Recipe from Larry Forgione
Adapted by Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus cooling
- Rating
- 4(1,033)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This cake recipe was adapted from the chef Larry Forgione, who served his grandmother's cake recipe at his restaurant An American Place. The dessert proved so popular that every time he tried to take it off of the menu, he said his customers threatened to riot. It's a perfect proportion of crumb to buttercream, ideal for birthdays or other celebrations where layer cake is required. —Melissa Clark
Featured in: Endangered: The Beloved American Layer Cake
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 10 servings
- Butter and flour for preparing pans
- 2½cups all-purpose flour
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- ½teaspoon baking powder
- ½teaspoon salt
- 1¼cups buttermilk
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 11tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½cups sugar
- 2large eggs
- 4ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
- Chocolate frosting (see recipe)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
459 calories; 22 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 32 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 309 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with wax or parchment paper. Lightly butter the paper. Dust pans with flour, and shake out excess.
Step
2
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and vanilla.
Step
3
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium-high speed, cream the butter. Slowly add the sugar, and continue beating until well blended and light colored. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture in 2 or 3 additions, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate until well blended. Spoon batter into prepared pans, and smooth tops with a rubber spatula.
Step
4
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake layer comes out clean. Let cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then invert onto other racks and peel off the paper. Invert again, and let cool completely on the racks. Frost with chocolate frosting.
Ratings
4
out of 5
1,033
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Cooking Notes
Eugenia
Made this cake today. The frosting linked to this recipe is particularly delicious, rich and dense as you would get from a bakery. I would suggest using a different cake recipe for the cake itself (perhaps Ina Garten's "Beatty's Chocolate Cake") because this cake came out quite dry and not quite chocolatey enough. The frosting is a keeper though!
Robert
Baked this cake yesterday and it was terrific though I think I'll reduce the baking time from 30 minutes to 25 next time. Be careful to spoon out the cake batter evenly into the 3 cake pans. Used the frosting recipe attached to this recipe and it was outstanding!
Ruth
This is like the cake I grew up with. My mother always melted the unsweetened chocolate with the butter, and then added it to the sugar, vanilla, and eggs. The cake was never dry, so the baking time is probably an issue. It's also wonderful with a raspberry filling and whipped cream topping.
Todd Eberhard
I have baked this twice. First time 30 minutes and overcooked. Second 22 minutes and just right. I live @ 5000 ft and followed the instructions exactly including the three cake pans. This and the appended frosting are excellent
H R
- The recommendation of using the frosting recipe on Ina's "Beatty"s Chocolate Cake" recipe is a great idea!!!
Anne
Very good although I agree with reducing the baking time - I took it out at 30 minutes and it was just a tiny bit dry by that point.
Lissa
bake for 22 minutes instead of 30-35
Marge Keller
I have made many chocolate cakes but in a 9x11 cake pan rather than in layer cake pans. Every 9x11 cake took 30 minutes to bake. Based on the many comments below coupled with my experiences, I would think 30 min is too long for layer cake batter. I have tried this recipe in the oblong cake pan and WOW - it is delicious. The frosting truly puts this cake over the top in terms of richness and decadence.
I
Matthew
Yup, I tend to doubt 4 ounces of chocolate is the correct amount, seems very skimpy.
Elsie Mahler Scharff
Okay. I screwed up because I was talking to someone WHILE making this for the first time. I added two sticks of butter instead of the stated amount for this cake. I wasn't energetic enough to dump and begin again, so just prayed to the Cake Goddess it would be okay. Not only was it okay, but it was FABULOUS. I also stuck the buttercream in the fridge for about 30 minutes to stiffen it up so i' could get it to behave better and build up some density between those divine layers.
Cat Lady
For the frosting, after it cooled to room temperature, I put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes and then it was the perfect consistency for frosting the cake.
Cat Lady
Used 1 1/2 cups GF flour, 1 1/4 cups almond flour, cut the sugar in half, used 6 oz unsweetened chocolate. I baked it for 22 minutes. Next time, I would make it the same way. I used the linked chocolate frosting and used coffee instead of water. It was a bit dark for my child, so next time I might make the frosting with water instead of coffee.
LW
The frosting is amazing! Oh my gosh - like eating fudge. The cake, however, is not worth the trouble. Very dry and crumbly and not much flavor. Will not make the cake again. Ina Garten's is far superior.
Louisa Woods
Cake is very dry and crumbly. Not worth the effort. I only baked it for 22 minutes. Won’t make it again. The frosting, however, is delicious and a great consistency.
Marcella
Someone is right. I set my oven for 25 minutes and it was baked just perfect. Followed the recipe to a T, but will reduce frosting next time as there was so much leftover waste.
SLP
This cake came out dry and not chocolatey enough. I wonder if yogurt or sour cream would moisten it more? I’d double the chocolate. Not sure if it’s salvageable.
Tracey
Cooked as per recipe with the added step of allowing melted chocolate to cool be fore adding it to the mix, also used 2 pans and cooked for less time. Was delicious. A lighter chocolate flavor with richness from the buttermilk.
Dee
No chocolate flavor to this cake.
Katherine
I cut back significantly on the baking time as other cooks suggested and still found this cake dry and with an unappealing texture. Pretty disappointing. 🙁
Rad Rad
Made this cake tonight - I followed the exact recipe with the exception of the pan size and a smidge more melted chocolate…roughly 1/3oz, due to the size of the pieces. I used a quarter sheet pan, baked for 37 minutes. The cake turned out perfect - not dry at all, and plenty chocolatey by itself. Only thing is that the sponge is kind of flimsy despite the thickness (2”), so I don’t think I’ll be slicing it in half or anything.Planning to make the frosting tomorrow so I’ll report back after.
Rad Rad
more info post frosting and tasting:The cake and the frosting were absolutely delicious - I used 85% chocolate so it is more than sufficiently chocolatey for adults.
Ralph
Way too dry even under baked. Do not make again
Sharon
This reads as delicious, but is the kind of recipe I call 'Death on a Silver Platter'. You'd better have a crowd to eat it!
Pepi Ross
Fabulous!! I made the ff adjustments:1) use cake flour for silky texture2) use 2 1/2 c buttermilk to keep cake moist3) For the frosting I mixed half bittersweet choc and half semisweet choc to keep it from getting too sweet.
Pepi Ross
I shd have said use 1 1/2 c Buttermilk !!I did not see a way to edit my note.
shelly
I switched the butter for 2/3 canola oil 1/3 soy milk and added another 30 grams of melted chocolate and 60 grams of chivalry chunks. Turned out amazing
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