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The Best Chocolate Cake with Cooked Vanilla Frosting

There is something both a bit mystical and magical about Cooked Vanilla Frosting. It starts with making a flour "roux" and slowly adding granulated sugar. The end result is a cake frosting that is smooth and a dream to work with!
Course Dessert
Keyword Best Chocolate Cake, Cooked Vanilla Frosting
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 651kcal
Author Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Equipment

  • wire whisk attachment

Ingredients

  • For the cake:

For the cake:

  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour I use King Arthur Flour unbleached flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup black coffee cooled (I used a dark roast coffee. You can't taste the coffee, but the chocolate is deeper in flavor and richness with this ingredient
  • 1 cup buttermilk or 1 Tbsp lemon juice with milk to equal 1 cup; or 1 Tbsp vinegar with milk to equal 1 cup
  • 1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the cooked vanilla frosting:

  • 5 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour I use King Arthur brand
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1-2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Prepare 2 9-inch cake pans (I always line mine with parchment paper and then use a non-stick baking spray with flour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, & salt in a large bowl or in bowl of stand mixer.
  • Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, & vanilla.
  • Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. (Batter will be thin.)
  • Divide evenly into cake pans (this cake makes a great sheet cake or cupcakes).
  • Bake for 20 minutes (for cupcake for 27 minutes ) at 350°F or until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool completely and frost.

FOR THE FROSTING:

  • Whisk together in a saucepan the flour and milk.
  • Cook over medium heat until starting to thicken and cook for a minute or two more-- don't let it get too thick or it will be too stiff when it cools. (The roux has to boil for a little bit for the flour to cook and lose its starchy flavor.)
  • Pour into a wide bowl and allow to cool, stirring now and again. If the roux is lumpy when it cools, just press it through a fine sieve.
  • hisk together a cup of unsalted butter and a cup of granulated sugar until light (you really need an electric hand mixer or stand mixer for this).
  • Whisk in the cooled roux about two tablespoons at a time. As you beat and add the roux, the frosting turns creamy (6-8 minutes) instead of grainy from the sugar -- almost like "magic"!
  • Add 1-2 tsp vanilla and beat some more until it's light and creamy.

Notes

TIP: Don't chill the roux in the fridge or it will be too hard to beat stuff into.