Nanny’s Black Midnight Cake

Holy Week and Easter at St. Brigid's, which has been the same service and the same pew and the same Easter dress (different dress, same tradition of an Easter dress) since before I was old enough to understand what Easter meant and now means more to me the older I get. There is something about the liturgy in spring — the same words I've heard since childhood taking on different weight in different years of my life, which is either how good liturgy works or how growing up works, and probably both.

Sean D. came to Easter Mass for the first time. He is Catholic, as I've established — Dorchester Catholic, which is the same religion and a slightly different culture — but he hasn't been to St. Brigid's for Easter before and I watched him look around the church and it reminded me of the way you see something you've always known suddenly through someone else's eyes. He whispered to me during the homily, "This is beautiful." I said, "I know." He said, "I mean the church. The building." I said, "I know." I meant both things and so did he.

Easter Sunday at Maureen's. The Donovans celebrate Easter the way we celebrate everything — with more food than necessary and the whole extended family and the knowledge that this is just what we do, this is who we are, this is the shape of the year and we are inside it and grateful to be here. Maureen made ham because Sean Sr. prefers ham at Easter, and lamb because the lamb is correct, and potatoes because there will always be potatoes.

I brought a chocolate cake — a layer cake with ganache, made from scratch, the first layer cake I've ever made that came out level. I was ridiculously proud of this. Sean Sr. ate two pieces and said nothing about the levelness of the layers, which is how I knew he was impressed.

The cake I brought to Maureen’s wasn’t just a cake — it was the thing I carried to the table to prove I belonged in the kitchen the same way I belong in that church, that family, that shape of the year. I’ve been making this recipe since before I knew how to make it well, and this Easter was the first time it came out exactly right. Here’s how I made it.

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr 25 min (plus cooling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened black cocoa powder (or dark Dutch-process cocoa)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 cup hot strong-brewed coffee
1/2 cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Ganache Frosting:
12 oz bittersweet chocolate (60–70% cacao), finely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (for gloss)
Pinch of flaky salt

Instructions

Prep your pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, grease again, and dust lightly with cocoa powder. Tap out any excess.
Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until fully combined and no lumps remain.
Combine wet ingredients. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated.
Add the coffee. Slowly pour in the hot coffee and whisk gently until the batter is smooth. It will be thin — that is correct. Divide evenly between the two prepared pans.
Bake. Bake 32–36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely — at least 1 hour.
Make the ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer at the edges. Pour over the chocolate and let sit undisturbed for 3 minutes. Add the butter pieces and corn syrup, then stir from the center outward until glossy and smooth. Let cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread — about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Level and fill. If either cake layer has a dome, use a serrated knife to trim it flat. Place one layer on your serving plate or cake board. Spread a generous layer of ganache over the top. Set the second layer directly on top, flat side up.
Frost. Pour or spread the remaining ganache over the top of the cake, nudging it to the edges and letting it drip slightly down the sides. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt. Let the ganache set at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition (per serving)

Nanny’s Black Midnight Cake — The Level Layers Sean Sr. Ate Two Pieces Of