Description
Ina Garten’s chocolate cake dazzles with rich cocoa and silky frosting that elevates dessert expectations. Chocolate enthusiasts will savor each moist, indulgent bite of this classic American treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups / 400g sugar
- 1 ¾ cups / 220g all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup / 75g cocoa powder
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 1 extra-large egg yolk
- 1 cup / 240ml buttermilk
- ½ cup / 120ml vegetable oil
- 1 cup / 240ml freshly brewed hot coffee
- 2 tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon brand)
- 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
- 6 oz / 170g semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
- ½ lb / 225g unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups / 150g sifted confectioners’ sugar
- Butter, for greasing the pans
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) with center rack positioned. Line cupcake pans with liners or grease thoroughly.
- Dry Mixture: Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in electric mixer bowl. Sift ingredients together to eliminate lumps and ensure smooth incorporation.
- Wet Integration: Whisk buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until perfectly blended. Slowly combine wet ingredients with dry mixture at low speed, mixing until just incorporated.
- Batter Refinement: Gently fold in hot coffee, using a rubber spatula to scrape bowl sides. Ensure complete mixture without overmixing, maintaining a silky smooth consistency.
- Baking Process: Fill cupcake cavities two-thirds full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick inserted into center – it should come out clean.
- Cooling Stage: Rest cupcakes in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling.
- Frosting Preparation: Create double boiler to melt semisweet chocolate. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Frosting Completion: Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, mixing until creamy. Dissolve instant coffee in hot water and fold into melted chocolate mixture.
- Final Assembly: Once cupcakes are completely cool, apply chocolate frosting using offset spatula or piping bag for an elegant finish.
Notes
- Ingredient Temperature Matters: Ensure all ingredients, especially eggs and buttermilk, are at room temperature for optimal cake texture and even mixing.
- Coffee Boosts Chocolate Flavor: The hot coffee intensifies the chocolate’s depth, creating a richer, more complex taste without making the cupcakes taste like coffee.
- Avoid Overmixing: Stir batter just until ingredients combine to prevent tough, dense cupcakes that lose their delicate, tender crumb.
- Precise Baking is Key: Watch cupcakes carefully during the last few minutes of baking – even 1-2 minutes can transform them from perfectly moist to dry and crumbly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 40mg