Our Favorite Chocolate Layer Cake and Chocolate Cupcakes
Book Description
When prepared the old-fashioned way, nothing tastes as delicious and comforting as homemade sweets fresh from the oven. Now Jennifer Appel, cookbook author and owner of the world-famous Buttercup Bake Shop, shares more of her popular recipes in Buttercup Bakes at Home, a collection of more than 75 new and tempting treats from the much-loved bakery and her own kitchen, for home cooks to enjoy.
Many of my customers ask me why their chocolate cupcakes don't taste the same at home as they do from the bakery, using the Chocolate Layer Cake recipe from my first Buttercup cookbook. That's because it's not the one we make about 25 to 30 batches of every day; if you’re looking for your favorite chocolate cupcake just as we make it in the bakery, here it is. Make it as cupcakes or as a 2- or 3-layer cake; just be sure to adjust the baking time slightly depending on the number of layers you’re making.
Makes one 2 or 3 layer 9-inch cake and serves 8 to 10, or approximately 2 dozen cupcakes.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two or three 9 x 2—inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with wax paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugars on the medium speed of an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla, beating after each addition until smooth. Stir in the sour cream.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
IF YOU'RE MAKING CUPCAKES: Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Spoon the batter into the cups to about two-thirds full. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20 to 22 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and cool completely on a rack before icing.
