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1
Have all ingredients at room temperature.
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2
Position the rack in lower third of the oven.
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3
Preheat to 350.
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4
Spray pans with vegetable oil spray.
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5
Weigh & whisk or sift together well flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
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6
Whisk the whole eggs with the egg whites in a small bowl; set aside.
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7
Dissolve the espresso powder in 3 tablespoons warm water and combine with the vanilla and buttermilk in a small bowl.
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8
Cut the butter into chunks and place in an electric mixer bowl.
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9
Beat to soften, about 1 minute.
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10
Add sugar gradually, beating constantly for about 3 minutes at medium speed.
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11
Gradually dribble eggs into sugar mixture, beating at medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
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12
On medium-low speed, beat in a third of the flour mixture, scraping the bowl as necessary.
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13
On medium speed, gradually dribble in half of the buttermilk mixture, scraping the bowl as necessary.
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14
On low speed, beat in half of the remaining flour followed by the rest of the buttermilk scraping the bowl as necessary.
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15
Beat in remaining flour mixture until well combined.
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16
It is OK if batter looks slightly curdled.
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17
Scrape batter into the pan or pans and smooth the top as necessary.
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18
Bake until the cake just starts to shrink away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out barely clean.
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19
Do not overbake.
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20
A 6-cup bundt cake will be done in 3540 minutes, a tube or large bundt pan in 50 to 55 minutes; an 8-inch layer takes about 40 minutes and loaves 4550 minutes.
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21
Cool cake, in the pan, on a rack for 10 minutes.
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22
Invert and remove pan.
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23
Turn right side up if baked in loaves.
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24
(I nearly always make this in a nordicware bundt pan.
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25
).
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26
MAKE IT AHEAD: Cake remains moist and delicious for 4 to 5 days, well wrapped.
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27
Cake may also be frozen for up to 2 months.
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28
I serve this with Mean Chef's chocolate ganache, which, of course, completely negates any inkling of low-fat sanctimony!
