Ina Garten’s Beatty’s Chocolate Cake

I’d been eyeing this cake for what felt like forever, just waiting for the right moment to bring it to life. When a close friend—certified chocoholic—had a birthday coming up, I knew the time had come. This cake has been adored online for years, originally made famous by Ina Garten in her 2006 cookbook. She got it from her friend Michael’s grandmother, Beatty. And since then, it’s become the chocolate cake of choice for home bakers and dessert lovers alike.

I’ve baked my fair share of chocolate cakes. But this one? It might be the one. I ended up making it again the following weekend just because. No party, no reason. Sometimes you just need cake on a regular Sunday.

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🧁 Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
All-purpose flour	1 ¾ cups
Granulated sugar	2 cups
Cocoa powder	¾ cup
Baking soda	2 teaspoons
Baking powder	1 teaspoon
Kosher salt	1 teaspoon
Buttermilk (shaken)	1 cup
Vegetable oil	½ cup
Large eggs (room temp)	2
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Hot brewed coffee	1 cup

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredient	Quantity
Semisweet chocolate (chopped)	6 oz
Unsalted butter (room temp)	1 cup (2 sticks)
Egg yolk (room temp)	1
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Powdered sugar (sifted)	1 ½ cups
Instant coffee granules	1 tablespoon

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👩‍🍳 Instructions

Make the Cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, butter again, and lightly dust with flour.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low to blend.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla.
4. With the mixer running on low, slowly stream the wet ingredients into the dry. Pour in the hot coffee last and mix just until combined. Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks and let cool completely.

Make the Frosting:

1. Gently melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat and cool slightly.
2. Beat butter in a mixer on medium-high for about 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg yolk, and beat for another 3 minutes.
3. Reduce speed to low and gradually add powdered sugar. Once it’s all in, increase speed and beat until smooth and creamy.
4. Dissolve coffee granules in 2 teaspoons of hot water. Add the coffee mixture and melted chocolate to the frosting. Beat on low until fully incorporated and silky.

Assemble:

Frost the cooled cakes generously, layer by layer. Slice and serve to instant applause. One bite and you’ll understand the hype.