Big A Chocolate Cake Recipe

Prepare oven and pans

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Lightly flour the sides or spray with nonstick spray.

Whisk dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.

Combine wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Add the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.

Mix batter: Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or mixer on low speed just until combined and no large lumps remain. The batter will be thick.

Add coffee: Carefully stir in the hot brewed coffee a little at a time until fully incorporated. The batter will thin and become glossy; this yields a moist chocolate crumb.

Divide and bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (use a kitchen scale or eyeball). Smooth the tops. Bake for 28–34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out with a few moist crumbs attached and the cakes spring back lightly when pressed.

Cool: Remove pans from the oven and let sit on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert onto racks, peel off parchment, and cool completely (at least 1 hour) before frosting.

Beat butter: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the room-temperature butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1–2 minutes.

Add cocoa: Sift the cocoa powder into the butter and beat on low to combine, scraping the bowl as needed to avoid lumps.

Add powdered sugar and cream: With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar in 1-cup increments, alternating with small amounts of heavy cream. After all sugar is added, increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. If frosting is too thick, add more cream 1 tsp at a time; if too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

Finish frosting: Add the vanilla and salt and beat briefly to incorporate. Taste and adjust salt or sweetness to preference.

Level and stack: If the cake layers have domed, level them with a serrated knife or cake leveler. Place one layer on a serving plate or cake board and spread about one-third of the frosting evenly over the top to the edge.

Top layer and crumb coat: Place the second layer on top and apply a thin crumb coat (a light layer of frosting) over the entire cake to trap crumbs. Chill the cake in the fridge for 20–30 minutes to set the crumb coat.

Final frosting: Remove the cake from the fridge and apply the remaining frosting, smoothing the sides and top with an offset spatula. Use a hot spatula (dip in hot water and dry) for a smoother finish if desired.

Finish decorations: Lightly dust the top edge or center with the reserved cocoa powder and scatter chocolate shavings or sprinkles if using. Chill briefly (10–15 minutes) to set frosting before slicing, or serve at room temperature.

Storage: Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.