Six Inch Chocolate Cake
Baked low and slow, this is a six inch chocolate cake made with buttermilk, oil, melted semisweet chocolate and a lot of cocoa powder.
Servings 6 slices
Cost 5
Ingredients
Cake Layers
- 1 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup hot brewed coffee
- 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
- ¾ cup plus 2 T. all-purpose flour (105 grams)
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process) (42 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- 1 large large egg
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup buttermilk shake well
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting
- 6 T. unsalted butter softened (84 grams)
- 4 ½ tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped (42 grams)
- ½ cup sour cream at room temp or on the warm side
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease and flour two six-inch round cake pans.
- Combine the chocolate chips and hot coffee and stir until chips are melted, then set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir well.
- In a large measuring cup or small mixing bowl, mix together egg, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and stir until blended, then stir in the melted chocolate/coffee mixture.
- Beat for 20 seconds or until well blended.
- Divide batter between the two pans (about 12 oz in each pan if you weigh).
- Bake at 300 degrees F on center rack for about 45 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched.
- Frosting: First, melt the chocolate using the microwave. You can use your favorite method. I use the microwave and stir every 30 seconds. Let the chocolate cool slightly.
- Beat together the softened butter, cocoa powder and half of the confectioners' sugar. Add the vanilla and the remaining confectioners' sugar, scraping the side of the bowl often as you beat. Stir in the melted chocolate, then stir in the room temperature sour cream. If for some reason the icing is softer than you like or seems too soft to spread, throw the whole bowl in the refrigerator for an hour, then beat again.
Notes
It's important for the icing ingredients to be room temperature and not the least bit cold. If your butter and sour cream are too cold, the melted chocolate may re-solidify into little chocolate clumps when you mix it in.