Chocolate Cake

In college I had a hard time picking a major, like so many do. I ended up studying Humanities, emphasizing in Media Arts. I studied film and how it fits into the arts as a whole. To this day I am as much of a film enthusiast as ever. So from the very beginning of Project Food Blog, I have been looking forward to this particular challenge, when we would be asked to create a tutorial video.

Fancy camera

I recruited both my husband, Steve, and our friend, Jake, (both of them also film enthusiasts) to help with the video. Together we brainstormed, probably having a little too much fun doing so, and decided to make a short film inspired by one of our favorite directors, Wes Anderson, featuring one of my favorite recipes. Wes Anderson has a very distinctive style (maybe you know some of his films— Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and most recently, Fantastic Mr. Fox) and I hope those of you familiar with his films will appreciate the nod.

Ready to rock

It was pretty easy for me to pick a recipe to feature. As a baker I am particularly fond of cake and one of my favorites is this chocolate cake. Not only is it the best chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever come across, but this cake is one of my all-time favorite cake recipes period. And I’m not even a chocolate person, it’s just so incredibly delicious. Hopefully my video will convince you that this cake is something you’ve got to try, and show you how easy it is to make.

On camera

I’m not going to lie, the video was a lot of work. We worked for over 16 hours total on filming and editing. And that’s not including the hours I spent obsessing about it. But it was so much fun! This has got to be one of my favorite Project Food Blog challenges to date. Our hard work paid off and I am extremely happy with how my video turned out, and I am excited to share it with all of you.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

https://youtu.be/W0YD0oxigM4

get the recipe

Chocolate Cake

Servings: 10 servings
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Assembly Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
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5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

  • 2 cups cake flour (240 grams)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , not Dutch process (85 grams)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature (2 sticks, 226 grams)
  • 1 cup buttermilk (250 ml)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup freshly brewed coffee , at room temperature (250 ml)
  • 1 cup raspberry preserves (340 grams)

Chocolate Ganache:

  • 1 ½ pounds bittersweet chocolate , chopped (680 grams)
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter (70 grams)
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream (375 ml)
  • ⅓ cup brandy

Instructions

To make the chocolate cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 2 eight inch cake pans, lining the bottoms with parchment paper.
  • Sift together the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the butter and buttermilk and mix on low until combined. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and coffee. Add to the mixer bowl in three additions, mixing after each addition.
  • Pour evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache:

  • Melt chocolate and butter together in a heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Add the heavy cream and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the brandy. Cool to room temperature.

To assemble the cake:

  • Place one cake layer on a cake stand or display plate. Spread raspberry preserves over the cake and place the other cake layer on top.
  • Cover cake with ganache and decorate as desired.
Adapted from Sky High Cakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 1208kcal, Carbohydrates: 125g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 75g, Saturated Fat: 45g, Cholesterol: 174mg, Sodium: 357mg, Potassium: 660mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 83g, Vitamin A: 1639IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 129mg, Iron: 6mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Annalise
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review below or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.