Olla-Podrida: Chocolate Snack Cake with Mocha Kahlúa Buttercream Frosting

No sooner than I announced I was not going to bake any longer, I baked something. What can I tell you? It was a moment of weakness. In my defense, it was my number two son's birthday, and I have always felt that a birthday deserves a cake. My "go to" cake is my Chocolate Stout Cake, but not having any Guinness on hand, I hunted around for a new recipe and came up with this one. Because I was transporting this cake to my dad's, and don't have a suitable cake carrier (I can't imagine why not), I decided to make a snack cake in an 8" x 8" pan.

I had no idea what I was doing with the frosting, but lately I've been enjoying Kahlúa (probably too much), so decided to make a Mocha Kahlúa Buttercream Frosting. Both turned out to be phenomenal, so I had to share it with you. I gave most of it away, otherwise I would have been sitting down at the breakfast table with the pan in front of me, fork in hand, wolfing it down. Whether you are apt to make a cake from scratch, or not, making this one would be well worth your while.

Chocolate Snack Cake with

Mocha Kahlúa Buttercream Frosting

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

¾ cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup whole milk

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup hot strong brewed coffee

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour an 8” x 8” baking pan.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt.

Add oil, milk, coffee, and eggs; beat well. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Mocha Kahlúa Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons (1/4 c. + 1 tablespoon) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon Kahlúa
1/4 cup strong coffee
4-5 cups confectioners' sugar

Beat butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Add cocoa powder, Kahlúa, and coffee, and beat to combine. Beat in sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable.