Fancy Chocolate Cake

Okay, it may sound really immature to call this a "Fancy Chocolate Cake", but the recipe that I used really turned out to taste fancy! It tasted so fancy that I didn't even want to put sprinkles or decorations on top.

So the story is that I really wanted to make a classic chocolate cake for Christmas Eve, and I found this Ina Garten recipe online and the cake turned out fantastic. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beattys-chocolate-cake-recipe/index.html

This recipe was rated 5 stars by more than 800 reviewers. To be honest, I really didn't know what to expect before the cake was finished- I secretly hoped it would turn out airy and fluffy (like how a box cake would turn out) because I honestly thought that is what makes a good chocolate cake (shame shame shame on me, I admit).

So this recipe did not turn out to be airy and fluffy- it was better than that. It had a thicker and richer texture but was not dry in the least bit. The secret ingredient (in my opinion) was the buttermilk that held the cake together with such full flavor and the one cup of brewed coffee in the cake also gave it a bit of a kick that  really made the cake extra special and "fancy"... haha.

The consensus from everyone who tried it was that the icing was even better than the cake. It was chocolatey and creamy, with a hint of java (instant expresso powder, whoo!) The best part is that it was all hand made, no box cake required.

So, if you are looking to make a simple fancy chocolate cake, this is definitely the one to go with. Good luck!