Ingredients
Method
- To make chocolate cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three, 8-inch round cake pans and line bottom with a round piece of parchment paper cut to fit bottom of your cake pans. (This ensures your cake does not stick.) Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until melted.
- Whisk in vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Quickly beat in eggs (do this quickly so they don’t cook) into chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in dry ingredients, until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool in pans until cool to touch – then frost as desired.
- For espresso buttercream, in a small bowl, whisk together espresso powder and water. Set aside.
- Beat butter on medium high, for 3 minutes. Slowly add in powdered sugar, about a half a cup at a time, until you have added 5 cups of powdered sugar.
- Carefully add vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and espresso powder/water mixture, beating till well combined.
- At this point check consistency of buttercream. You should be able to lift beaters and have buttercream hold its shape. If it is too loose, add more powdered sugar, again 1/2 cup at a time.
- Assemble three cake layers with a thick layer of frosting in between layers. Then apply a thin crumb coat on top and sides. Pop cake in freezer to harden crumb coat for about 10 minutes.
- Apply one final thick and even layer around outside of cake and decorate as desired.
Nutrition
Notes
Cake can be stored on counter at room temperature for up to 3 days.
