Chocolate Cake—Moist and Delicious—No need for any other recipe

Written by Sun Dahlfred on 23 June 2014.

Adapted from Ina Garten’s Beatty’s Chocolate Cake recipe

Serves: 15

Prep: 30 min

Inactive: 30 min

Cook: 35 min

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing the pans and parchment paper
1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour, mixed with 1 c water and refrigerated for 1 hr to make it act like all-purpose flour
¾ cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder, mixed with some water to form a paste and set aside to bring out a stronger chocolate flavor
2 teaspoons baking soda, mix in with a little water to form a paste

2 cups sugar (or 2 c packed brown sugar)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup plain yogurt, (or 1 c shaken buttermilk)
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
(Chocolate Butter Frosting, recipe follows)

Chocolate Butter Frosting from Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, p. 170:

½ c Dutch-processed cocoa powder, mixed in ½ c milk and set aside to bring out a stronger chocolate flavor
¾ c unsalted butter, at room temperature (cubed and left to soften for 20 min at room temperature)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 ½ cups sifted confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
Milk, to desired consistency
Color, optional (butterfly pea flower tea, turmeric)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (300 deg. F or 149 deg. C for a convection oven). Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans (or one 12-in x 7.5-in x 2-in rectangular pan). Line with parchment paper, then butter pan AND parchment paper.

Mix sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and mix with a stick blender on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the stick blender on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients, including the cocoa paste, baking soda paste, and flour mixture to the dry. 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 turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate if the cake will be eaten in the next few days.

For a 2-layered cake: 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:

Beat the butter with a stick blender on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add 2 c powdered sugar, beating well. Add the vanilla and cocoa paste and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turning the blender to low, gradually add the remaining confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Add milk as needed to desired consistency. Add natural coloring, as desired. Spread immediately on the cooled cake.