This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way for days. It’s an Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. It has become a family favorite — a real crowd pleaser with adults and children alike.

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 1

Earlier this month, upon realizing that I had officially become my mother, not only in my preferences, but also in how I impose my preferences on others — dark meat chicken , cakes without frosting — I decided it might be wise to branch out a bit, to bake a cake with not one but two layers and to guild it not with a delicate dusting of powdered sugar but with a slathering of silky frosting.

This cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this waym tasting freshly baked for days. It’s another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite.

I’m so happy I branched out. Because while I am completely embracing that I am my mother’s daughter, adoring almond tortes and torta capreses , I understand there is a time and a place for layers of cake and frosting. A silent table is always (or almost always) a sign of success.

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 2

How to Make Beatty’s Chocolate Cake, Step by Step

First, sift the dry ingredients together: flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt:

sifting - 3

Next combine the wet ingredients: buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, coffee:

wet ingredients - 4

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.

batter - 5

How to Make a Parchment Paper Circle Cake Bottom:

Transfer the batter to two buttered and parchment-paper-lined baking dishes.

ready for the oven - 6

Bake until done.

chocolate cakes cooling - 7 cakes cooling - 8

How to Make Chocolate Buttercream:

making the frosting - 9 chocolate frosting - 10

Frost the cake by spreading just under half of the frosting over one layer. Top with the other layer; then spread the remaining frosting over the cake and on the sides.

frosting the cake - 11 This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 12 This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 13 Beatty's Chocolate Cake - 14

Description

Adapted from: Barefoot Contessa at Home

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way for days. It’s an Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. It has become a family favorite — a real crowd pleaser with adults and children alike.

A few notes:

  • Ina uses the stand mixer, but I find it works great just by mixing with a whisk and spatula.
  • I now make this in one bowl: whisk together the dry ingredients; then add the wet one by one, being sure I beat the eggs prior to adding them to the bowl.
  • I’ve added weight measurements, because that’s how I prefer to bake.
  • The original frosting recipe calls for a raw egg yolk, but I omit it and don’t notice a difference.

For the Cake:

  • Butter, for greasing the pans
  • 1 3/4 cups ( 225 g ) all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
  • 2 cups ( 418 g ) sugar
  • 3/4 cups ( 66 g ) good cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons ( 10 g ) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) kosher salt
  • 1 cup ( 225 g ) buttermilk, shaken
  • 1/2 cup ( 108 g ) neutral oil such as grapeseed, organic canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 extra-large eggs ( 98 g ) at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 1 cup ( 227 g ) freshly brewed hot coffee

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (Ina recommends Callebaut.)
  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups ( 152 g ) sifted confectioners’ sugar
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then flour the pans.
  2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the coffee and stir just to combine. Batter will be really thin. Pour the batter — if you feel like being really precise, pour about 690g of batter into each pan — into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
  3. To make the frosting: Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Alternatively: Melt in the microwave at 30 second to 1-minute intervals until spreadable.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. On low speed, add the chocolate to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip. Spread immediately on the cooled cake.
  5. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Mix
  • Cuisine: American

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way for days. It’s an Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. It has become a family favorite — a real crowd pleaser with adults and children alike.

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 15

Earlier this month, upon realizing that I had officially become my mother, not only in my preferences, but also in how I impose my preferences on others — dark meat chicken , cakes without frosting — I decided it might be wise to branch out a bit, to bake a cake with not one but two layers and to guild it not with a delicate dusting of powdered sugar but with a slathering of silky frosting.

This cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this waym tasting freshly baked for days. It’s another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite.

I’m so happy I branched out. Because while I am completely embracing that I am my mother’s daughter, adoring almond tortes and torta capreses , I understand there is a time and a place for layers of cake and frosting. A silent table is always (or almost always) a sign of success.

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 16

How to Make Beatty’s Chocolate Cake, Step by Step

First, sift the dry ingredients together: flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt:

sifting - 17

Next combine the wet ingredients: buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, coffee:

wet ingredients - 18

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.

batter - 19

How to Make a Parchment Paper Circle Cake Bottom:

Transfer the batter to two buttered and parchment-paper-lined baking dishes.

ready for the oven - 20

Bake until done.

chocolate cakes cooling - 21 cakes cooling - 22

How to Make Chocolate Buttercream:

making the frosting - 23 chocolate frosting - 24

Frost the cake by spreading just under half of the frosting over one layer. Top with the other layer; then spread the remaining frosting over the cake and on the sides.

frosting the cake - 25 This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 26 This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 27 Beatty's Chocolate Cake - 28

Description

Adapted from: Barefoot Contessa at Home

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way for days. It’s an Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. It has become a family favorite — a real crowd pleaser with adults and children alike.

