Black Magic Cake

Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Course: Dessert | Servings: 12 

This is the most moist and tender crumbed cake that ever reigned. This recipe was given to me by my best friend's mom “Medo”. Here I am stacking it with a chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries; iced with chocolate buttercream frosting. Happy birthday Glenn!!!

1 ¾ cups flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup strong coffee (or 1 cup water with 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder or 3 Tbsp instant coffee)

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice)

½ cup vegetable oil (I use olive oil)

1 tsp vanilla

Spray oil

Cinnamon sugar mixture

Preheat oven to 350*  Spray oil and line with parchment 3 round 9“ cake pans and sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon sugar. Whisk dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Whisk eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla together and pour in the dry ingredients. Mix together in a stand mixer or with a wooden spoon until just incorporated (batter will be very thin). Pour into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a tester/toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool, run a knife around the pan rim and turn out onto a cooling rack; remove parchment.

Ganache:

1 cup heavy cream

11.5 oz dark chocolate chips

2 pints raspberries, fresh

Heat the cream over medium-high heat until it boils. Turn off the flame and add chocolate. Stir until smooth and allow to cool to room temperature. Make the buttercream.

Swiss Chocolate  Meringue Buttercream

Classic swiss meringue buttercream is a dream to pipe, here I’ve added chocolate. This recipe is inspired by an old Martha Stewart recipe. You could omit the addition of chocolate for a lovely vanilla flavored swiss meringue buttercream.

4 egg whites

¾ cup sugar

3 sticks butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

8 oz chocolate, melted and cooled

Warm egg whites and sugar in a double boiler until the sugar has melted and the egg whites are just warm to the touch. Beat with the whisk attachment in a stand mixer to medium peaks. Add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Beat until smooth, mix in the vanilla and melted chocolate. 

Fill a pastry bag with an extra-large round tip such as 1A. Run a ring of icing around two of the cake rounds. Fill in the center with the ganache and top with raspberries. Stack the layers and place the third layer on top. Frost and decorate as desired. I used leftover ganache to make round truffles shown on top as well as for piping around the outside.