Recipe Notes
- Use the best quality dutch-process cocoa you can get, preferably a European style that contains at least 20% fat.
- If the cake layers puff up or dome in the oven, just level each layer using a long serrated bread knife after they are completely cool.
- The coffee in this recipe enhances the chocolate flavor, but won't make the cake taste like coffee. Be careful making any substitutions – coffee is acidic, so any changes could alter the results.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (219g) reclamation gluten-free cake flour
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (86g) dutch-process cocoa powder (see note)
- ½ teaspoon (2.5g) baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons (8.6g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3.1g) table salt
- ¾ cup (180g) buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup (108g) vegetable oil
- 4 large (200g) eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10g) vanilla extract
-
½ cup (120g) coffee, cooled to room temperature
- about 4 cups frosting (dark chocolate frosting or other frosting of choice)
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds or grease only the bottoms, leaving the sides ungreased. This allows the cakes to grip the sides as they cool, reducing the chance of shrinking or collapse.
Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
Step 3
In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Step 4
Add the wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk by hand or using an electric mixer on low speed until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the room temperature coffee and mix on low speed until fully combined, scraping down the bowl again. The batter will be thin.
Step 5
Evenly divide the cake batter between the prepared pans and bake for 35 - 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature near the center is about 205°F. The top should look set and feel springy when gently touched. Rotate the pans after about 25 minutes so that they bake evenly.
Step 6
Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Carefully run a paring knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes, then turn them out and transfer to a wire rack, right-side up, to cool completely to room temperature.
Use a long serrated bread knife to level the top of each layer, then frost as desired.
Serving & Storage Information
Serve the cake at room temperature. The frosted cake will keep for several days stored covered at room temperature.