A few notes:

  • Ina uses the stand mixer, but I find it works great just by mixing with a whisk and spatula.
  • I now make this in one bowl: whisk together the dry ingredients; then add the wet one by one, being sure I beat the eggs prior to adding them to the bowl.
  • I’ve added weight measurements, because that’s how I prefer to bake.
  • The original frosting recipe calls for a raw egg yolk, but I omit it and don’t notice a difference.

For the Cake:

  • Butter, for greasing the pans
  • 1 3/4 cups ( 225 g ) all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
  • 2 cups ( 418 g ) sugar
  • 3/4 cups ( 66 g ) good cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons ( 10 g ) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) kosher salt
  • 1 cup ( 225 g ) buttermilk, shaken
  • 1/2 cup ( 108 g ) neutral oil such as grapeseed, organic canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 extra-large eggs ( 98 g ) at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 1 cup ( 227 g ) freshly brewed hot coffee

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (Ina recommends Callebaut.)
  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups ( 152 g ) sifted confectioners’ sugar
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then flour the pans.
  2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the coffee and stir just to combine. Batter will be really thin. Pour the batter — if you feel like being really precise, pour about 690g of batter into each pan — into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
  3. To make the frosting: Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Alternatively: Melt in the microwave at 30 second to 1-minute intervals until spreadable.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. On low speed, add the chocolate to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip. Spread immediately on the cooled cake.
  5. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Mix
  • Cuisine: American

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way for days. It’s an Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. It has become a family favorite — a real crowd pleaser with adults and children alike.

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 29

Earlier this month, upon realizing that I had officially become my mother, not only in my preferences, but also in how I impose my preferences on others — dark meat chicken , cakes without frosting — I decided it might be wise to branch out a bit, to bake a cake with not one but two layers and to guild it not with a delicate dusting of powdered sugar but with a slathering of silky frosting.

This cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this waym tasting freshly baked for days. It’s another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite.

I’m so happy I branched out. Because while I am completely embracing that I am my mother’s daughter, adoring almond tortes and torta capreses , I understand there is a time and a place for layers of cake and frosting. A silent table is always (or almost always) a sign of success.

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 30

How to Make Beatty’s Chocolate Cake, Step by Step

First, sift the dry ingredients together: flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt:

sifting - 31

Next combine the wet ingredients: buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, coffee:

wet ingredients - 32

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.

batter - 33

How to Make a Parchment Paper Circle Cake Bottom:

Transfer the batter to two buttered and parchment-paper-lined baking dishes.

ready for the oven - 34

Bake until done.

chocolate cakes cooling - 35 cakes cooling - 36

How to Make Chocolate Buttercream:

making the frosting - 37 chocolate frosting - 38

Frost the cake by spreading just under half of the frosting over one layer. Top with the other layer; then spread the remaining frosting over the cake and on the sides.

frosting the cake - 39 This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 40 This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 41 Beatty's Chocolate Cake - 42

Description

Adapted from: Barefoot Contessa at Home

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way for days. It’s an Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. It has become a family favorite — a real crowd pleaser with adults and children alike.

A few notes:

  • Ina uses the stand mixer, but I find it works great just by mixing with a whisk and spatula.
  • I now make this in one bowl: whisk together the dry ingredients; then add the wet one by one, being sure I beat the eggs prior to adding them to the bowl.
  • I’ve added weight measurements, because that’s how I prefer to bake.
  • The original frosting recipe calls for a raw egg yolk, but I omit it and don’t notice a difference.

For the Cake:

  • Butter, for greasing the pans
  • 1 3/4 cups ( 225 g ) all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
  • 2 cups ( 418 g ) sugar
  • 3/4 cups ( 66 g ) good cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons ( 10 g ) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) kosher salt
  • 1 cup ( 225 g ) buttermilk, shaken
  • 1/2 cup ( 108 g ) neutral oil such as grapeseed, organic canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 extra-large eggs ( 98 g ) at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 1 cup ( 227 g ) freshly brewed hot coffee

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (Ina recommends Callebaut.)
  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups ( 152 g ) sifted confectioners’ sugar
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then flour the pans.
  2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the coffee and stir just to combine. Batter will be really thin. Pour the batter — if you feel like being really precise, pour about 690g of batter into each pan — into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
  3. To make the frosting: Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Alternatively: Melt in the microwave at 30 second to 1-minute intervals until spreadable.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. On low speed, add the chocolate to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip. Spread immediately on the cooled cake.
  5. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Mix
  • Cuisine: American

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way for days. It’s an Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. It has become a family favorite — a real crowd pleaser with adults and children alike.

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 43

Earlier this month, upon realizing that I had officially become my mother, not only in my preferences, but also in how I impose my preferences on others — dark meat chicken , cakes without frosting — I decided it might be wise to branch out a bit, to bake a cake with not one but two layers and to guild it not with a delicate dusting of powdered sugar but with a slathering of silky frosting.

This cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this waym tasting freshly baked for days. It’s another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite.

I’m so happy I branched out. Because while I am completely embracing that I am my mother’s daughter, adoring almond tortes and torta capreses , I understand there is a time and a place for layers of cake and frosting. A silent table is always (or almost always) a sign of success.

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 44

How to Make Beatty’s Chocolate Cake, Step by Step

First, sift the dry ingredients together: flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt:

sifting - 45

Next combine the wet ingredients: buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, coffee:

wet ingredients - 46

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.

batter - 47

How to Make a Parchment Paper Circle Cake Bottom:

Transfer the batter to two buttered and parchment-paper-lined baking dishes.

ready for the oven - 48

Bake until done.

chocolate cakes cooling - 49 cakes cooling - 50

How to Make Chocolate Buttercream:

making the frosting - 51 chocolate frosting - 52

Frost the cake by spreading just under half of the frosting over one layer. Top with the other layer; then spread the remaining frosting over the cake and on the sides.

frosting the cake - 53 This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 54 This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way — tasting freshly baked — for days. It's another Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. // alexandracooks.com - 55 Beatty's Chocolate Cake - 56

Description

Adapted from: Barefoot Contessa at Home

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way for days. It’s an Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. It has become a family favorite — a real crowd pleaser with adults and children alike.

A few notes:

  • Ina uses the stand mixer, but I find it works great just by mixing with a whisk and spatula.
  • I now make this in one bowl: whisk together the dry ingredients; then add the wet one by one, being sure I beat the eggs prior to adding them to the bowl.
  • I’ve added weight measurements, because that’s how I prefer to bake.
  • The original frosting recipe calls for a raw egg yolk, but I omit it and don’t notice a difference.

For the Cake:

  • Butter, for greasing the pans
  • 1 3/4 cups ( 225 g ) all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
  • 2 cups ( 418 g ) sugar
  • 3/4 cups ( 66 g ) good cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons ( 10 g ) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) kosher salt
  • 1 cup ( 225 g ) buttermilk, shaken
  • 1/2 cup ( 108 g ) neutral oil such as grapeseed, organic canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 extra-large eggs ( 98 g ) at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 1 cup ( 227 g ) freshly brewed hot coffee

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (Ina recommends Callebaut.)
  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups ( 152 g ) sifted confectioners’ sugar
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then flour the pans.
  2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the coffee and stir just to combine. Batter will be really thin. Pour the batter — if you feel like being really precise, pour about 690g of batter into each pan — into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
  3. To make the frosting: Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Alternatively: Melt in the microwave at 30 second to 1-minute intervals until spreadable.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. On low speed, add the chocolate to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip. Spread immediately on the cooled cake.
  5. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Mix
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Adapted from: Barefoot Contessa at Home

This chocolate cake, made with buttermilk and oil — no butter — and exclusively cocoa — no melted chocolate — is incredibly light and moist and stays this way for days. It’s an Ina Garten recipe, one she begged for from a friend, the grandson of Beatty, after taking one bite. It has become a family favorite — a real crowd pleaser with adults and children alike.

A few notes:

  • Ina uses the stand mixer, but I find it works great just by mixing with a whisk and spatula.
  • I now make this in one bowl: whisk together the dry ingredients; then add the wet one by one, being sure I beat the eggs prior to adding them to the bowl.
  • I’ve added weight measurements, because that’s how I prefer to bake.
  • The original frosting recipe calls for a raw egg yolk, but I omit it and don’t notice a difference.

For the Cake:

  • Butter, for greasing the pans
  • 1 3/4 cups ( 225 g ) all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
  • 2 cups ( 418 g ) sugar
  • 3/4 cups ( 66 g ) good cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons ( 10 g ) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) kosher salt
  • 1 cup ( 225 g ) buttermilk, shaken
  • 1/2 cup ( 108 g ) neutral oil such as grapeseed, organic canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 extra-large eggs ( 98 g ) at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 1 cup ( 227 g ) freshly brewed hot coffee

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (Ina recommends Callebaut.)
  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups ( 152 g ) sifted confectioners’ sugar
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then flour the pans.
  2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the coffee and stir just to combine. Batter will be really thin. Pour the batter — if you feel like being really precise, pour about 690g of batter into each pan — into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
  3. To make the frosting: Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Alternatively: Melt in the microwave at 30 second to 1-minute intervals until spreadable.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. On low speed, add the chocolate to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip. Spread immediately on the cooled cake.
  5. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Mix
  • Cuisine: American

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Overhead close-up of brussel sprouts roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper, and crispy pancetta in a white serving bowl. - 57

Roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper, Ina Garten’s roasted Brussels sprouts are simple and delicious, guaranteed to turn even the wariest Brussels sprout eaters into devotees.

