Black Magic Cake with Irish Mocha Frosting

First of all, I have to apologize for the pictures; they are not good ones, I know that. A food photo is supposed to be attractive and engaging, and make you want to lick your lips, stop what you're doing, and immediately make whatever dish you're viewing. Sigh. In my defense, I honestly had no intention of doing a blog post when I set out to make this cake. It was merely an attempt to satisfy a weeklong craving for Chocolate Stout Cake that I could not make due to a lack of Guinness and the ambition to go out and get some.

So, when I found a recipe for a chocolate snack cake (read: a small cake that I could justifiably make without having to invite company), altered the ingredients based upon what I had and what I like, I ended up with this amazingly dark, delicious cake. To top it, I tossed together a frosting that was so good that Mr. O-P considered it dessert enough on its own as he licked the spoonful I'd given him, and looked up at me with his best puppy face while asking to scrape the bowl. Yep, this duo is a winner!

I named the cake Black Magic because it is truly the darkest chocolate cake that I have ever seen and the flavor is truly magical. The frosting I should have doubled. As you can see from the pictures, the layer is a thin one, and what you see here are the sides that it covered and not the naked backside. So, if you make the frosting recipe, double or triple it. Because of the Irish Cream in the frosting this would be a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day dessert.

 Black Magic Cake

1 stick plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1-2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 extra large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder 
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 cups cold brew

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch-square baking pan, and line the bottom with parchment.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes. With mixer on low, add eggs one at a time, mixing only until combined. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Sift together the flour, cocoas, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to batter alternately with the cold brew until all is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack to cool completely. Invert onto plate and frost with Irish Mocha Frosting.

​Irish Mocha Frosting

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 Tablespoon milk
2 Tablespoons Baily's Irish Cream
1 teaspoon espresso powder

In a small bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder; set aside. In another bowl, beat the butter until creamy, gradually beat in the sugar mixture, and continue to beat until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the milk, Bailey's and espresso powder and beat until smooth.

PRINT RECIPE

This post is linked to:

Wow Us Wednesday
Work It Wednesday

Wine’d Down Wednesday

Wake up Wednesday

Moonlight & Mason Jars

Dream, Create, Inspire

The Homemaking Party

Full Plate Thursday

Create It Thursday

Thursday Favorite Things