This is my birthday speciality! This is actually a recipe from Ina Garten called Beatty's Chocolate Cake that I altered in order to fit my diet. Everyone loves the diet version! Just writing this up makes me want to cook it again!
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
- 2 cups of sugar
- 3/4 cup good cocoa powder (I like Ghiradelli Sweet Ground Chocolate)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup McArthur Cultured Lowfat Buttermilk, shaken
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I like Mazola)
- 2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I recommend Nielsen-Massy Madagascar Vanilla Extract)
- 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (or espresso!)
- Pam for Baking with Flour
Frosting Ingredients:
- 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup of 1% or skim milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup creaming organic peanut butter (I like the Publix brand in the jar, found in the peanut butter aisle, not the deli)
Directions for the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. With the mixer still on low, add the coffee/espresso and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Take the cakes out of the pan immediately, turning them over onto a cooling rack. Let them cool there completely.
Directions for the frosting:
Beat peanut butter in a mixing bowl until its fluffy. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add 1/4 cup of milk and the vanilla; slowly beat them in. Slowly beat in the rest of the powdered sugar and another 1/4 cup of milk. If necessary, add a little more milk if the frosting is not spreadable.
Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on the top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
*Tip: Frost the cake right away. This frosting will harden and not be smooth enough to spread after it dries. Also, wetting the knife will also help spreading if the frosting hardens.
Enjoy this deliciously moist cake!