Makes one 9-inch cake
This chocolate cake is perfect for the baker who wants something elegant for the holidays without too much work. "Naked" is the word used for stacks of layer cakes whose sides have no frosting. We use it to describe this confection, even though it's a single layer, because there's nothing on the sides, and a mound of chocolate cream on top. The cake, made with brown sugar, cocoa powder, brewed black coffee, and buttermilk, is an adaptation of a King Arthur Flour classic. You combine the dry ingredients and whisk in the wet ones. It's as simple as that. Bake and cool the cake, invert it onto a platter or a cake stand, and garnish it with a mound of chocolate whipped cream and a dome of fresh raspberries. It's beautiful and impressive.
CAKE
| Butter (for the pan) | |
| 1½ | cups flour |
| 1½ | teaspoons baking soda |
| Pinch of salt | |
| ¼ | cup unsweetened cocoa powder |
| ¾ | cup granulated sugar |
| ¼ | cup brown sugar |
| 1½ | teaspoons vanilla extract |
| 6 | tablespoons butter, melted and cool but still liquid |
| ½ | cup brewed black coffee |
| ½ | cup buttermilk |
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round layer cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and granulated and brown sugar.
3. In another bowl, stir the vanilla, butter, coffee, and buttermilk to blend them. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to stir until well combined. Pour the batter into the pan.
4. Bake the cake for 30 minutes, or until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a platter or cake stand and leave to cool completely.
CREAM
| 1 | cup heavy cream |
| 3 | tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder |
| ⅓ | cup confectioners' sugar |
| 1 | pint fresh raspberries |
| Confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling) |
1. In an electric mixer, combine the cream, cocoa powder, and confectioners' sugar. Beat until the cream forms medium-stiff peaks.
2. Spoon the cream onto the fully cooled cake and spread it so it stays within the edges of the cake.
3. Mound the raspberries high on the cake. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the top. If not serving at once, refrigerate the cake for up to 4 hours until serving.
Karoline Boehm Goodnick. Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Makes one 9-inch cake
This chocolate cake is perfect for the baker who wants something elegant for the holidays without too much work. "Naked" is the word used for stacks of layer cakes whose sides have no frosting. We use it to describe this confection, even though it's a single layer, because there's nothing on the sides, and a mound of chocolate cream on top. The cake, made with brown sugar, cocoa powder, brewed black coffee, and buttermilk, is an adaptation of a King Arthur Flour classic. You combine the dry ingredients and whisk in the wet ones. It's as simple as that. Bake and cool the cake, invert it onto a platter or a cake stand, and garnish it with a mound of chocolate whipped cream and a dome of fresh raspberries. It's beautiful and impressive.
CAKE
| Butter (for the pan) | |
| 1½ | cups flour |
| 1½ | teaspoons baking soda |
| Pinch of salt | |
| ¼ | cup unsweetened cocoa powder |
| ¾ | cup granulated sugar |
| ¼ | cup brown sugar |
| 1½ | teaspoons vanilla extract |
| 6 | tablespoons butter, melted and cool but still liquid |
| ½ | cup brewed black coffee |
| ½ | cup buttermilk |
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round layer cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and granulated and brown sugar.
3. In another bowl, stir the vanilla, butter, coffee, and buttermilk to blend them. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to stir until well combined. Pour the batter into the pan.
4. Bake the cake for 30 minutes, or until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a platter or cake stand and leave to cool completely.
CREAM
| 1 | cup heavy cream |
| 3 | tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder |
| ⅓ | cup confectioners' sugar |
| 1 | pint fresh raspberries |
| Confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling) |
1. In an electric mixer, combine the cream, cocoa powder, and confectioners' sugar. Beat until the cream forms medium-stiff peaks.
2. Spoon the cream onto the fully cooled cake and spread it so it stays within the edges of the cake.
3. Mound the raspberries high on the cake. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the top. If not serving at once, refrigerate the cake for up to 4 hours until serving.
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