flavor of chocolate.

A recipe I didn't write down from Der Karen was her version of a classic chocolate cake. When we made one together, I was totally shocked that she used coffee as a flavoring agent. How could a vile, bitter substance like java (needless to say I hadn't yet met Cindy and started my life as a coffee drinker) ever be used to sweeten a yummy chocolate cake???? While I may have harbored a lot of secret doubts, it was a fact that the chocolate cake produced by one very elderly German lady and her young house maid turned out heavenly.

Today, as I went though the steps to create Annies Eats version of a classic chocolate cake, I thought of Mrs. Maylan taking time to cook with me and show me some of her amazing recipes. In my young ignorance, I thought I was helping her but as I look back to that time of my life, I realize so clearly that she was giving me the inestimable gift of time together and sharing the love of baking.


Classic Chocolate Layer Cake
courtesy of Annies Eats
Yield: about 16 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
1¼ cups (6¼ oz.) all-purpose flour
1 cup (3 oz.) unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the pans
2 tsp. instant espresso or coffee powder
1 cup boiling water
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¾ cups (12¼ oz.) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
For the frosting:
9.5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sour cream



DIRECTIONS
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Butter the edges of 2 9-inch round cake pans and dust with cocoa powder, shaking out the excess.  Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, espresso powder, and boiling water.  Whisk until smooth; set aside to cool slightly.  When cooled down a bit, whisk in the sour cream and vanilla.  Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.  Gradually blend in the sugar and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes more.  Blend in the eggs one at a time.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; whisk to blend.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the sour cream mixture, beating each addition just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake the cake layers for about 23-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans during halfway through to ensure even baking.  Transfer the baked cake layers to a wire rack and let cool in the pans at least 30 minutes before inverting onto the rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Set aside to cool until just barely warm.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream.  Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended.

To assemble the cake, place one of the cake layers on a cake board or serving platter.  Spread an even layer of the frosting over the top of the cake.  Top with the second cake layer.  Frost the top and sides of the cake using a thin crumb coat at first.  Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.  (While the crumb coat sets, you may want to leave the mixer on low speed with the remaining frosting so that the melted chocolate doesn’t set.  Once the crumb cake is set, frost the top and sides of the cake again using an offset spatula or spoon for a soft, billowy appearance.  Slice and serve.