Mother’s Day is just around the corner, which means it’s time to frantically make brunch plans, wrinkle your nose at some cheesy cards and, eventually, shower the moms in your life with a little extra affection. To help you do just that, Ina Garten just shared a classic recipe that she thinks will wow everyone at the table: herBeatty’s Chocolate Cake.
Ina is known for recipes that call for vague ingredients like “good olive oil” or “good vanilla,” and this cake is no exception. Garten calls for “good cocoa powder, such as Valrhona” in this recipe, and it makes all the difference—trust me, I’ve made it a few times. Of the brands I’ve tried—Ghirardelli, Hershey’s, Toll House—Valrhona yields the deepest chocolate flavor. Since that’s where all the flavor comes from in this cake, it’s worth the splurge. You canbuy the powder onlineor find it at Whole Foods in the bulk section. (If you can’t track it down, Ghirardelli is a great swap.)
Goldbelly
The recipe is simple: combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then combine the wet ingredients (minus the coffee) in a medium bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing at a low speed as you go. If you’re using a hand mixer, you can alternate adding the wet ingredients and mixing, or use a large measuring cup with a spout (likethis one) to slowly add the wet mixture as you mix with the other hand.
Add the hot coffee at the end and mix in until everything is combined. (Honestly, the chocolatey aroma that blooms when the hot coffee hits your mixture makes this recipe worth your time.) Pour the batter into two prepared 8-inch cake pans or into a lined muffin tin. The cakes will need about 35 to 40 minutes in the oven at 350°F, while cupcakes will need 25 to 30 minutes.
Ina suggests icing this cake in her chocolate buttercream icing, includedin the cake recipe. I’m a fan of using cream cheese frosting—here’sour recipe—and sprinkling the top of the cake with chopped toasted pecans for a festive look.
No matter how you choose to decorate your cake, you’re in for an unbelievably good treat. Once you make this cake once, it will be your go-to recipe for birthdays, Mother’s Day and days when you just deserve a slice of something sweet.
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