Black Magic Chocolate Cake
This is the best chocolate cake Ive ever tasted, bar none It's moist, gooey, and well balanced (not too rich or too heavy).
This is the best chocolate cake Ive ever tasted, bar none It's moist, gooey, and well balanced (not too rich or too heavy).
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 c sugar
- cake ingredients:
- 1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c cocoa powder
- 1 c strong coffee cooled
- 1 c buttermilk (for a substitute if you have any) see my page “tips and tricks†)
- 1/2 c vegetable oil
- 1 tsp real vanilla extract
- frosting ingredients:
- 1/2 c butter softened or melted
- 2 oz (2 wrapped squares) unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
- 3 c powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- Carbohydrate 47.6440802594728 g
- Cholesterol 82.8055555550033 mg
- Fat 39.216214595314 g
- Fiber 2.060633071822 g
- Protein 5.23148247937656 g
- Saturated Fat 20.851632666384 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (197g)
- Sodium 9922.07452186208 mg
- Sugar 45.5834471876508 g
- Trans Fat 2.39858370309794 g
- Calories 557 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
- Add all the wet ingredients.
- Batter will be quite thin.
- Pour it into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan or two 9 inch cake pans.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350° for 35-40 minutes for the 9 x 13, or 30-35 for the cake pans.
- Cool on a rack. And then frost with the following frosting (or your favorite )
- Combine all in a mixer and beat until well mixed.
- Let set until it has firmed up (the chocolate with firm up and the butter will as well) meaning wait until it is spreadable without running.
- Frost the cooled cake.
- Hide a piece in the glove compartment of your car, since your family will sneak it all up within a day.
The Role of Liquid Extraction
Strong coffee acts as the primary flavor accelerator in this formula, dissolving cocoa solids more completely than water alone and deepening the perceived bitterness without adding a distinct coffee flavor. Freshly brewed and cooled coffee provides volatile aromatic compounds that warm water extracts efficiently. Stale or instant coffee yields a flatter profile due to oxidation during storage. Buttermilk introduces necessary acid to react with the baking soda, releasing carbon dioxide rapidly for lift.
Managing Batter Viscosity
Thin batters require careful handling because the suspension of flour particles relies entirely on the precise ratio of oil and buttermilk. Pouring the high-moisture batter immediately into a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan prevents premature leavening gas escape. Whisking dry components thoroughly prior to liquid addition eliminates pockets of dense cocoa powder. Vegetable oil remains liquid at room temperature, ensuring the crumb stays tender longer than solid fats would.
Determining Doneness Visually
Baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 40 minutes demands close observation near the end of the window. Cake centers should spring back slightly when pressed gently with a fingertip. Shrinking slightly from the edges of the pan also indicates structural set. Cooling completely on a wire rack stops residual heat from overcooking the interior crumb before frosting application.
