Description
I made this in a round pan, but the adventurous baker could create a pyramid using square pans and a bit of ingenuity. Either way, cinnamon and cloves add an exotic warmth to this chocolate cake while the coffee adds depth.
Scale
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves (Note: I used ¼ teaspoon because I’m clove-phobic)
- 4 ounces (4 squares) semi-sweet baker’s chocolate
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
Topping
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the coffee and chocolate over low heat until chocolate is melted. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on low speed, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Add the vanilla and the chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the coffee-chocolate mixture and the flour mixture, beating until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the pans. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pans on rack for 15 minutes. Invert pans and cool cakes on rack completely.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. Using a chilled mixing bowl and beaters, whip the cream, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon until stiff. Do not overbeat. Chill until ready to use. Frost when cake is cool. Refrigerate after use.