Back when I published this post in 2013, I wasn’t a fan of coffee at all. It’s funny how your taste buds change over time and now iced lattes and frappucinos are my favorite coffee drink to have. Iced is the only way I’ll drink coffee or inside baked goods like this chocolate cake. This chocolate cake is probably one of the easiest chocolate cake recipes I’ve ever made and probably one of the best. If you don’t want a whole two layer cake this recipe can be halved or made even smaller for only 1 or two people. 

How does coffee enhance Chocolate?  

Ina Garten stated that coffee helps to enhance the flavor of the chocolate inside this cake. Even though there’s coffee in this cake you still can’t taste it but it is super moist and the chocolate flavor is spot on.  Why does coffee do this? I tried looking this information up online but didn’t really get a lot out of it. Some sites say it’s because chocolate and coffee share many of the same flavor characteristics and coffee amplifies some of the darker tastes of chocolate.

Recipe Tips and Tricks 

Since this recipe requires coffee keep a cup of cold brew available in the fridge prior to making this cake so you won’t have to brew it the day of making. The coffee does not have to be hot like the recipe states.  All the other ingredients are probably already in your pantry or fridge. 

Ingredients Needed

1 ¾ c all-purpose flour2 c sugar¾ c cocoa, unsweetened1 ½ teaspoon baking soda¾ teaspoon salt2 large eggs1 c buttermilk½ c butter, melted1 tablespoon vanilla extract1 c hot coffee

Chocolate Frosting: 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 ¼ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

How to make Beatty’s Chocolate Cake 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2-9 inch baking pans or line with parchment paper circles and set aside. In a large bowl of a standing mixer stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in hot coffee with a rubber spatula. Batter will be very runny. Pour batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake on the middle rack of oven for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool 15 minutes in pans then run a butter knife around the edges of each cake. Place a wire cooling rack over top of each pan. Wearing oven mitts use both hands to hold the racks in place while flipping the cakes over onto the racks. Set the racks down and gently thump on the bottom of the pans until the cakes release. Cool completely before handling or frosting. 

Baking Equipment

These are common baking tools every baker should have during the Holidays.  Rectangle Steel Sheet Pan - No matter what you’re making, the durable non-stick and scratch-resistant coating on our cake pans allows your food to slide or pop out easily, making cleanup almost effortless. Non-stick bakeware sets are a must-have for busy cooks Glass Mixing Bowls - This set includes different sized glass bowls for all your baking and mixing needs.  Cooling Racks - For those who love to bake but have limited space, this three-tiered Wilton cooling rack just solved that problem; cool batches of cookies, cake layers or countless finger foods all at once without sacrificing counter space

Best Baking Tips 

Room temperature butter is key, let it sit out on the counter for a couple of hours before baking. Read the recipe over a few times before baking or look up videos to see how it’s done properly. Get an Oven Thermometer - Not every oven is the same. Keep an oven thermometer inside to make sure the oven is at the proper temperature. Wondering why your cookies or baked goods didn’t get done? This might be the reason why. Don’t peek at whatever is baking in the oven! This lets out warm air.  Always combine the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl and the dry ingredients in another bowl. Slowly incorporate them together. Have any more baking tips? Let me know in the comments below.  

Other Ina Recipes to Try 

Fresh Blueberry Pie  No Stir Easy Parmesan Risotto  Roasted Shrimp Salad  Perfect Pie Crust  Garlic Roasted Potatoes  *If you make this recipe please comment and rate the recipe below to let everyone know how it is, or tag me on Instagram!

Contact Info 

Are you on Instagram? Follow along and TAG US @recipediariesww Be sure to leave a review of this recipe and give it a star rating. It lets us know how we are doing and lets others know they should try it!  I would love to see your creations on Pinterest. Upload them and leave a comment on my Pinterest page!  5 from 1 reviews 2 c sugar ¾ c cocoa, unsweetened 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda ¾ teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1 c buttermilk ½ c butter, melted 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 c hot coffee Chocolate Frosting:  6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut) ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 ¼ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar