Equipment Needed
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls (large and medium)
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Sifter or fine-mesh sieve
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Cooling racks
- Small saucepan
- Serrated knife or cake leveler
- Offset spatula or butter knife for frosting
Step-by-Step Instructions
The magic begins with the cake. I always start by preheating my oven and meticulously lining my cake pans with parchment paper. This little step is my insurance policy for perfect, unmangled layers. I sift all the dry ingredients together right into my mixing bowl—flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Yes, sifting seems old-fashioned, but for cocoa powder, which loves to clump, it makes all the difference for a velvety batter. Then, I add all the wet ingredients except the hot coffee. I mix on medium just until combined; overmixing at this stage can lead to a tough crumb, which we definitely don’t want.
Now, for the secret weapon: the hot coffee. With the mixer on low, I slowly stream it in. The batter will become wonderfully thin and liquid. This used to panic me—I’d think I’d ruined it!—but trust the process. This thin batter is what bakes up into the most incredibly moist and tender cake you can imagine. I divide it evenly between the prepared pans (I even weigh them on my kitchen scale for absolute precision) and bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The smell at this point is pure heaven.
While the cakes cool completely on a rack (this is vital, as a warm cake will melt your filling), I make the whipped cream filling. Here’s my biggest tip: chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes first. I’ve tried this both ways, and the cold-bowl method gets you those stiff, glorious peaks so much faster. I pour in the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla, then whip on high until it’s thick and spreadable, but stop before it looks grainy or turns to butter. I then pop this whole bowl into the fridge to stay firm.(See the next page below to continue…)