Ina Garten Beattys Chocolate Cake

Ina Garten Beatty’s chocolate cake uses cocoa, buttermilk, and hot coffee for a two-layer dessert at about 850 calories per slice. The recipe serves 8 from Barefoot Contessa at Home, and the whole thing takes about 2 hours since most of that is just cooling.

Instead of creaming butter into the batter like most chocolate cakes, Ina uses vegetable oil and a cup of hot brewed coffee. That combination creates an unusually thin batter, but it bakes into one of the moistest chocolate cakes you will ever make.

Getting the hot coffee right is everything here, since it blooms the cocoa powder and pulls out a deeper chocolate flavor than water ever could. Rush this step or skip it, and the cake tastes flat because the cocoa never fully opens up.

Source: Barefoot Contessa at Home (2006), verified from barefootcontessa.com

Ina Garten Beattys Chocolate Cake

Recipe by medshi8Course: DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

850

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

5

minutes

A sifted cocoa batter gets loosened with buttermilk, oil, and freshly brewed coffee, then baked in two 8-inch pans. Once cooled, the layers get a chocolate buttercream frosting made with melted semisweet chocolate and dissolved instant coffee.

Ingredients

• For the cake:

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups sugar

• ¾ cup good cocoa powder, such as Valrhona

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

• For the chocolate buttercream frosting:

• 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate, such as Valrhona

• ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1¼ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules, such as Nescafe

Directions

• Prep the pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F, then butter two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Line the pans: Press parchment paper into each pan, then butter and flour the parchment so the cake releases cleanly.
• Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixer bowl with the paddle attachment.
• Mix the wet ingredients: While the dry ingredients sit, whisk the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in a separate bowl.
• Combine the batter: With the mixer on low, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry so the batter just comes together.
• Add the coffee: Pour in the hot coffee with the mixer still on low, then scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Bake the layers: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes: Let the layers cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Melt the chocolate: While the cakes cool, chop the semisweet chocolate and melt it in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water.
• Cool the chocolate: Once melted, set the chocolate aside to reach room temperature, since hot chocolate would melt the butter.
• Beat the butter: Beat the butter in a mixer on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, which takes about 3 minutes.
• Add egg yolk and vanilla: Add the egg yolk and vanilla to the butter, then keep beating for another 3 minutes.
• Add the sugar: Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat on medium until smooth and creamy.
• Dissolve the coffee: Stir the instant coffee granules into 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water so they dissolve completely.
• Finish the frosting: On low speed, add the cooled chocolate and dissolved coffee to the butter mixture, then mix until just blended because whipping will ruin the texture.
• Frost the first layer: Place one cake layer flat side up on a plate or pedestal, then spread a thin layer of frosting on top only.
• Stack and frost: Set the second layer on top flat side up, then spread frosting evenly on the sides first and across the top.
• Serve: Once frosted, cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.

FAQs

What if I don’t have buttermilk for this recipe?

Stir 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk, then let it sit for 10 minutes. The milk will curdle slightly, and that acid is what the baking soda needs to give the cake its lift.

Do not use regular milk without adding the acid, because the cake will come out dense and flat. Full-fat yogurt thinned with a splash of milk also works, since it carries the same acidity that buttermilk does.

Why does the top of the cake sink in the center?

Ina says not to worry about this, and she is right because it happens with almost every batch. The batter has so much liquid that the center sets slower than the edges, which causes a slight dip as it cools.

That small dip actually helps when you stack the layers, since placing them flat side up creates a level surface for frosting. If the sink is deeper than about half an inch, the oven temperature may be off, so check it with an oven thermometer next time.

Can I use chocolate chips for the frosting instead of bar chocolate?

The recipe warns against chocolate chips, because they contain stabilizers that keep their shape instead of melting smooth. The frosting will turn grainy and stiff if you use chips, which ruins the creamy texture you want.

Ina recommends Valrhona Le Noir 56% Cacao semisweet chocolate, but any good bittersweet bar from the baking aisle works. Look for bars between 55% and 70% cacao, since that range melts smoothly and keeps the frosting balanced.

How long does Beatty’s chocolate cake stay fresh?

The cake keeps well at room temperature for about 2 days if covered with a cake dome or plastic wrap. After that, the frosting starts to dry out and lose its shine, so move it to the fridge.

Refrigerated, it lasts up to 5 days, but bring it to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. Cold frosting tastes muted because the chocolate and butter firm up, and the cake itself can feel dense until it warms through.

Can I make this recipe as cupcakes instead?

You can use this batter for cupcakes with no changes, but reduce the bake time to 25 to 30 minutes as Ina notes. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners and fill each about two-thirds full, since the batter rises quite a bit.

The frosting recipe covers about 12 cupcakes, so double it if you are frosting the full batch. Start checking at 22 minutes, because the batter is thin and goes from done to dry in just a few minutes.