Old-Fashioned Gob Cake Recipe with Ermine Frosting

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch-process if you want extra richness
2 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling hot coffee coffee deepens the chocolate flavor but won’t taste like coffee

Get Recipe Ingredients

In a saucepan, add the milk and warm it slightly. Add the flour and whisk together until smooth.
Switch to a spatula and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan.
Continue cooking until the mixture thickens and pulls together into a ball.
Remove from the heat and scrape the mixture into a bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface, and let cool to room temperature.
In a separate bowl or mixer, beat the butter, shortening, and salt on medium speed until light, fluffy, and almost white in color.
Gradually add the cooled flour mixture, beating well and scraping down the sides as needed.
Add the vanilla extract and mix until the frosting is smooth.
Slowly fold in the powdered sugar until combined.
Spread between the two layers of chocolate cake.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 13x9-inch cake pans, or line with parchment circles.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until well combined and smooth.
Carefully stir in the hot coffee (the batter will be thin—this is what makes it moist and fudgy).
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake 10–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.