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The Raw and The Cooked

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Chocolate Birthday Cake

This is the Chocolate Birthday Cake recipe I use for my kids and husbands birthdays. It’s a winner every single time.

Chocolate Birthday Cake
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Dara Boxer
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons instant espresso or instant coffee
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, cocoa, instant espresso, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.
  3. Reduce speed to low and beat in one-third of flour mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake until a skewer interred into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, about 40 minutes.
  5. Let cakes cool in the pan on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a pairing knife around the edge of cakes to loosen, then flip out onto the racks. Flip the cakes upright, and let cool completely before frosting.