This is an excellent chocolate layer cake, with one of the silkiest, dreamiest frostings you can imagine. Gorgeous, unpretentions but super high-quality, homey and perfect … would make a kick-ass birthday cake.
Makes 1 nine-inch, 2-layer cake
For the Cake
This recipe is from The Editors at America’s Test Kitchen. 2018. “Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake.” In The Perfect Cake, 36-37. Boston, MA: Penguin Random House. I’ve paraphrased it and have provided my own notes.
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 oz. (½ cup) hot water
0.75 oz. (¼ cup) Dutch-processed cocoa
12.25 oz. (1¾ cups) sugar, divided
8.75 oz. (1¾ cups) AP flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
8.5 oz. (1 cup) buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
7 oz. (4 large) eggs, room temperature
2 oz. (2 large) egg whites, room temperature
6 oz. (12 Tbs) butter, softened
- Prep two 9-inch cake pans with butter and flour.
- Whisk the chocolate, water, and cocoa in a double-boiler over barely simmering water until the chocolate has melted, about 2 minutes.
The water must truly be barely simmering; you want to heat it delicately.
- Add ½-cup of the sugar, and continue to whisk until the mixture becomes thick and glossy, 1-2 minutes. Off heat. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, about 30 seconds on speed 2 (of 10). Transfer to a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- To the buttermilk, add the vanilla. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Switch to the whisk attachment, and whip the eggs, whites, and remaining sugar until it is able to produce thick ribbons, about 10 minutes on highest speed.
- Switch to the paddle and add the chocolate mixture to the eggs, mixing until well combined, about 45 seconds on speed 4. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl thoroughly.
- Beat in the butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time, about 10 seconds per addition.
- Add the flour mixture in three additions on speed 2: flour then buttermilk, flour then buttermilk, and finally flour. Make sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next, about 10 seconds per. Thoroughly scrape the side and bottom of the bowl, then increase speed to 4 and mix once more, just for good measure, about 15 seconds.
- Give the batter a final, thorough stir by hand, using a flexible silicone spatula, making sure to get all the way to the bottom of the bowl.
- Divide the batter between the pans (about 1 lb. 10 oz. per pan) and smooth the tops. Bake until cakes test clean with a few moist crumbs, about 27 minutes.
- Cool 10 minutes on racks, then de-pan and cool thoroughly on racks.
For the Frosting
This recipe is from The Editors at America’s Test Kitchen. 2018. “Chocolate Frosting.” In The Perfect Cake, 399. Boston, MA: Penguin Random House. I’ve paraphrased it and have provided my own notes.
15 oz. (3¾ sticks) butter, softened
6 oz. (1½ cups) confectioners’ sugar
3 oz. (1 cup) Dutch-processed cocoa
Pinch of salt
12 oz. (1 cup) corn syrup
1½ tsp vanilla extract
12 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
- Place the butter, sugar, and cocoa, and salt in a food processor, and process until well combined.
My food processor won’t accommodate all of this. I had to make the frosting in two batches, and combine them by hand.
- Process in the syrup and vanilla.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave, in 30-second bursts, stirring thoroughly in between bursts. Process it into the frosting.
Ultimately, you want to melt the final remaining chunks via stirring, and not in the microwave. You should end up with melted chocolate that isn’t hot. If it is hot, let it cool. Process the chocolate into the butter mixture.
You’ll have a bit more frosting than you need: eat it with a spoon.
This frosting has a mouse-like texture at first. Once it sets, the exterior is soft to the touch, but not tacky – yet the frosting stays creamy. It’s rich and chocolaty, but not dense and not fudgy.
This cake is better at room temperature than it is straight from the fridge. I say that about a lot of cakes, but with this one, it’s even more true. At room temperature, the frosting compliments the cake in such a beautiful way. The cake is so deeply chocolatey, but its texture is light. The frosting – the milkiest, chocolatiest, creamiest, mousse-like stuff you can imagine – is shockingly not especially dense even if it is rich. The combination of the two leaves you awash in chocolate without knocking the breath out of you. It’s quite remarkable.
