This really is the Best Ever Chocolate Cake recipe, y’all. I can’t stop it. I found the recipe years ago and made it for my Daddy-O when he was going through chemo. He never loved sweets like a regular sweet-toothed-feller, so this cake was his jayum! He loved this cake because it was sweet, but not too sweet. It’s the perfect mix of bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate goodness!
6tbs.unsalted butterroom temperature, cut into 3 pieces
1tsp.pure vanilla extract
2large eggslightly beaten
For the Frosting
1 1/3cupsheavy cream
1½cupssugar
6oz.semisweet chocolate
1 1/4sticks (10 tbs.) unsalted butter, room temperature
1½teaspoonsvanilla extract
Pinchof table salt
Instructions
Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350. Spray two 8-by-1 ½-inch round cake pans with baking spray. Line the bottoms with wax paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
Put the 4 oz. of unsweetened chocolate and butter in a large, heatproof bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the 2 cups of sugar with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves; then pour into the bowl with the chocolate and butter. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until melted and slightly cooled (about 5 minutes). Then, stir in the vanilla.
Beat the eggs into the chocolate mixture at medium speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat at medium speed until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans for about 25 minutes.
While the cakes cool, make the frosting:
In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and sugar to a boil over moderately high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces slightly, 6-8 minutes. Put the chocolate, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly pour in the cream and sugar mixture. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are melted (about 5 minutes).
Set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water (more ice than water; be careful not to let the water spill into the frosting). Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the frosting on medium speed, scraping the sides occasionally with a rubber spatula, until thick and glossy, about 10 minutes. Use at once.
Place one of the cake rounds on a cake platter and cover with 1/3 of frosting. Place second cake on top and continue frosting from the top of the cake and down around the sides. Garnish with chocolate shavings if desired.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary, and Pineapple House Rules makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Keyword chocolate, chocolate cake, date night, dessert, valentine's day