Double Chocolate Cake + A Blog Birthday

Today is Handle the Heat's 2nd birthday! I'm still in disbelief that it has been two whole years. I'd like to take this post as the opportunity to thank every single person who has taken time out of their day to stop by. Thanks to every person who reads, who subscribes, who comments, who tweets, who emails, who "likes", you all have made the past two years incredibly exiting and inspiring. THANK YOU!  I love you all. 


To celebrate, I made chocolate cake. It seemed appropriate. I have a secret to admit though... I'm not a huge fan of cake. Before you gasp, let me explain. Every bite of cake I had in my childhood was pretty despicable. Full of artificial flavors, colorings, and that nasty birthday cake frosting that tastes like pure sugar. Most cakes are overly sweet, dry, and lack a depth of flavor. Can you blame me for not liking cake? 


That's why when I decided to make a chocolate cake for this post, I knew I needed to find a recipe that would provide a cake that actually tasted of chocolate. It also had to be moist (that's a gross word, sorry). I'm happy to say this recipe tastes uber chocolate-y and actually stayed moist for days. The coffee in the cake recipe enhances the chocolate flavor and contributes to a lovely texture. So, thanks Ina Garten. Thanks for fascinating my 17-year-old self with your Food Network show and thank you for this fantastic, amazing, wonderful, cake recipe.


Recipe Rundown
Taste: The best kind of rich chocolate-y taste.
Texture: The cake is SO moist. The frosting is velvety smooth, thick, and rich. Possibly the best chocolate frosting I've had on a cake.        
Ease: Honestly, this is a pretty easy cake recipe! No need to be intimidated.
Appearance: Gorgeous. I prefer cakes with a bit of authentic rustic charm than perfectly frosted with fondant and who knows what else.
Pros: One of the best chocolate cakes I've tasted. Also stayed good for 3 days after it was made.
Cons: None. 
Would I make this again? Yes!!! This will be my go-to cake recipe. 


Double Chocolate Cake 
From Ina Garten
Serves 8-10

• 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 below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (8-inch) round cake pans.


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 a large measuring up or small 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 hot coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Don't overmix. 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 carefully turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.


Place 1 cake 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, finely chopped
• 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
• 1/2 tablespoon instant coffee powder (optional)

Place chocolate 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. 


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.