Chocolate cake in bundt pan

2 weeks have passed and I’ve made this cake three times. I’m addicted. Thankfully each time I’ve made this cake it went home with somebody else and was not left under my care. Let me just tell you that I’m not really a “chocolate”  girl, so you know this must be good if I’m craving it. This recipe originally called for safflower oil which I didn’t have on hand, so I used my trusty go-to replacement, olive oil. This is by far the richest, densest, moistest, best tasting chocolate cake you will ever make. Trust me.

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

~ This recipe was adapted with a minor change, from the April 2010 edition of Martha Stewart’s Living magazine.

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and a little extra for dusting baking pan(s) (I use Ghirardelli cocoa powder)

1 1/2 cups all natural cane sugar

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cups low-fat buttermilk

3/4 cup warm water

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking pan (recipe calls for 2 – 8 inch round pans, but I used a bundt pan the first time I made this cake and a large 8 x 12 cake pan the second time) and lightly dust with cocoa powder.

In a bowl of a mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients:  cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on a low speed until just combined. Increase speed to a medium-high and add eggs, warm water, vanilla, olive oil, and then the buttermilk. Beat until glossy smooth, about 3 minutes.

Pour batter into greased and cocoa dusted baking pan(s) and bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Turn cake over onto a cooling rack face up and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Buttermilk Frosting

1 – 6 ounce package of cream cheese, softened

1 stick of butter (approx. 1/2 cup), softened

2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

2 tablespoons low-fat  buttermilk

Frosting Directions

In a bowl of a mixer, blend butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Turn speed to low and add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Raise speed to medium high and add buttermilk. Beat until frosting to a fluffy, creamy thickness (about 2 minutes). Frost cooled cake.