Birthday Celebration Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

This is the perfect chocolate cake for a birthday celebration. It really tastes like chocolate cake, not all do, and this one has the softest crumb and is incredibly moist. I've made many chocolate cakes in my lifetime, but none of them have stood out above this one. It is incredibly easy to make, requiring just one bowl and a wooden spoon, unbelievable right? The chocolate ganache icing takes it to the next level, ensuring it becomes a dark and sumptuous cake. However, just a normal old-fashioned chocolate icing would still do this justice, or it is delicious enough on its own to accommodate a gentle sifting of icing sugar on the surface, served with a large spoonful of thickened cream. Mr. HRK loved his birthday cake, so it was worth taking the time to bake it. 

There isn't a single block of dark chocolate involved in making this cake, which is a win win I think, all of the ingredients were already in my pantry. Are you happy to bake and eat a rich chocolate cake like this one? I loved making it and would make it again to celebrate a special occasion. Thanks to Nagi Maehashi for this recipe. Nagi says she is more of a savoury chef than a sweets baker, but she nailed it with this cake. I love that it is so versatile as well. As soon as I can, I'll be baking it in a Bundt tin just to test it out. Mr. HRK requested a two-layer cake for his birthday, so here it is. 

 SERVES 12: PREP. 15 minutes and 10 minutes to cool on the rack; COOK for 35 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cups (265 g) plain flour

3/4 cup (60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch Plaistowe Cocoa Powder, available in the supermarket)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 cups (400 g) white sugar

1 tsp cooking salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature and beaten

1 cup (250 ml) milk (full-fat or low-fat) I use only full-fat in cakes

1/2 cup (125 ml) canola oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp instant coffee powder OR substitute the boiling water with freshly brewed coffee

1 cup (250 ml) boiling water

FROSTING

1 quantity Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: Recipe below

Place an oven shelf in the middle of your oven. Preheat the oven to 180 deg. C (160 deg. C fan-forced).

What size cooking tin should you use:

 This is a very important decision which needs to be decided well in advance of making a cake. I used two round 24 cm tins because that's what I had, but there are other options depending on what you have on hand.  Please see below. Grease two round cake tins with butter, but not spring-form and line the base with baking paper. I used two 24 cm tins, but two 22 cm round tins fit better on the average oven shelf. It won't make much difference with the final result. It's best not to use a springform tin if you can help it because the cake batter is very thin and there could be some leakage through the tin. I wasn't prepared to risk it. However, if that's all you have, and you are prepared to brave it, minimise the leakage by plugging the creases with softened butter. 

Other tin sizes you can use and the cooking times that are required are:

Bundt tin - 50 minutes; single 22 cm round tin - 45 minutes; two  22 cm round tins - 35 minutes; three 20 cm round tins - 25 minutes; Rectangular cake tin 33 x 22 x 5 cm, 45 mins; two 24 cm round tins - 35 mins.

Method:

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Tip in the sugar and salt and use a whisk to quickly combine. 

Now add the liquid ingredients, the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and whisk them all together to combine to remove any lumps. No lumps please. This takes about 30 seconds.

Mix the coffee into the boiling water and add to the batter. Or use freshly brewed espresso coffee. Whisk again to incorporate.

You will now have a very thin batter. 

BAKE:

Pour the batter into the cake tins. Bake for 35 minutes, or allocate time according to which tin or tins you use.

Test the cake by inserting a wooden or metal skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean the cake is cooked. The cake might also start pulling away from the sides of the tin. 

Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tins, then turn out upside down onto wire cooling racks.

Cool the cakes or cake completely before frosting, then serve. I decorated this cake with chocolate sprinkles. Mr. HRK isn't a hundreds and thousands type of guy, but they also work well, and look like fun. 

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

This quantity makes enough for: two 20-24 cm layer cakes (top, sides and the middle), 24 patty or cupcakes, to top a 23 x 33 cm rectangular cake, or a bundt cake if you intend to ice it.

Ingredients:

250 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 cups (500 g) soft icing sugar

1/2 cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp table salt

5 tbsp milk (you might not need all of this)

Method

Fit the paddle attachment to your stand mixer and beat the butter for 3 minutes at the highest speed. It will change from butter yellow to almost white. I scraped down the bowl a few times to make sure it was mixed well. The result will be creamy and smooth. Use your hand-held electric beaters if that's all you have.

The icing sugar now needs to be mixed, and if you have done this before you will know that a powder storm results if the icing sugar is added too quickly. That is no fun and means a lot of cleaning up. So, please add the icing sugar in three lots on a low speed, then increase the speed gradually. Beat on high for a full 3 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.

Once again beware of a chocolate powder storm when adding the cocoa powder. So, add it slowly, then add the vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp table salt, and some milk. I only added 2 tbsp of milk, until it was soft and creamy to my liking. It should be able to hold its form for piping through a bag, that is the indicator. If it is too loose, use extra icing sugar to thicken. Frost your cake immediately, and then store in the fridge. Or keep it in the fridge in a bowl with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a crust forming. The buttercream can be made two days in advance. 

After storing in the fridge, always bring the cake to room temperature before eating because buttercream goes hard in the fridge. To be delicious and edible, the buttercream should be soft and creamy.

My cooking notes:

• Use the base of the cake as the top of the cake, because it is always perfectly flat. 
• Cool the cake upside down, to flatten out any dome. This way any cake layers should be as level as can be.
• If there any leftovers, keep them covered in the fridge for 5 days. However always bring them to room temperature before serving.
• Ensure your baking powder is fresh.
• Cake ingredients and methods need to be followed exactly, unlike Savoury dishes where there is often more opportunity to deviate from the original recipe.

Mr. HRK, the birthday boy, hasn't been well for a few weeks, with a serious virus called Shingles. I've never seen this virus in action before, but it is very painful despite the prescription medication available. He's had the effects of it since the Pickleball tournament we went to in Sydney a few weeks ago, and thankfully he could see a doctor in Sydney as soon as a rash on his midriff appeared, which confirmed what he had. The medication kept it stable until we at least flew home. So, if you haven't had the Shingles vaccination, I urge you to go and have it. I'm booked in to have the jab in a couple of weeks. People over 65  can suffer a lot more with it than younger people apparently. It's not contagious after the rash disappears, but the virus is already dormant in everyone's system that has contracted the Chicken Pox virus, which a lot of us had as children. Nobody really knows exactly why it decides to surface with some people, so it's worth vaccinating against it. A weakened immune system and too much sun exposure are listed as amongst the likely causes. The vaccination is now available for free for the over 65's in Australia, whereas previously it was very expensive. So, it's been the quiet life for us during the last few weeks, until he fully recovers.

Warm wishes and hoping your week is progressing well.

Pauline