Chocolate Cake

My friend Joel once told me that he didn't want me to make him a chocolate cake for his birthday because he felt chocolate cakes tend to be dry. I assured him that mine wasn't, but he still declined. I made him a delicious white chocolate, almond and raspberry cake instead. At another friend's birthday party, Joel tried the chocolate cake and stated how moist and delicious it was!!! This cake has a lot of steps, but is really easy and yields delicious results. The trick is to use butter to grease the pan. If you use oil or spray, the outside will cook too quickly, and you will be left with a hard outer crust.

Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon espresso powder
2 cups boiling water
2 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Equipment
dry measuring cups
dry measuring spoons
liquid measuring cup
medium sauce pot
2 medium bowls
whisk
stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer with large bowl
rubber spatula
2 9” × 2” metal round cake pans with straight sides, lightly greased with butter, bottom lined with parchment, lightly greased again and lightly floured
cake tester
cooling racks

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and espresso powder.
2. While still whisking, slowly add boiling water. Mix until smooth. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
4. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
5. In bowl of mixer, cream butter with sugar until mixed thoroughly. Scrape sides down with rubber spatula.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Scrape down.
7. Add vanilla extract, beat until mixed. Scrape down.
8. Add flour mixture in fourths, alternating with chocolate mixture in thirds, beating thoroughly after each addition, being sure to begin and end with flour mixture.
9. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Smooth tops and gently tap once on counter to remove air pockets.
10. Bake 35-40 minutes until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip and cake tester comes out ALMOST clean.
11. Remove pans from oven to cooling racks. Allow cakes to cool 10 minutes in pans.
12. Turn cakes out and flip back onto cooling racks. Allow to cool completely.

Yields 2 9" cake layers

© 2009 by Allison Lattman