Yield One three-layer 10” cake
My Perfect Chocolate Layer Cake
Don’t be afraid of over-mixing your cake batter, this recipe is very forgiving. Incorporate dry ingredients slowly making sure the mixture is homogenous and lump-free before adding more. The resultant batter was smooth, shiny, and dreamy. The resulting cake has a decadent chocolate flavor with an airy open crumb.
Ingredients
Chocolate Layer Cake
- 490g all-purpose flour
- 148g cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 234ml (204g) grapeseed oil
- 624g sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg yolk
- 3 t vanilla
- 562ml (569g) milk
- 374ml (343g) strong coffee
Dreamy Chocolate Frosting
- 405g confectioner sugar
- 42g cocoa powder
- ½ t salt
- 254g butter
- 80ml milk
- Chocolate shavings
Instructions
Chocolate Layer Cake
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the oil and sugar together using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, for approximately 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
- Switch the mixer speed to low, add one egg, and mix until fully incorporated. Repeat with remaining eggs adding one yolk at a time and ensuring the mixture is homogeneous before adding the next, and periodically scraping down the bowl. Mix in vanilla.
- Use only half the milk when incorporating the dry ingredients, this will help ensure a lump-free batter. Add one-third of the dry ingredients followed by a quarter (~140ml) of the milk and mix on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Repeat with the second third of the dry ingredients and another 140ml of milk. Add the final third of the dry ingredients and mix slowly until batter is shiny and creamy. Stream in the remaining milk and coffee along the side of the bowl while mixer is on low. Mix until mixture is homogeneous. You may need to scrape down the bowl or finish the mixing stage with a spatula to ensure batter is fully mixed.
- Portion into 3 10in cake pans and bake at 350deg for 20-25 mins until tester comes out clean.
Dreamy Chocolate Frosting
- Sift sugar and flour add salt and butter and paddle slow at first to avoid spray. Mix until homogenous. Reduce speed and drizzle in milk. Beat to complete blending.