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Chocolate Layer Cake for #SundaySupper

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Chocolate Layer Cake

There are times we all need some comfort. Stressful, busy, sad, or anxious days are made a little better with certain foods. Which foods? It is different for every single person. I go for just about any food in general when I need a little comfort. Food itself is comforting to me. I head directly towards chocolate when I need a lot of comfort. My ultimate choice is a chocolate layer cake. Rich, moist, and with a thick dose of creamy frosting.

The important part to me is the frosting. I have said before, cake is only there to hold up the frosting. Granted I do bake and enjoy cakes without frosting, usually a bundt or ones baked in a tube pan. However, if they were all lined up on a dessert bar I would choose the ones with frosting first. This chocolate layer cake has oodles of frosting. The recipe makes enough that even I had some leftover. I may or may not have kept the extra and ate it all by itself. Ahem.

A slice of Chocolate Layer Cake

The Sunday Supper team is sharing their favorite comfort food. The recipes span from savory to sweet, breakfast to dessert, and a whole lot in between:

Comfort Food | Soups

Comfort Food  | Main Dish

Comfort Food | Desserts

Pairing Wine with Sunday Supper Comfort Food Favorites! by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

We are thrilled to have Lee Woodruff joining us for this event. Lee is an author, contributor to CBS Good Morning, wife, mother, and one who has been through some tough times. Her husband, Bob, was critically injured while reporting in Iraq in 2006. You can read about it in her book, In an Instant. She also has two other books, Perfectly Imperfect and the recently released Those We Love Most.

Lee will be tweeting with us in the #SundaySupper chat. Set your reminder and join in today (Sunday, October 14th) at 7pm Eastern Time. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and be sure to include it in your tweets during the chat. Take a look at the #SundaySupper Pinterest board for even more food photos and recipes.

What is your ultimate comfort food? Do you find yourself craving it during a tough time or is it seasonal? So interesting how food plays a greater part in our lives than only for eating. Family dinners, celebrations, fun times, sad times, and so much more is highlighted with food. The wonderful memories held in a taste or smell can be unleashed and give us comfort when we need it.

Chocolate Layer Cake
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Chocolate Layer Cake

A recipe for a chocolate layer cake with moist chocolate layers and a creamy chocolate frosting.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Renee

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup hot coffee
  • 1/2 cup boiling water

For the frosting:

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 7 cups sifted powdered sugar

Instructions

For the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and then flour the pans.
  2. In a large bowl, add sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in hot coffee and boiling water. The batter will be thin. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
  3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

For the frosting:

  1. In a medium saucepan, add the butter, cocoa, and milk. Cook over low heat until butter melts, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat. Add salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar to the pan. Beat on high speed of an electric mixer until of spreading consistency. (Frosting will thicken as it cools). Add additional warm milk if necessary.

For the cake:

  1. Spread frosting on top of each layer and on the sides of the cake. Slice and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

You may have extra frosting as this recipe makes a big batch. Store any leftover frosting in the refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring frosting to room temperature to use.

Cake recipe adapted from Hershey’s and That Skinny Chick Can Bake. Frosting adapted from Southern Living 1986 Annual Recipes

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Comments

  1. “Rich, moist, and with a thick dose of creamy frosting” – Who could resist? I imagine baking this much be just as fun as eating it! Absolutely delicious, Renee.

    Reply

  2. Oh dear, Renee! This chocolate cake looks absolutely amazing! Now, I will go to bed dreaming of this chocolate cake! 🙂

    I would seriously eat chocolate cake everyday, with every meal/3x a day . . if that was socially acceptable and healthy for me 😛 I love it so much! Rich, moist, and with a thick dose of creamy frosting? Sounds delish! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!

    Reply

  7. Ha! I love your “how about a little cake to go with that frosting” philosophy;-) I do the same thing with syrup on pancakes! Awesome post! It’s o-dark thiry here in California and your’ve got me craving a piece of this cake already!

    Reply

  17. Chocolate cake is in my “Top 10” as a comfort food. This cake has my mouth watering, seriously. I love the composition for your photos as well.

    Alaiyo

    Reply

  30. I love how this cake is simple yet decadent! When it comes to birthday cakes, we end up making plain chocolate cake, similar to this actually. Can’t go wrong!! All you’re missing are some sprinkles 😉 (ok and ice cream)

    Reply

  31. I’m with you, Renee – chocolate cake is definitely one of my go-to comfort foods! The one exception is the frosting – I actually like eating the cake plain. Your frosting, however, sounds amazingly decadent. I wish I had a piece of your cake right now with a big frosty glass of milk!

    Reply

  33. Okay love this. Classic chocolate layer cake is so amazing. Can I just say I giggled at the thought of leftover icing. Never happens here. We’re all spooning it into our pie, er, cakeholes.

    Reply

  36. Cake is one of those things that I know will always bring a smile to my husband’s face after really stressful days. He is a cake and tea kind of guy. I sometimes think he could live off cake and tea. 🙂

    Reply

  42. I completely agree with you on all levels about comfort food. The first thing I reach for when I’m sad, mad, or happy is food. I soothe myself with food and I reward myself with food. I normally go for the pasta and rice dishes but I can completely get on board with the chocolate layer cake. 🙂

    Reply

  43. I think a lot of us have some version of this wonderful, moist, chocolatey cake! I know I have a couple and when I need comfort I head directly to this recipe! Perfect!

    Reply

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