I tried Ina Garten's 2 favorite chocolate cakes. One recipe took more time, but it was the best cake I've ever made.

To assess Ina Garten's most beloved chocolate cakes, the writer prepared two versions for comparison. The first, Garten's chocolate cake with mocha frosting, appeared in her 2014 cookbook "Make It Ahead." This dessert was described as "a dessert everyone will remember" and featured unsweetened cocoa powder, pure vanilla extract, and instant espresso powder.

For the mocha frosting, Garten combined bittersweet chocolate, heavy cream, butter, Kahlúa, instant espresso powder, and vanilla extract. The batter mixture consisted of eggs, sugar, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, half-and-half, hot water, vanilla extract, baking soda, kosher salt, and instant espresso powder.

The writer discovered that mixing the batter alternately with flour and chocolate mixtures produced a light and springy cake. In contrast, Beatty's Chocolate Cake, which Garten deemed "the most fabulous chocolate cake she's ever made," relied on freshly brewed coffee, cocoa powder, and buttermilk. The recipe's creator, Michael Grimm, served this cake to Garten, who subsequently discovered the original recipe from Grimm's grandmother, Beatty.

By combining the strengths of both recipes, this chocolate cake and its mocha frosting create a potent and enjoyable dessert, pleasing even the most ardent chocolate enthusiasts.