Maya's Birthday Cake

And now for another installment of the Baby's Haus virtual cookbook.  Here's the recipe for Maya's Birthday Cake, a plain old chocolate cake with delicious buttercream frosting.  I love buttercream.  Originally debuting for Cinco de Maya, this cake reprised its role for Maya's actual birthday too.  Maya's Birthday Cake is best paired with beer (duh).  Though I think we only had some wheaty sort of beer at the time, I imagine something dark with it, stout perhaps?

Cake Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra large eggs 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Cake directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350°, butter and flour 2 (8-inch) cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2.  Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in another bowl.  Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.  Finally add the coffee and just mix to combine.

3.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is "springy."  Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, and then turn them on to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

4.  Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate.  Spread the top with frosting, using a knife or rubber spatula.  Put the second layer, rounded side up, on top and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of cake.

Buttercream frosting ingredients:

6 oz. semisweet chocolate (Ghirardelli chocolate chips are delicious and inexpensive!)

1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp. instant coffee powder 

Buttercream frosting directions:

1.  Melt the chocolate.  You might use a double boiler, if you're really on top of things.  Or, if you're like me, you could stick the chocolate into the microwave for, oh, 30 seconds, a minute, and then stir until completely melted.  Set aside until cooled to room temperature.

2.  Using an electric mixer of sorts, beat the butter until light and fluffy (3 minutes).  Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat for another couple minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar.  Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 tbsp. warm water and add.  Add the chocolate last and mix just until blended.  Spread immediately on cooled cake.