Everyday Chocolate Cake

This is a super easy cake recipe to have in your back pocket for a weeknight dinner party. The cake is rich and the sprinkle of confectioners sugar at the end gives it a bit of presentation (without taking any time). I started making this cake last summer and have probably made it half a dozen times already. Now that we're heading into winter (i.e. chocolate season = my favorite!) it will be a "go to" recipe even more.

Everyday Chocolate Cake
modified slightly from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Magnolia Bakery At Home
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/08/everyday-chocolate-cake/
makes 12-14 servings

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, softened*
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar**
1 Tablespoon molases**
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup milk***
1 Tablespoon yogurt***
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2 5/8 ounces) Dutch cocoa powder (see above for a natural cocoa adjustment)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and lightly flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat well, then the milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Don’t worry if the batter looks a little uneven. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt together right into your wet ingredients. Stir together with a spoon until well-blended but do not overmix. Scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 to 15 minutes, at which point you can cool it the rest of the way out of the pan. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries, if you’re feeling fancy.

Notes:

The original recipe calls for the following, but I never never have them on hand, so I decided to write the ingredient list above with the ingredients I actually use. So here are my substitution notes. 


* Unsalted butter. If you use unsalted butter make sure to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the flour mixture.


** The original recipe called for 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.


*** The original recipe called for 1 cup buttermilk. Since I never have buttermilk on hand and am forever asking  Rob, "what's that substitution for buttermilk again??" I decided I should write the recipe up the way I always make it, with milk and yogurt. I do have to say that I am quickly falling in love with buttermilk and have started buying it regularly. My problem is that I never use it all before it goes bad. I am going to have to develop a list of buttermilk recipes!