This is my favorite cake recipe of all time, especially when used to make a s’mores cake. It’s perfectly moist, rich, and stable enough for decorating.
Makes one 2-layer cake or a 4-layer cake if the cakes are sliced horizontally.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup (210 grams) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups (397 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (43 grams) Double Dark Cocoa Blend – King Arthur Baking Company
- 1/4 cup (43 grams) Black Cocoa Powder | King Arthur Baking
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227 grams) buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 cup (227 grams) hot coffee
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease two 8″ round cake pans. Line the pans with parchment paper rounds the size of the base and grease the parchment.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, dark cocoa powder, and black cocoa powder. Mix the ingredients with a whisk and break up any clumps.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, buttermilk, and eggs. Slowly drizzle the hot coffee into the wet mixture as you whisk (do not pour as it could make the eggs curdle).
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold in with a spatula until no wet spots remain. Do not over mix as this will prevent a good rise.
- Pour the ingredients evenly into each of the prepared pans.
- Bake for ~40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. A good indicator that the cake is done will be that the cake begins to separate from the sides of the pan and the tops have a matte finish.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then gently remove from the pans and place on a wire rack to cook for 1.5-2 hours before decorating as desired. The cakes may be sliced horizontally to make a 4 layer cake.
