Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Serves: 12-16 servings
 
Ingredients
For the Cake:
  • Butter, for greasing the pans
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cups cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butters, softened
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • One 16-ounce box of confectioners sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon meringue powder
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons milk, as needed
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
  • Optional toppings for dinosaur decorations: toy dinosaurs, crushed oreos (5-6) and peanut M&Ms
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter one 9x13 pan. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pan.
  2. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
  3. In another bowl, using a whisk combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.
  4. With the mixer on low, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 32-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  6. Cool in pan for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack and completely cool before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
  1. Combine butter, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat until the butter is fluffy, scraping down the sides as necessary.
  2. Add the confectioners' sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition. When all the sugar is mixed in, stir in the meringue power and cocoa powder.
  3. Add the milk and melted chocolate and beat on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  4. Use the frosting immediately or refrigerate it, wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature and re-whip before using.
Notes
This is a very runny batter but it cooks up beautifully. Even after I took it out of the oven it didn't look too pretty, but once I cut into it it was perfection. Frosting makes enough to frost one 9x13, two 9 inch round or 24 cupcakes.
To make dinosaur decorations: ground 5-6 Oreos in a food processor. Sprinkle desired amount of crumbs on cake to look like dirt, set toy dinosaurs in place and stick on peanut M&Ms as dinosaur eggs.



Cake recipe from Barefoot Contessa at Home; frosting recipe adapted from Cookbook: Birthdays and Beyond, Cakes For All Occasions.
Recipe by Nutritious Eats at https://www.nutritiouseats.com/easy-kids-birthday-cake-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-buttercream-frosting/