Updated: September 27, 2012 8:47AM

MAKES ONE 2-layer Round CAKE

On Foodnetwork.com, this Ina Garten recipe is called Beatty’s Chocolate Cake. The name was changed the name to reflect the ranking of more than 1,500 reviews of home bakers who raved about it on the website.

Butter, for greasing the pans1

3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

For the icing:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1

1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

To make cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8x2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

In another bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

To make the icing, chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted, then set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip!

Spread immediately on the cake.

Ina Garten, Food Network

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