...because sometimes it has to be chocolate...

There was no special occasion nor any assignment, what drove me to make a chocolate cake... just pure desire for chocolate. I know we are in the middle of the "hot hot" summer and chocolate cake might not be seen as a perfect choice these days (and I tell you, it was bit of a challenge with the buttercream frosting), anyhow I woke up yesterday with the biggest cravings for classical buttercream chocolate cake and I could not convince myself to make something else, something light or fruity. Chocolate gives me (us all I believe) a certain comfort and this is exactly what I needed.

It is a classical recipe for the chocolate sponge and buttercream frosting, a cake we might remember from our grandmothers or mothers... usually done for a special occasion. One piece of this delicious cake will be enough to satisfy your chocolate cravings for some time, well at least it does work for me. I do admit that chocolate cake with buttercream frosting is not done very often in our house, but when I do feel like chocolate, than this is definitely the cake I am going for... rich in chocolate and calories, delicious, comforting and special.

I also tried something new. A video on how I did frost the cake, the frosting technique is classical too, it is definitely not neat, but rather messy, which makes the cake even more lovable. It doesn´t have to be neat all the time, wouldn´t you agree? A perfect cake to be frosted with kids, just think about all the fun the minis would have... I can vividly see their happy faces covered with chocolate in front of me.

You will see that I was struggling with the heat, as the buttercream frosting started to run in one point. Well my first video.. somehow I did imagine the "making" process a bit easier and quicker, but anyhow I had a lot of fun and I think this won´t be my last video for sure. Next time maybe even with some instruction comments. Enjoy the video and let me know what do you think! 

Classical buttercream chocolate cake

• 300 g flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 200 g sugar
• 160 ml vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 160 ml whole milk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of apple vinegar
• small coffee cup of hot plain coffee

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease either 2 individual cake pans (15cm  or 18 cm) or one 15 cm cake pan with butter and line the bottom with baking paper. In a big bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Whisk the sugar, oil, eggs, milk vanilla extract and apple vinegar in a separate bowl and add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix with a hand whisk till all combined (make sure to not to over mix). Finally add the hot coffee and mix again. Pour the batter into the baking pan/s and bake for about 60-70 minutes if you are using one pan and about 30-40 if you are using 2 pans. Make the wooden stick test, if the stick comes out clean the cake is ready. Let the pans cool down for about 10 minutes before taking the cake sponges out. Let the sponge cool completely. If you used 1 cake pan, then cut the sponge in 3 layers. If you used 2 pans, the just level both sponges and frost.

• 250 g butter room temperature
• 1 egg yolk
• 180 g powdered sugar
• 180 g melted dark chocolate

Melt the chocolate and let is cool down. Beat the butter till light in the color and add the egg yolk, beat for additional couple of minutes. Sift the powder sugar and whisk till all well combined. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and combine everything till all well combined and shiny. 

I used some jam and berries sugar glace on first and second sponge layer, to add some fruitiness to the cake, this is completely optional, as only with chocolate buttercream the cake would taste great too.

Enjoy!