Velvety Chocolate Cake

I know I say this a lot, but I have a few variations for this cake too. You can make the basic batter, pour it into the desired baking dish or spice it up with the variations listed below. This batter mixes for 10 minutes which may seem strange to some of you bakers, but believe me the mixing does not lead to a tougher batter. The version pictured above is a mini cupcake with plain icing. The cupcakes pop out perfectly even if your pan is ungreased, just allow to cool slightly and loosen edges with a knife and lift the cupcake out gently or flip pan over and allow them to spill out, continue cooling on a wire rack. Place wire racks over sheets of parchment and scoop a small amount of warm icing over each cupcake allowing it to run over the edges. Baked in paper loaf pans this cake makes a terrific gift.

CAKE INGREDIENTS:
4 3/4 oz. Cake flour
4 oz. Bread flour
3 1/2 oz. Cocoa powder
14 oz. sugar
3/8 oz. Baking soda
1/8 oz. Baking powder
Pinch Salt
8 oz. Coffee, cooled
8 oz. Buttermilk
5/8 C Eggs
4 oz. Butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

VARIATION: add 1/4 oz. cinnamon to the dry ingredients
PREP:
Place all dry ingredients in the bowl of your electric mixer, mix just to combine with the paddle attachment. In a Large measuring cup combine coffee, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour 1/4 of this mixture into the melted butter. Slowly add the coffee/buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed. Next add the butter mixture to the mixing bowl, mix until combined. Slowly add the eggs while mixing on low speed. Mix for 2 minutes on 1st speed, then mix for 10 minutes on 2nd speed. Spray, paper, spray your desired cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes for a large cake pan. Loaf pans check at 40 minutes with a tester, 40-50 minutes. Cupcakes 20-30 minutes depending on mini or regular size pan. **Cupcake pans do not need to be sprayed, but I remove them quickly before they cool, loosen the edges with a sharp knife and flip pan over to dump cupcakes onto a clean surface. Lift any stubborn cupcakes with the knife. Allow cakes to cool in pan on a wire rack.


ICING INGREDIENTS:
4 oz. Butter, melted
6 T. Buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
16 oz. Powdered sugar
1/2 C Cocoa powder

VARIATIONS: Add 1 1/2tsp Instant espresso powder and 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon for a Mexican Chocolate Cake. Add 1 1/2 C chopped and toasted pecans to the icing.

PREP:
Melt butter over medium heat. Add all ingredients except sugar, whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Place the sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer and pour the cocoa mixture over the sugar. Beat until smooth with whisk attachment. Stir in pecans if desired. Pour over cakes or cupcakes quickly before the icing sets.