DONNA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Donna's Chocolate Cake image

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups granulated white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 pieces large eggs
1 cup buttermilk (can sub by putting 1 tbsp vinegar in cup and filling to 1 cup with milk, let stand 5 minutes
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 ounces FROSTING: cream cheese at room temp
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 9' baking pans with parchment paper. (alternatively, you canebrake for a longer period of time in one large pan)
In large bowl of mixer, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla and beat until smooth ( about 3 minutes). Remove bowl from mixer and stir in hot coffee with a rubber spatula. Batter will be runny. If necessary, beat on slow speed in mixer to be sure its mixed really well.
Pour batter evenly between the two pans and bake in middle rack of oven for about 35 minutes until toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean, with just a few crumbs sticking on it.
Allow to cool 15 minutes then run a butter knife around the edges of each cake. Place a wire cooling rack over top of each pan. Wearing oven mits, hold the rack in place while flipping the cakes over onto the racks. Tap the bottom of the pans until the cake falls out. Cool completely
FROSTING: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese with butter on medium high speed until creamy (about 3 minutes)
Sift in 3 cups powdered sugar with cocoa to ensure there are no lumps, then add salt. Mix on low speed until well combined then increase speed to medium high and beat until smooth and whipped
Add vanilla and beat another minute or so til smooth.
Its best to pipe the frosting on right after its made. If you refrigerate the frosting, it will need a little time at room temp to soften.