Cocoa Maple Cake

Cocoa Maple Cake

This recipe is sponsored by Imperial Sugar. However, all opinions and recipe creation are my own.

Get your oven ready…. It’s time to rise to the occasion because there is always room for dessert. Whether you’re busy with work and life’s pressures, or easing into the weekend with a project around the house—when the oven is on, all is good in the world. Or, so I like to believe. And it’s not just in the baking that we comfort, obviously…. there’s eating it, too. Is there anything more welcoming than a decadent chocolate cake intertwined with a lil’ brown butter buttercream? Knowing there’s a cake on the counter waiting for you, makes the day all the more happier. Grab your cup of hot coffee or tea and enjoy this chocolate cake for lil’ something sweet.

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Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 2 c. Imperial Sugar granulated sugar
• 1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
• ¾ c. cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 c. milk
• ½ c. vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. maple extract
• 1 c. hot black coffee

For the Browned Butter Buttercream:

• 32 oz. Imperial Sugar confectioners powdered sugar
• 2 c. salted butter
• ½ c. whipping cream, cold
• 1 ½ tsp. maple extract

Instructions

To make the cake:

1. Heat oven to 350◦

2. Grease & flour three 8-inch (by 2-inch high) or two 9-inch round baking pans.

3. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, cream together sugar and oil.

5. Spoon in flour alternately with the milk while the mixer is going. You want to add enough milk to moisten the dry ingredients. I suggest you add the flour in thirds. Mix until the mixture is smooth.

6. Add eggs and maple extract; beat for approximately 2 minutes.

7. Slowly pour in the piping hot black coffee. Mix until all combine.

8. Pour into baking bans. Bake for 30-37 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean from the center.

9. Allow cake to cool for 7 minutes before flipping cake rounds out of baking pans. Allow the cakes to finish cooling on a wire rack.

To make the buttercream:

1. In a large skillet, cook the butter over medium-low heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Butter should become a golden-brown color

2. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Refrigerate 3-4 hours until solidified.

3. When removing from the refrigerator, allow the bowl to sit for 5 minutes before using a mixer to beat the solidified butter until it is light and fluffy.

4. Spoon in the powdered sugar while the mixer is going until well combined.

5. Gradually add the cream. Add maple extract.

6. Continue beating the frosting on high for 5 minutes to get a light and fluffy buttercream.

To assemble the cake:

1. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 1 cup of buttercream. Repeat with the remaining layers and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20 minutes or overnight.

2. Frost the top and sides of the cake and smooth it with an angled spatula or scraper.

Photos by Audrie Dollins