Deep Chocolate Layer Cake

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven and line the pans

   Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, drop a parchment round in the bottom of each, then grease the parchment too. This cake is moist and clingy, and the parchment is the difference between a clean release and a heartbreak.

2. 2

   Whisk the dry ingredients

   In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder for a good 30 seconds. Cocoa clumps aggressively, so keep whisking until the mixture is one even, uniform brown with no pale streaks of flour.

3. 3

   Combine the wet ingredients

   In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until completely smooth and slightly lighter in color. Room-temperature eggs and buttermilk emulsify with the oil far more willingly than cold ones.

4. 4

   Bring the batter together

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk just until you no longer see dry patches. Then pour in the hot coffee in a steady stream, whisking as you go. The batter will look alarmingly thin, almost like chocolate milk — that is exactly right, and it is what makes the crumb so tender. Do not try to thicken it with more flour.

5. 5

   Divide and bake

   Pour the batter evenly between the pans; a kitchen scale makes this painless, since each pan should hold about 690g. Bake for 30 to 34 minutes, until the centers spring back when pressed lightly and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. A completely clean toothpick means you have gone a touch too far.

6. 6

   Cool completely

   Cool the layers in their pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edge and invert them onto the rack. Peel off the parchment and let them cool all the way down, at least 90 minutes. Frosting a warm cake produces a sliding, greasy mess every single time.

7. 7

   Make the buttercream

   Beat the softened butter on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes, until it is visibly paler and fluffy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa in two additions on low speed, then pour in the melted chocolate, cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes until glossy and spreadable, adding cream a tablespoon at a time if it feels stiff.

8. 8

   Assemble and frost

   Level the domed tops with a serrated knife if needed. Set the first layer cut-side up on a plate or cake board, spread about 1 cup of buttercream to the edges, and add the second layer upside down so the flat bottom becomes the top. Spread a thin crumb coat over the whole cake, chill 20 minutes until it feels dry to the touch, then apply the rest of the frosting in generous swoops.

9. 9

   Let it settle before slicing

   Give the finished cake 30 minutes at room temperature before cutting so the buttercream firms up slightly and the layers settle together. Slice with a long knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  If you do not drink coffee, use the same amount of boiling water. You lose a little depth but the cake still works, and the finished cake never tastes like coffee either way.

• 2.

  Dutch-process cocoa gives a darker color and rounder, less acidic flavor. Natural cocoa works too and will bake up slightly redder and sharper in taste.

• 3.

  No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of whole milk and let it sit 10 minutes until it looks curdled.

• 4.

  For a three-layer 8-inch cake, divide the same batter among three 8-inch pans and start checking at 24 minutes.

• 5.

  Chilling the cooled layers for 30 minutes in the freezer before assembly firms up the crumb and makes crumb-coating dramatically easier.

• 6.

  If your buttercream looks curdled or split after adding the chocolate, the chocolate was too cool. Keep beating for a minute or two and it usually comes back together.

Equipment

• Two 9-inch round cake pans
• Parchment paper
• Large mixing bowls
• Balloon whisk
• Stand mixer or handheld electric mixer
• Kitchen scale
• Fine-mesh sieve
• Wire cooling rack
• Offset spatula
• Serrated knife

Storage