Chocolate Birthday cake
FROM SUBSTACK
When I made this for Jonah’s 4th, I wanted a cake that was easy and chocolate-y, and I chose a recipe from my friend Yossy Arefi’s wonderfully simple book, Snacking Cakes. If you happen to have the book, it’s the Cocoa Yogurt Cake on page 135 (and the cover!). Yossy’s book is full of one-bowl wonders and this cake is no exception. It’s very quick and simple to put together, and it’s the perfect texture for this frosting. Filling, frosting, and cake meld together seamlessly.
One of the great things about Yossy’s book is that she gives you many variations for both flavors and sizes and shapes. For Jonah’s party, I doubled the recipe and made two 8-inch round cakes so I would have a really tall, classic birthday cake shape that would feed a lot of people. When testing the recipe today, I made just one 8-inch cake, split it in half, and filled it and frosted it for a lower profile cake. A 9-inch pan works fine too, just shorten the baking time to the lower end of the range.
Mrs. Milman’s Chocolate Frosting
Makes enough to fill and frost one 8-inch double-layer cake
Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate morsels (don’t use chopped chocolate instead of morsels, but you can upgrade to Guittard or Ghirardelli)
2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cocoa Yogurt Cake
By Yossy Arefi / from Snacking Cakes (adapted slightly)
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
Butter or nonstick spray, for the pan
1 cup (200g) lightly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (220g) plain whole-milk yogurt
1/2 cup (120ml) neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (68g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup (128g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
FOR THE FROSTING:
Combine the chocolate morsels and cream in a heavy, wide saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring with a whisk, until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring very frequently with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides as you do. It won't look much different at the end of the cooking time.
Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and a little water. Set a medium metal bowl in the larger bowl. Set aside.
Increase the heat to medium-low and cook 3 minutes longer, stirring even more frequently, and then pour the mixture into the metal bowl set over ice. Add the vanilla. Stir frequently until frosting is cold to the touch and starting to solidify, 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer frosting to the refrigerator until it firms up to a spreadable consistency, about 10 minutes more. Stir well and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
FOR THE CAKE:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter or spray the bottom and sides of an 8 -or 9-inch round baking pan and line the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the yogurt, oil, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until well-combined and smooth.
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk until well-combined and smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and smooth the top of the batter with an offset spatula. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool for about 15 minutes. Then, run a butter knife around the edges and invert onto the cooling rack to cool completely.
