Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) standard or 320°F (160°C) fan/convection.
Lightly grease 2x 9-inch (22cm) round cake pans with butter. Line base with parchment paper.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk in sugar, then add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk well to combine until lump free, about 30 seconds.
Pour boiling water into batter, mixing well. Cake batter is thin in consistency.
Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Melt butter, then whisk in cocoa powder. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency (add a small amount of additional milk, if needed). Stir in vanilla.
Notes:
Cocoa Powder:
I use a combination of 1/2 cup Dutch-processed and 1/4 cup regular unsweetened cocoa powder for a richer cake.
Coffee:
For a richer chocolate flavour, DISSOLVE 2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso in the boiling water before adding into the batter. You can’t taste the coffee!
Sugar:
White granulated sugar is used here. You can also use superfine or caster sugar.
Springform Pan (Please Note):
Springform pans are NOT 100% leakproof. Very thin cake batters such as this one will leak through the base. To combat this issue, line the base with parchment paper coming up where the sides meets the base to create a ‘cover’. Place a baking sheet on the shelf below the cake pan (or the bottom of the oven) to catch any stray drips (don’t put cake pans directly on the pan).
