Ultimate Chocolate Cake Recipe

For me, there’s nothing like a rich, dark and deeply satisfying piece of superlative chocolate cake (made all the more intriguing by adding hot coffee to the mix) to make any birthday bash a raving success. This year, I discovered a handy little recipe from The Barefoot Contessa herself - Ina Garten, that I’ve adapted to make some “truly inspired” chocolate cake (as described by happy guests).

In fact, I chose to make individual little cakes (read: copious cupcakes), each frosted using some luscious chocolate coffee buttercream icing, topped off with edible Dutch chocolate decorations and a few fanciful cake sprinkles for fun. It’s my party (and birthday), so I can decorate with sprinkles if I want to and you can too!

So here, for your spring flings, is my adapted version of Ina’s Double Chocolate Cupcakes:

Makes 24 cupcakes

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder (I used a combo of Valrhona and Italian cocoa- the best you can buy is highly recommended here as this is the chocolate that flavours your batter).

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sea salt

1 cup buttermilk

½ vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup (plus 2 tsp. - this bit will be for the icing) of freshly brewed hot coffee- strong, not weak!

(Note: if you want to be truly decadent, a smattering of good quality chocolate chips never hurt any sweet tooth out there! You be the judge).

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 and line your muffin tin with your baking cupcake cups.

In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt with a whisk until fully combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla together. Slowly beat the buttermilk mixture into your dry ingredients until just incorporated (your batter will be on the thick side at this point). Slowly beat in the hot coffee at this stage, until fully combined (your batter will be thinner, almost runny- don’t worry, it will bake up a treat!).

Pour your batter into the baking cups- ¾ way up each cup and bake for 30-40 minutes- test at the 25 minute mark to ensure your cake isn’t getting overcooked (ovens do vary after all). When baked, transfer to wire rack to cool completed and frost.

Chocolate Coffee Buttercream Icing (go on, you can do it!)

6 oz semisweet chocolate (I used Callebaut), coarsely chopped

2 sticks (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 large, fresh egg yolk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 1 tbs. of confectioner’s sugar

2 tsp. strong brewed coffee

Method:

Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals - stirring until chocolate is fully melted. Leave to one side until room temperature.

In a bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl.

At low speed (so it doesn’t go flying up your nose), slowly beat in confectioner’s sugar- for about 1 minute. Add coffee and chocolate and beat until fully combined. Ice individual cupcakes and decorate as you like. Just don’t be too disappointed when all of your hard work disappears in mere minutes!

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