Cowtown Chocolate Cake

Whenever we have family or friends coming over for dinner, I fix this cake, especially if it is someone's birthday.
This version has raspberry icing on top of the chocolate icing. I prefer the chocolate by itself.









1½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered (not ground) instant coffee or espresso
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated
1¼ cups buttermilk

1. Adjust a rack to the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round layer-cake pans, line them with rounds of parchment or wax paper cut to fit, then butter the paper, and dust the pans all over with flour. Invert the pans over paper and tap lightly to shake out excess. Set the pans aside.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and the powdered coffee. Set aside.
3. Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over warm water at moderate heat. Cook until the chocolate is almost completely melted and smooth. Remove the top of the double boiler and set aside. Cool.
4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Beat in the vanilla and the brown sugar.
5. Remove and reserve 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Beat the remaining sugar into the butter mixture. Add the yolks and beat well. Add the cooled chocolate and beat until smooth.
6. On low speed, add the sifted ingredients in three additions alternately with the buttermilk in two additions, scraping the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula and beating only until smooth after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set aside.
7. In the small bowl of the electric mixer, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they hold a soft shape. Reduce the speed to moderate and gradually add the reserved 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Increase the speed again and continue to beat only until the whites hold a point when the beaters are raised. They should not be stiff or dry.
8. The chocolate mixture will be thick; add about one-quarter of the whites and fold the two together, or stir a bit to incorporate if necessary. Then add the remaining beaten whites and fold until completely incorporated.
9. Place half of the batter in each of the cake pans and smooth the tops.
10. Bake for about 35minutes, until the tops of the cakes barely spring back when pressed gently with a fingertip and the cakes just begin to come away from the sides of the pans.
11. Remove from the oven and cut gently around the sides of the cakes with a small, sharp knife to release. Let stand for 5 minutes.
12. Cover each cake with a rack, turn the cake pan and the rack over, remove the cake pan and paper lining, cover with another rack, and turn over again, leaving the cakes right side up to cool.
13. When cool, place one layer on the plate upside down.

Icing
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup granulated sugar
4 ½-ounce unsweetened chocolate
pinch of salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into slices
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Stir the cream and sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until it is melted; then add the salt, butter, and vanilla, and stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.
3. Place the pan in a large bowl of ice water and scrape the bottom continuously for a few minutes with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is cool and slightly thickened.
4. Transfer the mixture to the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat a high speed for a few minutes until the color becomes slightly lighter and the icing is thick enough to hold its shape.
5. Spread a layer of the icing about ¼-inch thick over the layer on the plate. Place the other layer on it, right side up (bottoms together). Spread the remaining icing thinly on the sides of the cake, and more thickly on the top. Smooth the sides and the top with a knife.

12 portions
Adapted from Maida Heatter’s Cakes