How? This recipe has a few tricks up its sleeve:

For one: pancetta. Ina roasts the spouts with pancetta . In the oven, the sprouts and the pancetta crisp up in unison, the fat from the pancetta flavoring the sprouts, whose crispy surfaces emerge glistening and caramelized.

Second: balsamic vinegar. Just as the sprouts finish roasting, Ina tosses them with a few tablespoons of syrupy balsamic vinegar, which serves not only to deglaze the pan but also to provide that bite that members of the cabbage family so often need.

When I made these roasted Brussels sprouts most recently for a small dinner party alongside mustard-roasted chicken , our friends, admittedly skeptical about Brussels sprouts, gobbled them up, helped themselves to seconds, and made a point to ask about their preparation.

Balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts. - 58

A Few Notes:

Is the pancetta necessary? I find when I make these roasted Brussels sprouts without the pancetta, I don’t miss it. But when I make the Brussels sprouts with the pancetta, they are especially delicious.

What if I don’t have (expensive) syrupy balsamic vinegar? Make it yourself! Simply place 1/4 to 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar in a small skillet or saucepan. Simmer it until it reduces to a syrupy consistency or coats the back of a spoon. Simple, economical, and delicious!

3 More Favorite Brussels Sprout Recipes

  1. Roasted Balsamic Brussels sprouts with Manchego
  2. Sheet Pan Roast Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
  3. Orecchiette with Brown Butter, Walnuts, And Brussels Sprouts
Overhead view of two brussels sprout stalks resting on a wooden surface - 59

How to Make Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Remove sprouts from stalk and trim off any tough ends.

Brussels sprouts on a cutting board. - 60

Cut each one in half:

Halved Brussels sprouts on a board. - 61

Transfer to a sheet pan and coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper:

A sheet pan of Brussels sprouts ready to be roasted. - 62

Ina’s original recipe calls for tossing the sprouts with pancetta at this step. As I noted above: the pancetta is delicious, but I don’t miss it when it’s not there:

Brussel sprouts and pancetta on a sheet pan ready for the oven - 63

Roast at 400ºF for about 20 minutes; then toss and roast for another 5-10 minutes or until browned to your liking.

Roasted Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan. - 64

Meanwhile: reduce 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small skillet or saucepan until thick and syrupy:

Overhead view of reduced balsamic in a sauce pan. - 65 Close-up of syrupy balsamic dripping off butt-end of wooden spoon - 66

Toss the roasted Brussels sprouts with the reduced balsamic directly on the sheet pan:

Close-up view of adding the balsamic reduction to the brussel sprouts in a sauce pan. - 67

Transfer to a serving bowl:

Balsamic-roasted Brussels sprouts. - 68 Close-up overhead view of brussel sprouts roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper, and crispy pancetta in a small white serving bowl. - 69

Description

Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof

Notes: As noted above, I served these Brussels sprouts with the mustard-roasted chicken for a dinner party. The rest of the menu was simple, too: we started with a ball of burrata sprinkled with sea salt served with crackers and peasant bread , and we finished the evening with Balzano apple cake.

Also, I find these to be just as delicious without the pancetta.

Balsamic: You can buy expensive aged balsamic vinegar that’s syrupy or you can simmer balsamic vinegar until it’s reduced to half its volume. Simply simmer 1/2 cup vinegar in a small saucepan until it is thick and syrupy. This will give you 1/4 cup of syrupy balsamic vinegar.

  • 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half through the core — leave the teensy ones whole
  • 4 ounces pancetta, sliced 1/4 inch thick, optional
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more or less to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon syrupy balsamic vinegar or 1/2 cup standard, store-bought balsamic, see notes above
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. (If your oven runs cool, set it to 425ºF .)
  2. Place the Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet, including any of the loose leaves. Cut the pancetta into 1/2-inch dice and add to the pan. Add the olive oil, the 1 1/2 tsp. salt (or less — start with a teaspoon if you are sensitive to salt) and the 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss with your hands. Spread out the mixture in a single layer.
  3. Roast the Brussels sprouts until they’re tender and nicely browned and the pancetta is cooked, 20 to 30 minutes, tossing once at the 20-minute mark.
  4. Meanwhile, if using standard balsamic vinegar, place it in a small saucepan or frying pan and simmer gently until it is reduced by half and looking syrupy — be careful here! Err on the side of under reducing — once the balsamic starts thickening, it can burn quickly. At the first sign of the balsamic getting too thick or dark, transfer it to a small bowl.
  5. Remove pan from the oven, drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar and toss again. (I like using the entire quarter cup of reduced balsamic, but add to taste.) Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Roasting
  • Cuisine: Italian/American