Ultimate Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
8 tbsp. (1 stick)
Kowalski's Unsalted Butter, cold, cut into approx. 32 cubes
1 ¾ cups
flour, plus 2 heaping tbsp. for preparing cake pans
3 ¼ cups
sugar, divided
1 cup
heavy cream
5 oz.
unsweetened dark baking chocolate, finely chopped
2 tsp.
Kowalski's Organic Madagascar Vanilla Extract, divided
¾ cup
unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp.
kosher salt
1 ½ tsp.
baking soda
1 ½ tsp.
baking powder
2
eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup
whole milk
½ cup
canola oil
1 cup
boiling water
Directions
- Using the greasy side of the butter wrapper, evenly grease two 9" round cake pans; line bottoms only with parchment paper, pressing to adhere paper to the butter.
- Using the butter wrapper, butter top of parchment paper. Scoop 1 heaping tbsp. flour into each buttered pan; tilt, turn and shake pans over a trash bin until pans are completely covered with flour. Invert each pan over the trash bin and tap gently to remove excess flour; set prepared pans aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 ¼ cups sugar and cream over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low; simmer for 6 min.
- Add chocolate and butter; stir until melted.
- Pour mixture into a heat-safe mixing bowl; stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.
- Cool frosting completely to room temperature (about 2 hrs.); it will stiffen slightly as it stands.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Using an electric mixer, whip cooled frosting on medium speed until frosting is light in color and somewhat fluffy (about 5 min.).
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine remaining sugar, remaining flour, cocoa, salt, soda and baking powder; mix on low speed until completely combined.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and remaining vanilla. Increase speed to medium; beat for 2 min.
- Add boiling water; mix on low speed until completely homogenous.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; bake in preheated oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached (about 35 min.).
- Remove cakes from oven; cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 min.
- Invert pans onto rack; remove pans and let cakes cool completely before frosting.
- If desired, stack cakes with a layer of frosting in-between; frost top and sides of stacked cakes or individual round cakes.
- Store at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days.
