Buttermilk Dark Chocolate Cake

Photo: Elle Puckett Photography

1/2 c (4oz), heaping, semi sweet chocolate chips

16oz coffee, still hot

2 c Hershey’s cocoa

3/4 c Hershey’s dark cocoa

4 1/8 c (32oz) sugar

3 c all purpose flour

1 T baking soda

1 1/2t baking powder

1 t salt

16oz full-fat buttermilk 

8oz canola oil

4 eggs

2t vanilla

Preheat oven to 300

Make coffee, pour over chocolate chips, use whisk to stir until smooth, set aside. 

Drink leftover coffee.

Mix all dry ingredients, stir until well combined. 

If using a KitchenAid (KA), use whisk attachment. 

Measure all wet ingredients, whisk together lightly, enough to break the egg yolks, then pour mixture into dry ingredients.

Stir just until combined.

Last, pour chocolate coffee into batter in a slow steady stream while stirring (or slowest KA setting) 

This will be a runny batter, don’t let that alarm you. 

Prep your pans with nonstick spray, and I recommend using parchment rounds in the bottom for easy release, as well as stability, as this is a delicate cake. 

Do not fill pans more than half way, this cake rises quite a bit.

Yields 4, 8” layers or 4, thin, 9” layers

Bake about 45 min, or until center springs back to the touch just a bit.

Let cool completely, de-pan.

Because this is so delicate, I recommend working with it when it is cold for easiest assembly.

Click here for my Whipped Meringue Buttercream recipe!