Chocolate Birf-day Cake with Cocoa Butter Cream Frosting

This is the Black Magic Cake recipe Paxye shared with me last year when I made it for Lily’s 6th birthday. This time I made it for Leif’s 3rd birthday. It’s damn good. You should try it the next time you’re in the mood for some ridiculously yummy chocolate goodness. I made only slight changes. Here’s what I did:

Chocolate Birfday Cake

• 2 cups Sugar
• 1-3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Buttermilk (I used almond with 2 tbsp of vinegar added)
• 1 cup Americano (2 espresso shots with hot water to fill the cup) or strong coffee or cocoa
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line with parchment paper two 9 inch round baking pans or two 8-inch square pans or one 13 × 9 baking pan.
2. Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, cooled coffee, oil and vanilla.
4. Add wet to dry and combine. The batter will be thin.
5. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

eta. I have since made this cake substituting the 1 cup of each buttermilk and americano/cocoa with 2 cups chocolate soy milk (natur-a brand) which had the most wonderful flavour.

Cocoa Butter Cream Frosting

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 2 2/3 cups Icing Sugar
• 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup Cream
• 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

1. In a medium bowl or food processor, whisk or mix together all.

eta. I didn’t have cream on hand the last time I made this frosting so substituted with chocolate soy milk (natur-a brand) and sour cream. I guesstimated the amount (which was not much of either) to get the right frosting consistency and it was absolutely delicious! I will do this again.