Perfect Chocolate Cake
When I have a craving for chocolate cake, my expectations are sky high. Perfect Chocolate Cake has met my expectations and then some; it's moist, chocolatey, dense, and, well, perfect. I’ve made this for everyone close to me; totally made me a heroine.
The secret to this recipe: boiling water. I never would’ve guessed it, but it makes all the difference for moistness—as well as the buttermilk. Chocolate cake is family fave going 3 generations back.
Elements
1 CUP PURIFIED WATER, VERY HOT
2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
2 CUPS CANE SUGAR
1 CUP COCOA POWDER
2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1 TEASPOON SEA SALT
1 TEASPOON DECAF INSTANT COFFEE GRANULES
1 CUP BUTTERMILK
1 CUP COCONUT OIL, MELTED
2 LARGE EGGS
2 TEASPOONS MEXICAN VANILLA EXTRACT
COOKING SPRAY
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
Prepare two cake pans with cooking spray or butter and flour.
Add a piece of parchment paper to each pan; lightly spray.
In a small saucepan or kettle, add water and bring it to a simmer.
In a large mixing bowl fitted with a sifter, add the flour and cane sugar; sift into the bowl.
Pour the sifted ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
In a dry measuring cup, add cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and instant coffee.
Hold the sifter over the mixing bowl you just used for the flour, and pour the contents of the measuring cup into the sifter; sift into the mixing bowl.
Turn the stand mixer on to a low speed, and combine all of the dry ingredients.
Add milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix until well-combined; consistency will be thick and rich.
Add the hot water to the batter and mix until well-combined. The batter will look very thin; this is normal.
Divide the batter equally between the two cake pans.
Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes.
Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before flipping and removing them to place on a cooling rack.
Cool for an additional 30 minutes prior to frosting.