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Ingredients
- Cake:
- Softened butter and all-purpose flour for the pans
- 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) miniature chocolate chips
- Milk Chocolate Mocha Frosting, recipe follows
Preparation
Step 1
Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter two 9x3-inch round cake pans (springform pans are fine) and line bottoms with waxed or parchment paper. Dust insides with flour and tap out excess.
To make cake: In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In glass measuring cup, mix together buttermilk and vanilla. In large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter together with electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. One at a time, beat in eggs and yolks, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in thirds, alternating with buttermilk mixture in 2 equal additions, beating until smooth, and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Fold in chocolate chips. Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth tops.
Bake until wooden toothpick in centers of cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on wire cooling racks for 10 minutes. Run dinner knife around insides of pans to release the cakes, invert onto racks, and remove pans and paper. Turn cakes right side up on racks and let cool completely.
Place dab of frosting on serving plate. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on plate. Using metal icing spatula, spread it with 1 cup frosting. Place second cake layer, flat side down, on top. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. (The cake is best day it is made.)
Milk Chocolate Mocha Frosting:
1 1/2 pounds high-quality milk chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
Put chocolate in medium heatproof bowl. Bring cream to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, taking care that it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat, add butter, espresso powder, and vanilla, and stir until butter melts. Pour over milk chocolate. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 1 minute.
Whisk until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the mixture is as thick as chocolate pudding, about 2 hours.
Beat chocolate mixture with electric mixer set on high speed, just until it becomes lighter in color and spreadable, about 10 seconds. Be very careful not to overbeat, or it will separate. (In that case, melt mixture in stainless-steel bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. Cover and refrigerate until thickened, and try again.) Makes enough for one 9-inch double-layer cake.