I have this friend. She’s a wise and confident woman with many an opinion. Her view, articulated through crystal clear lenses, is always witty and makes me laugh (and think!). More than once she has managed to fit a crutch under me and uphold me as only a true girlfriend would do. I appreciate and love her more than words can say.
So how could I not fulfill her request when she sent me a link last spring, to a cake she suggested I make? For her. Oh, did I forget to mention she can also be quite audacious?! ;-)
Angela’s birthday seemed the perfect time to make this cake for her. So last summer I brought it to a little celebration in her honor, where a small group of girlfriends gathered on the patio to enjoy a beautiful Minnesota summer’s evening. Girlfriends, summer, tasty nibbles, wine, and a gorgeous layered cake…what more can a girl ask for?!
The original cake recipe comes from Food & Wine magazine, and featured a cinnamon sponge cake. I thought the cake was good, but not exactly memorable. The frosting, on the other hand, was pure heaven. I have dreamt of that magnificent buttercream slathered over a deep dark chocolate cake ever since. So that’s what I did!
This Dark Chocolate Cake with Chile-Chocolate Buttercream is a layer cake to remember, for sure. At its core are two layers of that deliciously famous “Beatty’s Chocolate Cake”, found in Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home. The cake is deep, dark, and super moist, and topped with some of the most wonderful buttercream I’ve ever set my fork to. The frosting’s silky sweetness is complex, offset by the warmth of chiles and cinnamon. I love it!
Although this cake would be spectacular served any time of year, I think it would a great addition to an upcoming Cinco de Mayo party. Let me know if you celebrate with it!
Dark Chocolate Cake with Chile-Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
Cake
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring the pans
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Buttercream
- 2½ cups (5 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for dusting the finished cake
- 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 5 ounces white chocolate baking bar (not chips), melted and cooled
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter two 9'' round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
- Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
- In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- With mixer on low speed, slowly add wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, slowly and carefully add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy.
- At low speed, beat in powdered sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy, scraping down the side of the bowl, about 2 minutes longer.
- At low speed, beat in cream, vanilla, cinnamon, ancho chile powder and cayenne, then gradually beat in the cooled bittersweet and white chocolate.
- Scrape down the side of the bowl and the paddle, increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, 3 minutes longer. Then use a wooden spoon to vigorously beat the buttercream for 30 seconds, to deflate any air bubbles.
Assembly
- Place one cake layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with almost 2 cups of the frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the remaining frosting onto the top and sides of the cake. (There is plenty of frosting and I've never used all of it.)
- Dust the top of the cake very lightly with additional cinnamon. So pretty!
- Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing. If the cake has been fully refrigerated (several hours or overnight) prior to serving, be sure to bring it to room temperature before serving (to soften the buttercream a bit), which can take 30 minutes or more.
- This cake can easily be made the day prior to serving it and any leftover cake keeps well when covered and refrigerated.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
We are also celebrating a little birthday of our own here, completely honored and awed with the fact that a farmgirl’s dabbles will be TWO YEARS OLD in just a few days. Wow!
We are so very thankful to all of you for reading and connecting with us, and sharing in all the yumminess. Thank you SO MUCH for joining us here!
I follow you on twitter @anashct3
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/anashct3/status/194383688102985728v
Thanks for the chance to win!
email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
I follow you on twitter @sharonjo2
Tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/sharonjo2/status/194270293877981185
I have a Cuisinart Immersion Blender on my wish list so I’d definitely be able to get one if I’m lucky enough to win!
Thank you for the lovely, generous giveaway and congratulations on your 2 years’ anniversary.
That buttercream frosting is very intriguing; I may have to give it a try. I’ve never used chile powder or cayenne in a sweet confection.
If I was lucky enough to win a gift card I would buy me another cupcake pan and some cute baking dishes from Target. Thank you!
If I got the Amazon gift card I’d use it to buy some baking supplies
following on twitter @shanerus and tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/shanerus/status/194178495084109825
HI!
If I won I would put that towards the purchase of an ice cream attachement for my Kitchen Aid or towards a food processor! Thanks!
I would use the giftcard towards a kitchenaid stand mixer! Happy 2 years!
I love all of those stores ~ it would be hard to pick!! I would probably buy cookbooks with the Amazon gift card or use one towards the All-Clad Omelette Pan at Williams-Sonoma.
It is time to get a larger food processor. I have been avoiding recipes because I have to do small batches in my little chopper/processor. There is this blue cheese and fig cookie recipe that would be my first endeavor…
i would love to buy a pie pan with the gift card!
I absolutely love Beatty’s Chocolate Cake. I used it as a base when I took cake decorating classes and have loved it ever since.
I think I would put it toward a seltzer maker from Williams Sonoma!
I would probably get a new hand held mixer with the $50 GC. I’m pretty sure mine is close to calling it quits!
I shared and am a fan on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/SeaweedandSassafras/posts/160639334062025
so hard to choose…Either go crazy and get an ice cream machine or be sensible and get a new knife!
Just tweeted about the giveaway as @hockey_maria
Hi,
If i won, i would buy a kitchen scale. I know Williams-Sonoma carries a few great ones :)
thanks for having the giveaway!
@hockey_maria
Hi there! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy reading through your articles. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that go over the same subjects? Thank you!
I love Williams Sonoma. If I won the gift card, I would put it towards the Flex-It Silicone Measuring Cup Set and the OXO Food Scale.