I’m not as much a frosting fan as I am a cake fan, but I could eat this frosting all day long. You can swap out the milk chocolate for another chocolate, but you’ll change not just flavor, but texture. A darker chocolate will result in a fudgier frosting.
Straight from the fridge, on the other hand, the cake is stiff and the frosting is blunt and overwhelming. (Not to the point that I wouldn’t eat it, mind you 😉 ) Fortunately a piece of cold cake, covered loosely in plastic wrap, returns to its most-perfect self in a short amount of time without drying out. In fact, I’ve been placing a slice on the counter and lettin it sit all day, as a reminder that if I make it through one more day of quarantine-online work, it will be my reward.
You can expect this cake to be perfectly delicious for five days. On the sixth day, you’ll start to notice that the cake is drying out, but the frosting will still balance that out. That qualifies this as a good make-ahead cake. If you want to take out make-ahead insurance, aerate each layer with a toothpick before frosting the cake, and brush a quarter-cup of simple syrup onto each layer.
I should add a paragraph here about cake storage. For long-term storage, I typically keep layer cakes refrigerated, in a tightly-sealed cake tote. The tote protects the cake from the refrigerator’s arid environment. Once the cake has been sliced, I use plastic wrap to seal the cut surface by pressing it up against that surface. The frosting doesn’t need protection; the only part of the cake that does is any exposed crumb.
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man!, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you, Kesor. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything.
Keep up with us on Bloglovin’
I need to shake off these coronavirus blues and get back in the kitchen to make something as involved as this. I’ve found my attention span has suffered lately. Everything from “what’s for dinner?” to the “New Yorker” seems to require too much effort. I want to eat chocolate cake and read a long rambling (hilarious) essay from David Sedaris again. GREG
Please do! You owe it to yourself!
Most of the time good old fashion trumps over modern recipes! Love this one, definitely looks moist!
Raymund recently posted…Sautéed Courgettes, Spinach and Mushrooms
Thanks, Raymund!
o my my my….i am in chocolate heaven, Jeff. You have outdone yourself with this luscious chocolate temptation. I am too not a huge fan of frosting, but sometimes some cakes (or we) just NEED a rich frosting!
Well then, you might like this one. I am also not a fan of frosting! But this frosting suits this cake perfectly.
Jeff,
I’m not much of a baker, but I sure know a good chocolate cake when I see it. It looks absolutely beautiful, I can only imagine how good it tastes.
Thank you!
nothing nicer than a chocolate layer cake, except a cake with masses of chocolate icing! i like as much icing as cake, to be honest. Well, let’s face it, I like *more* icing than cake. this looks like a fabulous version Jeff.
cheers
sherry
I think you’re in the majority! It’s very easy to eat tons of this frosting.
Haha! I like your idea of giving yourself a reward at the end of each quarantined day – hey, your daily vice could be much worse than a slice of chocolate cake! Like you, I’m typically more of a cake fan than frosting. However, I must admit that I am very intrigued by this frosting with all of that corn syrup – I don’t think I’ve ever made a frosting like that. This one is going on the menu sometime soon for sure. If this quarantine is still going in July, then I might be making my own birthday cake!
David @ Spiced recently posted…Bourbon Marinated Steak Tips
Might? I always bake my own birthday cake! But hey, this frosting really is good – and I’m a fellow not-much-of-a-frosting-lover.
Oh, wow, Jeff — that frosting! I’m like you in that the cake is more important from the frosting… BUT this one does seem to be the exception. I know what I am making for my birthday cake this year. (Do you think I would trust anyone else to make my birthday cake?) Thanks for the recipe and, especially, your notes.
