Espresso Cake Recipe

Ingredients and Tools Included:

• Artisan Cake Flour
• Superfine Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Cocoa Powder
• Cocoa Flakes
• Whole Milk Powder
• Grapeseed Oil
• 2 Parchment Paper Circles
• Damask Toothpick

Additional Ingredients to Assemble:

• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs

Pans and Other Tools to Assemble:

• 2 (9-inch) round cake pans
• Small saucepan
• Whisk
• Medium bowl
• Sifter
• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer and large bowl
• Rubber or silicone spatula
• Offset or straight spatula

Instructions

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly grease with nonstick spray two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the water to a simmer (look for wisps of steam and small bubbles rising to the top), then immediately remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the milk powder, cocoa flakes, butter, and grapeseed oil until the butter melts completely. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Sift the artisan cake flour and cocoa powder into a medium bowl and set aside. Sifting the flour and powder will give optimal results. If you do not have a sifter, whisk flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl.
4. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat the sugar and 4 eggs on medium-high speed until the mixture has tripled in size and lightened in color, 4 to 6 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Add the sifted flour and milk mixture to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are almost fully incorporated.
6. With a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then gently fold the batter a few times to incorporate any remaining flour. Fold the batter until no more dry flour remains in the bowl. Do not overmix the batter.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans (about 2½ cups in each), and place the pans on the middle rack in the oven.
8. Bake for 26 to 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean when you insert it into the center of the cakes.
9. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes in the pans. Then, loosen the cakes by running a thin knife along the inside edges of the pans. Using the easy-lift handles on the parchment paper, pull the cakes out of the pans and place them on the wire rack to cool completely.
10. When the cakes have cooled completely, for about twenty minutes, peel off the parchment paper.
11. If frosting was purchased, continue to the frosting recipe.