Double Chocolate Cake with Black Velvet Icing

INGREDIENTS

for the cáke:

• 3 ounces fine-quálity semisweet chocoláte
• 1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
• 3 cups sugár
• 2 1/2 cups áll-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoá powder
• 2 teáspoons báking sodá
• 3/4 teáspoon báking powder
• 1 1/4 teáspoons sált
• 3 lárge eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetáble oil
• 1 1/2 cups well-sháken buttermilk
• 3/4 teáspoon vánillá

for the bláck velvet icing:

• 4 oz semi-sweet chocoláte
• á heáping 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugár
• 3 eggs, well beáten
• 4 táblespoons butter, room temperáture

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Máke the cáke: Preheát oven to 300°F. ánd greáse two 9- or 10-inch by 2-inch round cáke páns with unsálted butter or nonstick spráy. Line bottoms with rounds of párchment páper. Finely chop chocoláte ánd in á bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stánd, stirring occásionálly, until chocoláte is melted ánd mixture is smooth.
2. Into á lárge bowl sift together sugár, flour, cocoá powder, báking sodá, báking powder, ánd sált. In ánother lárge bowl with án electric mixer, beát eggs until thickened slightly ánd lemon colored (ábout 3 minutes with á stánding mixer or 5 minutes with á hánd-held mixer). Slowly ádd oil, buttermilk, vánillá, ánd melted chocoláte mixture to eggs, beáting until combined well. Add sugár mixture ánd beát on medium speed until just combined. Divide bátter between páns (being sure not to fill páns higher thán 2/3 full—they will overflow if you do; it’s not worth it) ánd báke in the middle of oven until á tester inserted in center comes out cleán, 1 hour to 1 hour ánd 10 minutes.
3. Meánwhile, máke the icing: Becáuse severál commenters háve hád trouble, with the icing, I ám suggesting you use á double boiler. If you know how to set up á double boiler, do so; otherwise, fill á pot with án inch of wáter. Pláce á medium bowl over top. Turn the heát to medium. Pláce the chocoláte in the bowl. Once it hás melted, stir in the confectioners’ sugár, whisking until smooth. Stir in the eggs á little át á time, whisking vigorously áfter eách áddition — á flát-bottomed whisk is good for this. (I use á whisk until the ingredients áre blended ánd then switch to á heát-proof spátulá.) Cook over low to medium-low until thick. Stir in the butter one táblespoon át á time. Set áside to cool. Tránsfer to á gláss meásuring cup with á spout for eásy pouring or store in whátever vessel you wish.
4. Cool láyers completely in páns on rácks. Run á thin knife áround edges of páns ánd invert láyers onto rácks. Remove párchment páper. Cáke láyers máy be máde 1 dáy áheád ánd kept, wrápped well in plástic wráp, át room temperáture.
5. If you áre máking á láyer cáke, hálve eách cáke round crosswise to creáte 4 láyers. Spreád icing over one cáke láyer. Top láyer with other cáke láyer. Repeát until áll láyers áre stácked. Pour icing on top of top láyer ánd with án off-set spátulá (if you háve one) spreád it áll over the sides. Cáke keeps, covered ánd chilled, 3 dáys. Bring cáke to room temperáture before serving. (I keep mine át room temperáture álwáys…there’s never spáce in the fridge.)

Recipe notes

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