Information
Notes
My friend Judy Miller makes this cake for just about any occasion. I think it is one of the best home-style chocolate cakes I’ve ever tasted. That also seems to be the consensus among my friends and family. Since it only takes a few minutes to put together, this may become your standby for last-minute dinners.
In an unusual cooking technique, the batter is blended and cooked on top of the stove before it is baked in the oven. Make sure to use a high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, like Droste or Scharffen Berger. Serve this with a scoop of coffee ice cream.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut up
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso (optional)
- ¼ cup butter milk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9-inch round spring-form pan. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking soda. Stir well to blend.
2. In a medium (3-quart) nonstick saucepan, combine the water, butter, cocoa powder, and espresso, if desired, and stir to blend. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until well blended and it just comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until blended. Reduce heat to medium. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla together. Add to the batter and mix vigorously for about 1 minute, or until well blended. Remove from heat and pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top just begins to crack and the center is still slightly moist when pierced with a skewer. Remove from the oven.
4. While the cake is baking, make the frosting: Rinse out the pan used to make the batter. Add the butter, cocoa powder, and buttermilk to the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until blended. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and walnuts and mix to combine. Remove from heat.
5. While the cake is still hot, pierce holes allover the top with a skewer and pour the frosting over. Keep piercing the cake after you have poured over the frosting to create a fudgy interior.
6. Transfer the cake to a platter and release and remove the sides of the springform pan, allowing the frosting to drip down the sides of the cake. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, or until the frosting is set. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Advance Preparation:
May be prepared 1 day ahead, covered, and kept at room temperature.
The clever cook could:
1. Double the recipe and use a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Cut into squares and serve with ice cream.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information is based on 8 servings.