The Best Triple Chocolate Cake

April 2022. The last chapter of the dissertation is written. Dr. Ochoa says schedule the defense. I am scheduling the defense for June 15th. Between now and then I revise and rehearse and make sure every claim is supported and every number is right and every word means exactly what I intend.

At the daycare, there is a new child who has been in the system. I know this from the intake information and from the way she watches the room. She is twenty-two months old and her name is Clara and she holds her food when it is given to her. I know that look. I sit near her and I do not crowd and I narrate what I am doing and I wait. She will decide when she decides. I have all the patience in the world.

I made the macarons this week because I felt like celebrating something and the macarons are my technical celebration food, the thing I make when I want to demonstrate precision and care. They were perfect on the first attempt, as they have been for three years now. I brought a box to Gloria on Sunday and she tasted one and said: you make these better every year. I said: I make them the same every year. She said: yes, and every year you are better, so the same is better. That is the logic of practice. The same things done by a better person produce a better result. I am a better person every year. The macarons are better every year. That is how this works.

The macarons this week were for me, for the feeling of being almost there — but the recipe I keep coming back to when I want to share that feeling with someone else is this triple chocolate cake, the one that asks the same thing of you every time: attention, patience, and trust in the process. I made it for Gloria’s birthday last fall and she said it tasted like effort, which is the best compliment I know. If you believe, as I do, that the same things done by a better person produce a better result, then this is a cake worth making again and again.

Prep Time: 35 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes (plus cooling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 cup hot brewed coffee (or hot water)
1/2 cup neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Milk Chocolate Frosting: 8 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
White Chocolate Ganache Drip: 4 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Dark Chocolate Shards (garnish): 2 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao), melted and spread thin

Instructions

Prep the pans. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and grease the parchment. Dust lightly with cocoa powder and tap out the excess.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar until evenly combined.
Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. Slowly pour in the hot coffee and whisk to combine — the mixture will be thin.
Make the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until just smooth. Do not overmix. The batter will be quite fluid; this is correct.
Bake. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 32–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn out and cool completely before frosting.
Make the milk chocolate frosting. Melt the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a double boiler (or in 30-second microwave bursts, stirring between each), then set aside to cool to room temperature. Beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the cooled melted chocolate and beat to combine. Add powdered sugar in two additions, beating well after each. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and salt, then beat on high for 2 minutes until light and spreadable.
Frost the cake. Place one cake layer on your serving plate. Spread a generous, even layer of frosting over the top. Set the second layer on top, press lightly to secure, then frost the top and sides. Use an offset spatula or bench scraper to smooth. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set the frosting before adding the ganache.
Make the white chocolate ganache. Heat cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Pour over chopped white chocolate and let sit 1 minute, then stir until completely smooth. Allow to cool until it is pourable but not hot, about 10 minutes. Slowly pour over the chilled cake, nudging it to the edges to create drips.
Make the dark chocolate shards. Spread melted dark chocolate in a thin, even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes until set, then break into irregular shards. Press shards decoratively into the top of the cake.
Serve. Allow the finished cake to come to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before slicing. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

The Best Triple Chocolate Cake — Made the Same Way Every Year, Better Every Time