Description
From The Perfect Cake by Susan G Purdy. This is a delicious chocolate sheet cake, though you can also make it two 9-inch layer cake pans (1 1/2" deep). Susan says you can make the cake in advance, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and freeze it. Thaw before you frost it.
I used Susan's chocolate buttercream recipe that I'm including below, but you can use your personal favorite. If you want to mix up the cake, stir in 1 cup semi-sweet mini chips (if you use large chocolate chips, they will affect how you slice it, causing some gaps). Just use a little of the flour you will add to the cake to coat the chocolate chips first to prevent them sinking to the bottom.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Cake
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 SCANT teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg (Do not use old nutmeg. )
- 4 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate ((1/2 cup) )
- 1 cup Butter (Softened)
- 1 3/4 cups Sugar
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 1/3 cups Buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (2 1/2 Cups)
- 1/2 cup Butter (Softened)
- 1 Large Egg Yolk (Optional)
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 4 to 4 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar (Whisk first if the powdered sugar is lumpy.)
- 5 or 6 Tablespoons Heavy Cream or Milk (As needed to achieve preferred spreading consistency.)
- 4 to 6 Ounces Melted and Cooled Milk or Semisweet Chocolate
Instructions
- 325* oven. Put rack in the lower 1/3 of your oven.
- Grease your two 9-inch cake pans or one 9 x 13 x 1 1/2-inch sheet pan with Baker's Joy or Pam for Baking with Flour.
For the Chocolate Buttermilk Cake
- Melt the chocolate with your favorite method (double boiler, microwave, or large bowl set over simmering water). Stir until smooth and set aside, stirring occasionally.
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, stopping the mixer and scraping down the bowl to best combine the ingredients.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Set the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Stir in vanilla extract and cooled chocolate, and blend until the color is even.
- Pour into pan(s), level, and then move some batter from the center to the edges for the best, most-even rise.
- Bake in the lower 1/3 of the oven for 40-50 minutes for the sheet cake or 35-45 minutes for cake pans. Always set your timer for the low end of the range and check it for doneness. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. When you gently touch the middle, it will spring back slightly.
- Remove to cooling rack(s) for 10 minutes. Invert onto plate, if desired.
For the Chocolate Basic Quick Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream the butter until soft. Yes, you can use a hand mixer, but it won't get as fluffy as it could be.
- Beat in the egg yolk (if using, I didn't), salt, and vanilla extract.
- With the mixer set to "low," add in 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat until smooth.
- Beat in melted and cooled chocolate.
- Alternately add in the cream and the rest of the sugar, blending it smooth as you go. Don't forget to scrape down the sides.
- Add more cream if your frosting is too stiff or chill to harden your frosting if it becomes too soft.
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American