Equipment Needed
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls (medium and large)
- Whisk
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Cooling racks
- Sifter or fine-mesh sieve
- Measuring cups and spoons
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, I always start by preheating my oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, I meticulously prepare my cake pans. I grease them thoroughly, line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper, and then grease the parchment, too. I learned the hard way that a single missed spot can lead to heartbreaking sticking. While the oven comes to temperature, I sift together my dry ingredients—the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt—right into my large mixing bowl. Sifting seems like an extra step, but it’s crucial for eliminating lumps and creating that ultra-tender texture we’re after. I whisk it all together until it’s one uniform, chocolaty powder.
In a separate bowl, I combine all the wet ingredients except the coffee. This is where I crack in the room-temperature eggs, pour in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. I give this a really good whisk by hand until it’s completely smooth and emulsified. You’ll see it come together into a lovely, creamy liquid. Now, here’s the fun part. I pour this wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. I use my hand mixer on medium-low speed (or you can do this by hand with a sturdy whisk) and mix just until the batter is combined. It will be very thick, and that’s exactly what we want at this stage.
This next step is my favorite bit of kitchen alchemy. With the mixer on low, I slowly and carefully stream in the hot coffee. The batter will transform before your eyes—it will become beautifully glossy, thin, and pourable. Don’t be alarmed by how liquid it is; this is the secret to its incredible moisture. I stop mixing the second it’s smooth. Then, I immediately divide the batter evenly between my prepared pans. I even tap them lightly on the counter to release any big air bubbles.
I slide the pans onto the middle rack of my preheated oven and set my timer for 30 minutes. I resist the urge to open the oven door before then! The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Over-baking is the enemy of moisture, so I err on the side of caution. I let them cool in the pans on a wire rack for exactly 15 minutes before carefully inverting them out to cool completely. The smell is absolutely intoxicating at this point.(See the next page below to continue…)