That is exactly what I tell my husband every year when he says he wants to buy me a birthday cake from a bakery. I mean, maybe … it depends on the bakery. 😉 Anyway, it really is quite a nice cake. Thanks!
This is one gorgeous cake!! I need a slice right now. 😋 Your pictures are absolutely stunning, I can’t get over that gorgeous frosting. I am definitely a frosting and cake person, and am so intrigued by the corn syrup in this frosting! I can see how that would make for a really amazing texture. Definitely need to try this!
Yeah, I’d never heard of using corn syrup, but man did it make a nice frosting!
I’m an equal opportunity eater when it comes to cake — I like both the cake itself, and the frosting. Equally. 🙂 This looks excellent — thanks.
John / Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Mushroom and Chickpea Curry
You’re welcome, John!
This cake looks amazing – sometimes it’s wonderful to go back to the old fashioned recipes and enjoy the taste of childhood! This is the sort of cake my grandma would make for my birthdays when I was little. I love the shine in that frosting!
Yeah, that frosting was as good as it looks, too. And this would make a spectacular birthday cake!
Mmm, that looks so delicious! 😍 You can pretty much always count on America’s Test Kitchen recipes to be spot on. Would love a slice of that to get me through the day for sure!
Molly Pisula recently posted…Strawberry Mimosa
Thanks, Molly!
This beautifully frosted cake looks so scrumptious that I can hardly stand it. I have definitely thrown caution to the wind this past couple of months and eaten way more chocolate and sweets than I would like to admit. But there is something so comforting about a layered chocolate cake during this pandemic. I will for sure have to try it. Thanks so much for sharing.
Linger recently posted…Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce with Mushrooms
You’re welcome. It was a great cake – I had to make it twice because I was so bummed when it was gone!
I don’t know that I’ve seen a more luscious frosting. Ever. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thanks, Valentina!
Jeff, you are a master cake maker indeed. This one looks absolutely fantastic. I’m not a frosting guy either, but your chocolate frosting may change my mind.
Your cake certainly brings back memories for me as I had an aunt that was famous for her chocolate cake and your images remind me of hers.
Ron recently posted…Skanör-Falsterbo & a Country Inn…
What a fantastic memory! I hope this cake is as good as the one you remember.
beautiful, just beautiful. i won’t make it cause i suck at baking, but i wanted to look at it!
mimi rippee recently posted…Puttanesca Relish
Thanks, Mimi!
Is there a piece left for me? Looks so delicious!
Królowa Karo recently posted…Pijany czy chory? Nie oceniaj pochopnie!
Thank you! Wish I could send one to you!
Of all the baking I’ve done recently I hadn’t considered a good old fashioned chocolate cake. I need to fix that now. This looks delicious, thanks Jeff!
Neil recently posted…Slow Cooker Vegetarian Sausage Casserole
You’ll love it, I’m sure!
I LOVE chocolate cake. I have never made a white cake BECAUSE I love chocolate cake. But I told you that already! Can’t wait to try this one and especially that frosting!
Abbe@This is How I Cook recently posted…Garlic Pork Burgers (Spanish Style)
You’ll love it!
Jeff I love this looks fantastic and delicious, love all this chocolate yummm!
Gloria Roa Baker recently posted…American Apple Tart from my mom (Tarta de manzanas americanas de mi mama)
Thanks, Gloria!
I’d love it as a birthday cake !! have a great monday!
Not parisienne recently posted…Gratin de courgettes et pommes de terre à la vache qui rit
Thanks!
Dear Jeff, what a cake – respect!!! The shiny frosting, the perfect moist layers, the lovely pics, the wonderful recipe, the helpful notes…everything in this blog post is amazing!
I would love, love this cake for my birthday – to be served at room temperature, of course 😉
You certainly have an incredible talent for baking!
Andrea recently posted…Hänsel & Gretel Cookies – How to turn Yesterday’s Loaves into Today’s Cookies – Hänsel & Gretel Kekse
Well I absolutely hope you have it! And thank you!