Ghirardelli Devil’s Food Cake With Mocha Buttercream Frosting

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 cups ghirardelli's ground sweet chocolate, and cocoa
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, baking bar (ghirardelli's 100% cacao)
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk (i use 2% milk)

Recipe

• 1 cake:.
• 2 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 3 grease the bottoms of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment paper. i've also been "lazy" and used one 9x13 cake pan.
• 4 in a large mixing bowl, combine the four, ground chocolate, granulated sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
• 5 add 1 cup of the buttermilk and 1 cup of butter.
• 6 beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• 7 add the remaining ½ cup of buttermilk, the eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• 8 divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
• 9 bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the cake’s center.
• 10 cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes.
• 11 remove cakes from the pans, discard the parchment paper, and transfer them to the wire rack to cool completely.
• 12 frosting:.
• 13 melt the chocolate (broken into pieces) in a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
• 14 dissolve the instant coffee granules in the boiling water.
• 15 stir coffee mixture into the chocolate then remove from heat and set aside. note: this mixture does have a tendency to seize up, but don’t worry, when it’s added to the rest of the frosting and mixed in, it comes out just fine.
• 16 in a large mixing bowl, beat the 2/3 cup butter until fluffy.
• 17 gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
• 18 add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined.
• 19 frost your cake.
• 20 induce chocolate nirvana!