Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake (From Cuisine at Home)
For the cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. table salt
- 2 cups hot water
- 3/4 vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the center. Spray two 8x2 (or 9x2) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined – a few lumps are OK. Divide the batter between the pans, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes for 8x2 pans (or around 30 minutes for 9x2 pans). Cool cakes on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert them onto the rack. Leave cakes upside down (this flattens domed cakes) to cool completely.
To ensure the icing sets up, use heavy cream, which contains 36% or more milk fat.
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. instant coffee granules
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in sugar, cocoa, and salt. Mixture will be thick and grainy.
- Combine heavy cream, sour cream, and instant coffee in a large measuring cup, mixing until smooth. Gradually add the cream mixture to the chocolate until blended and smooth. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth and hot to the touch, 6-8 minutes. Do not boil.
- Off heat, add vanilla. Cool icing at room temperature until spreadable, 2-3 hours. (Icing may be chilled until completely cold, them warmed gently in a microwave until spreadable. Heat at high power in 20 second intervals, stirring well after each interval.)
