Beatty’s Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

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Butter, for greasing the pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup good cocoa powder

Two teaspoons baking soda

One teaspoon baking powder

One teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Two extra-large eggs at room temperature

One teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

The Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe follows

6 ounces of good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) of unsalted butter at room temperature

One extra-large egg yolk at room temperature

One teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

One tablespoon instant coffee powder

Butter two 8″ x 2″ round cake pans. Line the pans with parchment paper and butter them.
Mix the ingredients on low speed. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Slowly add the wet ingredients while mixing on low rate. Add the coffee to the mixer on low speed and stir until combined, using a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the pans, and bake them for 35-40 minutes until the tester comes out clean. After cooling in the pans, turn them onto a cooling tray and let them cool completely.
Place one layer, with the flat side facing up, onto a flat cake plate or pedestal. Spread frosting on top using a spatula or knife. Spread the frosting on the sides and top of the cake. Place the second layer, rounded-side up, on top.

Chop up the chocolate, and place it into a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until it is just melted, then set aside to cool.
Beat the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg yolk, and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Mixer on a low rate, add confectioners’ sugar gradually, and then beat at medium speed, scraping the bowl as needed, until smooth. Pour two teaspoons of hot water into a coffee powder and dissolve it. Add the coffee and chocolate to the butter mixture quickly and blend until combined. Don’t whip! Spread the frosting immediately after cooling.