Recipes

OB&T's Featured Recipe of the Month
October 2022

Dark Chocolate Cake

2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong black coffee (OR 2 tsps instant coffee dissolved in 1 cup boiling water, cooled)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla.
4. Add wet to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes (batter will be thin).
5. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
(If baking in a 13x9-in pan, bake for 35-40 min, or 12-cup bundt pan, bake for 50-55 min.)
7. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely.
8. Frost with the following icing recipe.

Dark Chocolate Icing

3 – 4 Oz Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bars
1 – 4 oz Ghirardelli 100% Cacao Baking Bar
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1/3 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla

1. Chop the baking bars into pieces (around nickel to quarter size) and place in bowl.
2. Bring heavy cream to a slight boil; pour over chocolate pieces.
3. Add corn syrup and let stand 3 minutes.
4. Whisk gently until smooth, adding vanilla.
5. Cover and refrigerate, stirring well every 15 minutes until desired consistency for spreading (Usually around 45 minutes to an hour).

(For an icing that is not as dark, you can substitute another semi-sweet baking bar or a 60% or 70% Cacao bar.)

This is a very moist cake, so consider using a crumb coat when frosting, and/or freezing the cake layers before frosting. Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Shared from the kitchen of April Heath