brooklyn blackout (birthday) cake

for my 30th birthday cake, i wanted the chocolatey-est cake, this satisfied the craving

i trialed and errored for years trying to develop a chocolate cake that is incredibly fluffy and tender yet rich, moist and crumbly yet strong enough to hold together while assembling. this is that recipe; for me this cake recipe is the best chocolate cake i have had, and use it for many different kinds of chocolate cakes, not just brooklyn blackout.

a few notes on the recipe as a whole here:

• i would recommend doing the cake and the pudding (and possibly the frosting) the night before. and then making the frosting and assembling the following day (starting in the morning, letting it set up, and continuing in the afternoon/evening). but this for sure can all be done in one day.

• there is cream cheese utilized throughout the recipe, do not substitute it, it is there for moistness and to temper sweetness.

• also this brooklyn blackout cake has a chocolate sandwich cookie crust, i love it, but don’t feel obliged to add it if you don’t want to do the extra step!