Dark Chocolate Espresso Cake
This is my nẹw favoritẹ cakẹ, my vẹrsion of Proof Bakẹry’s Chocolatẹ ẹsprẹsso Cakẹ: intẹnsẹ coffẹẹ-soakẹd chocolatẹ ẹsprẹsso cakẹ layẹrs fillẹd with a dẹnsẹ, rich, dark chocolatẹ crémẹux frosting and supẹr smooth Frẹnch coffẹẹ buttẹrcrẹam, finishẹd with a bittẹrswẹẹt chocolatẹ glazẹ and chocolatẹ crémẹux blobs. Thẹ BEST!
Ingredients
For the chocolate espresso cake layers:
- 255g (or 1 cup + 1 tablespoon) freshly brewed (hot!) coffee
- 200g (or 1½ cup + 5 teaspoons) all-purpose flour
- 150g (or 1¼ cup + 1½ teaspoon) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ⅜ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of table salt
- 1½ large eggs (about 84g or 3 ounces)
- 110g (or 125ml, or ½ cup + 1 teaspoon) sunflower oil
- 470g (or 2⅓ cup + 1 teaspoon) granulated sugar
- 255g (or 1 cup + 1 tablespoon) buttermilk
- ⅜ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the dark chocolate crémeux:
- 325g (or 11.5 ounces) dark chocolate, 58% cocoa solids
- 24g (or 5 teaspoons) unsalted butter
- 230g (or 1 cup – 2 teaspoons) whole milk
- 350g (or 1½ cup – 2 teaspoons) whipping cream
- 9 large egg yolks (about 162g, or ½ cup + 2 tablespoons + 2½ teaspoons)
- 75g (or ⅓ cup + 2 teaspoons) granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons cornstarch
For the coffee buttercream:
- 3 large egg yolks (about 54g, or 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)
- 75g (or ⅓ cup + 2 teaspoons) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 170g (or ¾ cup) unsalted butter, cubed and softened at room temperature
For the coffee soak:
- 80g (or ⅓ cup) freshly-brewed coffee
- 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
Instructions
Day 1: make the chocolate espresso cake layers:
- Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F (standard oven setting). Line the bottom of three 18-cm (7-inch) springform pans with baking parchment, butter the sides, and dust the sides with cocoa powder.
- Set aside the hot coffee, you’ll need it in a few moments and you want it to still be hot, but not scalding. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together eggs, oil, and sugar until combined, 1 minute on high speed. Drizzle in the hot coffee, mixing as you go. The hot coffee will help dissolve the sugar, but you don’t want it scrambling the eggs. Once combined, add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix until combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir until mostly incorporated, then mix for about 30 seconds until the batter looks smooth (albeit grainy from the sugar).
- Divide the batter evenly over the prepared pans, then bake the cakes on a rack in the middle of the oven for 35-37 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill overnight.
Recipe adapted from thetoughcookie.com
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