happy cake

A colorful cake for my colorful girl. Happy birthday Sadie!

We love Ina. She never steers us wrong.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake - Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home

Butter for greasing pans

1 3/4 c. all purpose flour, plus more for the pans

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. good cocoa powder

2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 c. buttermilk, shaken

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 extra large eggs, room temperature

1 t. vanilla extract

1 c. freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. (Or take the easy route and spray with Bakers Joy or similar product instead of prepping your pans.)

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine.

Pour the batter into pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack for finish cooling.

Top with frosting of your choice. We love cream cheese. Have fun decorating your cake. Nothing is off limits. I used a sea of Jelly Bellys for a blast of color.

Here are the ingredients I had on hand today for the frosting. Feel free to alter the proportions of the ingredients to suit yourself. Mix ingredients until smooth.

1 block of cream cheese, softened

bag of powdered sugar

stick of butter, softened, not melted

vanilla

splash of half and half