A Moist, Chocolatey Cake

I tried this recipe for Beatty's Chocolate Cake by one my favorite Food Network stars, Ina Garten and her show The Barefoot Contessa. I have one of her cookbooks and am on the lookout to purchase a few more. I love her cooking style, her ease in the kitchen and the success I have had with every recipe I have tried of hers. She use to have a column in Martha Stewart's Living Magazine which I use to enjoy reading each month.

I will not type out this recipe since it can be obtained through the link above or in Ina Garten's cookbook, Barefoot Contessa At Home. This cake was one of the easiest I have every made. It was really just three steps in preparing the batter; mixing the dry ingredients together, mixing the wet ingredients together, then combining the two. So often when making a cake by scratch you must alternate wet and dry but not this one. I was somewhat concerned as the batter was very runny but it turned out to be amazingly moist.

Above: The dry ingredients
Above: The wet ingredients

The cake also had an intense chocolate flavor which Ina contributes to the cup of freshly brewed coffee called for in the batter. I think it also has to do with using very high quality chocolate. I used a cocoa from Holland called Droste. I also dusted my pans with this same cocoa as opposed to the flour dusting Ina calls for in her recipe.

Above: Pans lined with parchment paper, dusted with cocoa, ready for batter.

Next time I make this cake I will probably utilize another chocolate frosting. Though the flavor of this frosting is delicious, it calls for 2 sticks of butter. It made the frosting too rich for our taste. Also, it is very, very soft and the cake must be refrigerated if not eaten immediately, especially when it is 85 degrees outside, as it was on this 13th day of September.Above: The frosting ingredients

Above: The cake ready for frosting.

I would highly recommend this cake for a great, old fashioned chocolate cake that all will enjoy!