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Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 141 reviews

Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cake is a rich, moist, and tender chocolate layer cake featuring a luscious semisweet chocolate and sour cream frosting. This homemade cake combines classic ingredients with coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor, resulting in a perfect dessert for chocolate lovers.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cake

  • 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk (or half-and-half)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup hot coffee

For the Frosting

  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

  1. Prep Pans and Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line their bottoms with parchment paper discs to prevent sticking.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
  3. Mix Wet Ingredients (except coffee): In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk (or half-and-half), vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Combine Wet and Dry: Slowly add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing gently to incorporate. Then, carefully add the hot coffee and stir until the batter is smooth and thin, ensuring no pockets of dry flour remain.
  5. Bake the Cakes: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cakes have risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean without wet batter.
  6. Cool the Cakes: Let the cakes partially cool in their pans, then turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely. Cakes can be made 1-2 days ahead and refrigerated until ready to frost.
  7. Melt Chocolate: Melt the chopped semisweet chocolate using a double boiler or microwave in short bursts, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  8. Make Buttercream Base: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter for a couple of minutes until smooth and pale. Gradually add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla, mixing on low to medium speed until completely smooth.
  9. Incorporate Sour Cream and Chocolate: Whisk the sour cream into the slightly cooled melted chocolate to bring both to about room temperature. Add this mixture to the butter and sugar bowl and beat on low speed until the frosting is smooth and fully combined.
  10. Adjust Frosting Consistency: If the frosting is too loose, refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes to firm up slightly. Stir well before spreading.
  11. Assemble and Frost: Once the cakes are completely cool, spread an even layer of frosting on one cake layer, place the second layer on top, and frost the top and sides of the cake evenly.

Notes

  • You can substitute half-and-half for buttermilk if needed; it works well.
  • Ensure the coffee is hot before adding to the batter to enhance the chocolate flavor fully.
  • The cake batter will be thinner than traditional cake batters; this is normal.
  • For best results, let the cake cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
  • Refrigerate the cake after frosting if making ahead; bring to room temperature before serving.
  • If frosting is too soft, chilling it briefly helps achieve the perfect spreading consistency.

Keywords: chocolate cake, Ina Garten, homemade chocolate cake, rich chocolate cake, semisweet chocolate frosting, layer cake

Find it online: https://ricoloranz.com/ina-gartens-chocolate-cake-recipe/