Super Moist Chocolate Cake

From the Barefoot Contessa, this is by far one of the moistest cakes I've ever made and is from her husband's grandmother. One guy who had a piece at the birthday I brought it to, said he thought it was a brownie because it was so moist. And yes it is dense, but not in an overkill kind of way...it's still super fluffy!  I think the key is really about not over-mixing the batter at the end, as well as the coffee which gives the chocolate flavor a super punch!  I am pretty sure this is going to be my go-to recipe for a good basic but unforgettable chocolate cake from now on.  My photo is actually from the day after we ate it (hence the refrigerated look), and it was still as moist as ever. For another coma-inducing chocolate cake recipe, also check out THIS ONE that I posted a few weeks back.

Ingredients:

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups 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
• Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans (I used a 9x13 pan). 

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, 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 dry. 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, until a cake tester (aka knife or toothpick) comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 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:

• 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate
• 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 (I didn't have instant coffee, so I used 1/2 tsp coffee extract and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)

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 the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.