INGREDIENTS:
- MAKES A 2-LAYER, 8-INCH CAKE.
- 1 ½ cup (195 g) cake and pastry flour
- 1 ⅓ cup (295 g) superfine (quick dissolve) sugar
- ½ cup (60 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
- ¾ tsp (4 g) baking soda
- ¼ tsp (2 g) salt
- ½ cup (115 g) cool, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ cup (125 ml) hot, strong brewed coffee
- ½ cup (125 ml) milk
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 large large eggs, room temperature.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FUDGE FROSTING:
- 12 oz (340 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 ¾ (425 ml) cup whipping cream
- ½ cup (125 ml) sour cream
- ½ (3 ml) tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
METHOD:
BAKING DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE:
1. For the cake, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease 2 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Dust the sides of the pans with flour, tapping out any excess flour.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl or into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter cutting it in (if in a large bowl, use electric beaters) until the mixture is a fine crumble (like the texture of fine breadcrumbs) and no large pieces of butter are visible.
3. Stir the hot coffee, milk and vanilla together and add it all at once to the flour mixture, blending until smooth. Break the eggs into a small dish and stir them with a fork and then add them to the batter, again blending on medium speed just until smooth (the batter will be very fluid). Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and tap them on the counter to eliminate any bubbles.
4. Bake the cakes for about 30 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes for 20 minutes in their pans, then tip out onto a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature. The cakes can be baked a day ahead, wrapped and stored at room temperature before frosting.
DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUDGE FROSTING:
1. For the frostin