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Beatty’s Chocolate Cake

Butter, for greasing pans
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans.  Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Step 2:
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer.  Mix on low speed until combined.

Step 3:
In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Step 4:
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.

Step 5:
With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Step 6:
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Step 7:
Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbl instant coffee powder

Step 1:
Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Step 2:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy – about 3 minutes.

Step 3:
Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes.

Step 4:
Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary until it’s smooth and creamy.

Step 5:
Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 tsp of the hottest tap water.

Step 6:
On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended.

Don’t whip!  Spread immediately on the cool cake.