DIRT-CAKE
Treats. Indulge.
This Cake is Perfect
To be so brazen, this is my perfect chocolate birthday cake. I am talking straightforward, decadent, yet fluffy chocolate birthday cake with creamy lucious chocolate frosting. Not for the faint at heart. Growing up I didn’t care for chocolate cake in the slightest, preferring angel food cake with strawberries (programmed to love a dieter’s delight I suppose!) This cake however has changed things for me. I have been making it for my friends’ birthdays for quite some time. Folks from all areas all agree. This cake is dangerously delicious and without a doubt a worthwhile walk on the indulgent side.
Chocolate Cake
225 grams olive oil
225 grams sugar
225 grams brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tablespoons Tahitian vanilla extract*
4 ounces creme fraiche**
2 ounces buttermilk
4 ounces hot brewed coffee
1/2 cup cocoa powder***
230g grams all purpose flower (not self rising)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon maldon salt****
1. Whip eggs, oils, sugars in a kitchen aid mixer on high speed 5 minutes.
2. Whisk together coffee and cocoa. Whisk in vanilla, creme fraiche and buttermilk.
3. Sift dries and add to egg mixture alternating with the wet cocoa mixture.
4. Spread in a silpat or parchment lined half sheet tray sprayed with nonstick.
5. Bake 350 degrees 30 minutes or until cake springs back to the touch.
Chocolate Frosting
450 grams 66% Caraibe Valrhona Chocolate (or other bittersweet chocolate)
150 grams Jivara Lactee Valrhona Chocolate (or other milk chocolate)
600 grams unsalted butter, softened.
1 teaspoon Maldon salt.
1. Paddle softened butter in mixer on hgih speed for 4 minutes.
2. Stir together melted chocolates and stream into whipping butter, scraping down.
3. Paddle in salt.
Frost your cake in the tray.
Cut out rounds and stack a cake.
Eat it out of the bowl.
I reccomend grabbing an affordable digital scale to make baking easy and enjoyable. So many recipes are done by weight and it is the most accurate way to measure out ingredients. Don’t be afraid of making treats, they are worth it every time.
*Everything starts with great ingredients. My favorite place for spices is Terra.
**Creme fraiche is widely available now. Pick it up at Whole Foods.
***My favortie chocoalte? Valrhona…and guess what you can find it at Whole Foods!
****Maldon…a finishing salt I tend to use…everywhere. Yup, it’s at Whole Foods.
0