Chocolate Blackout Cake
Serves: 10
Source: Cook's Country Cookbook
Contributor: Kate
Ingredients
Pudding
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup whole milk (see note)
- 6oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Cake
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (see note)
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (see note)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Pudding
The pudding requires setting for 4 hours. You can make it the night before to save time.
- In a medium saucepan whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together. Slowly whisk in the half and half and milk.
Over medium heat bring the mixture to a simmer while whisking constantly until it thickens. Note: I stirred this for about 5 minutes and it didn't thicken much.
Stir in the chocolate and cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. About 1 minute. Use a spatula to make sure you have incorporated all the chocolate on the bottom of the pan. It will have the consistency of a runny paste.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Transfer the pudding to a large bowl and press plastic wrap directly to the surface. For maximum freshness use a bowl that you can also put a lid on to seal it.
Refrigerate the pudding until cold. About 4 hours.
Cake
The cake requires cooling for 2 hours before assembling the cake.
- Make coffee. I made 2 rounds of Aeropress coffee.
- Set buttermilk and eggs out.
Adjust an oven rack to the middle and heat the oven to 325F.
- Grease two 8-inch cake pans then dust with cocoa powder and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- Put the sugar and brown sugar in a bowl.
- Crack the eggs into a cup with a pour spout. Add vanilla.
- Commandeer a large saucepan or dutch oven. Make sure it's one you can use a metal whisk in. If you use a Dutch oven make sure you are able to lift it up to pour the cake batter out into pans or have a helper. Your arms might be tired from whisking the pudding and the cake mixture.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in 3/4 cup of cocoa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Use a spatula to incorporate the cocoa.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved.
- Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
- Slowly whisk in the flour mixture until no streaks remain and give the batter a final stir with a spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined. (see photo below)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans, smooth the tops, and gently tap the pans on the counter to settle the batter.
Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 30-35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking
- Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in their pans then run a small knife around the edge of the cakes.
Flip the cakes out onto a wire rack. Peel off the parchment paper. Flip the cakes right side up. Let cool completely before filling and frosting, about 2 hours.
- Line the edges of a cake platter with strips of parchment paper to keep the platter clean during assembly.
- Slice each cake into two even layers using a long serrated knife.
- Crumble one of the cake layers into medium-size crumbs.
- Place one cake layer on the platter. Spread 1 cup of pudding over the cake all the way to the edges. Top with a second cake layer then spread with another 1 cup of pudding.
- Place the remaining cake layer on top and press lighly to adhere. Frost the cake with the remaining pudding.
- Sprinkle the cake crumbs evenly over the top and press them onto the sides of the cake. Remove parchment before serving.
Notes
Pudding
- I used 2.25 cups half and half and .75 cup 1% milk.
Cake
- Make sure to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder. This cake would not taste right if you used Hershey's cocoa powder.
- I used dark brown sugar. I'm not sure if there was a difference.
- I didn't read the recipe very well and the buttermilk was still a little cold and the coffee was a little warm. I remember thinking to myself "these should be room temperature" and I was right. To keep you from making the same mistake I added directions to get those things out ahead of time.
- For transportation you can use extra parchment and aluminum foil to create a wall on the side of the cake. Then wrap the cake with plastic wrap on top. (see photo)
