Chocolate Velvet Cake

This chocolate velvet cake has the ideal balance of moistness while maintaining a light textured crumb structure. A perfect go-to chocolate cake recipe.

1 cup all purpose flour, unbleached, sifted
1¼ cups cake flour, sifted
½ cup cocoa
½ tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1½ cups sugar
⅔ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1½ cups buttermilk

Vanilla Frosting:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
¾ cup butter
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp. milk

Preheat an oven to at 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Grease and flour 2 (9”) round cake pans and line the bottom with 2 circles of parchment paper.

Sift together both flours, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the vegetable oil, shortening and vanilla. Beat well at high speed with whisk attachment until light and fluffy

Beat the eggs in one at a time. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.

I always add dry ingredients in three divisions and liquid ingredients in 2 divisions. It is very important to begin and end the additions with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix the batter. As soon as it has no lumps in the batter, pour into the two prepared cake pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Vanilla Frosting:
Mix together the icing sugar and butter until crumbly, then beat in the milk and vanilla extract until the frosting reaches a light spreadable consistency.

If you want to frost the sides of the cake as well, I'd recommend increasing the frosting recipe by half or even doubling it if you want to pipe on borders or decorations for a celebration cake.