Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

There comes a day when you are just really proud of what you made and how amazing it looks, tastes, how easy it was for you to make, and you shine with pride and confidence.

The day I made this cake was that day.

I am always hesitant when making chocolate desserts. I hate dry, crumbly chocolate anything. Chocolate cake, brownies, and chocolate cookies are meant to be thick, fudgy, moist, and full of the richest flavor imagineable. You might understand when I say I am the pickiest chocolate cake connoisseur of all my friends and family. I try to explain to people that they shouldn't be offended if I take one bite and make a face then put the cake down without finishing it. Baker's Problems, amiright?

When I was putting this cake in the oven, I was extremely nervous. The batter didn't have the rich fudgy taste like brownies do, and I was worried that I made another bad cake. When I pulled it out of the oven, oh my lands it was like I pulled it out of heaven. The smell was wonderful and the batter I was worried about turned into a dark, moist chocolate cake that was to die for.

I don't think I can explain in words how good this cake is. I had people telling me it was better than any cake they had ever had in their life. Those are some strong words!

Don't worry, though! This is quite an easy recipe. Everything you need is already in your kitchen, especially if you drink… coffee. That's right! One of the secret ingredients is coffee! You can't taste it at all; it just adds a dimension of flavor. Do not leave it out!

Here are some tips on making this cake easily and stress free.

1. Made your coffee strong. You're going to make 1 + 1/2 cups of coffee. This is around a normal size coffee cup (16 oz). I have a brew 'n go, so I make one cup at a time. If you're using one of these, add about double what you normally drink unless what you normally drink is super strong. You want this coffee black black black.

2. Cool your coffee. You don't want to give yourself second degree burns on accident, so cool your coffee before you use it. It won't change the taste and it's not as scary.

3. Completely cool your cakes before frosting. If you don't, your frosting is going to slide right off. If you put it in the fridge, your cake is going to get hard and lose its flavor. Just plan ahead and cool your cakes completely before you frost it.

Another great thing about this cake is the frosting. Oh my word, this is the best frosting ever. Check out my How-To Tuesday post on this Dark Chocolate Buttercream so you get the fluffiest and smoothest buttercream. You won't regret it!

So here's to all my chocolate fans. The most indulgent chocolate cake you could ever hope for!

INGREDIENTS
For the cake-
3 C all-purpose flour
2 + 1/2 C granulated sugar
4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 + 1/3 C vegetable oil
1 + 1/2 C buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 + 1/2 C rich coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
Dark Chocolate Buttercream -
5 + 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 + 1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
12 tbsp butter, room temperature
12 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk
2 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line 2 - 9" baking pans and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

3. Add in the vegetable oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Stirring until well combined.

4. Slowly pour in the coffee down the side of the bowl while stirring it into the mixture. Stir in vanilla.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the cake pans for 20 minutes before turning out.

6. For the frosting - Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Make sure there are no lumps before continuing. Beat in the butter and cream until a smooth frosting forms. Add in vanilla.

7. To make the cake - Place one of the cooled cakes on a server or platter. If you want a flat cake, trim off the top of both cakes. Crumb coat the top. Place the second cake on. Frost using a plastic spatula or an off hand spatula.