A version of the Black Midnight Cake. A dark Chocolate cake recipe.

^{Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes}

Servings: 8-10 persons

Breaking Dawn Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake:

• 2/3 cup dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa to get that deep dark color)
• 1 cup hot brewed coffee
• 1 pinch cayenne
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 ⅔ cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

For the Chocolate Icing:

• 1 ½ sticks butter, softened
• 1 cup dark cocoa (we used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa to get that deep dark color)
• 4 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Others:

• Butter for greasing the pans
• Two parchment circles, cut the size of the bottom of your cake pans
• Cocoa for dusting the pans

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To Prepare the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F
2. In a small bowl, mix and stir cocoa powder and cayenne with hot brewed coffee. Put it set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl and electric hand mixer, mix shortening, oil and sugar until well incorporated.
4. Mix in eggs in medium speed until light and creamy for 1-2 minutes only.
5. Gradually mix in coffee/cocoa mixture, buttermilk and vanilla and mix in medium speed until batter is smooth.
6. In another bowl with a large sifter, sift the dry ingredients together: flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix in dry ingredients to wet and beat using low speed only just to incorporate. Scrape down the sides and continue mixing until all ingredients are incorporated.
7. Grease your two cake pans with butter or oil and place a round parchment circle in each bottom. Grease it with butter on top of the parchment and dust it cocoa powder. Shake out excess powder. Add your prepared mixture equally in two pans and bake it in center of oven.
8. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Each oven varies in heat so, you may check it and rotate your pan as needed. Don’t leave your cake bake on its own unattended.
9. If you plan to use olive oil, it may take additional time to cook it.  Once cooked, place it in a wire rack and let it cool first. It is always good to let it cool first..(sometimes you get a little bit excited and it ruins your should have been perfect cake).
10. Once cooled, you can run a knife on the sides and carefully invert each cake into a wire rack or plate. Set it aside.
11. Prepare Chocolate Icing: In a large bowl sift together your cocoa powder and confectioner’s sugar.
12. In another bowl or mixing bowl, cream butter with electric hand mixer until smooth. Add in sugar, cocoa powder mixture, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until it becomes creamy and smooth. If needed, you can adjust it with additional buttermilk if frosting is too thick. Bit by bit adjustment only.
13. Start with placing an icing on the top of the first layer of cake. Then place the 2nd cake on top of the first cake. Frost it all over until smooth in finishing.
14. Decorate with fresh sweet strawberry slices or whatever pleases your eye.
15. Happy Baking and enjoy!

YOU MAY ALSO TRY OUR:

GODIVA CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

^_Credits