ISO: ISO Best chocolate cake- craving it & have frosting that is killer but...

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music-city-missy

Well-known member
I am craving just a good old fashioned chocolate cake and I looked through the results from the search and there are SOOO many recipes out there from over the years.

What are your go to plain old chocolate cake recipes? Probably want to bake as 2 or 3 layers. I want a nice moist but not heavy, chocolately but not too rich flavor. Tender crumb.

 
Think I got this from Gourmet Magazine yrs ago REC: Mile-High Chocolate Cake...

Mile-High Chocolate Cake

For Cake:
5 ounces fine-quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising, sift before measuring)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream
For Frosting:
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 ounces fine-quality unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
6 sticks (1 1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Equipment: 2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans

Directions:

1. Make Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter cake pans, then line bottom of each with a round of parchment paper and butter parchment. Flour pans, knocking out excess.

2. Melt chocolate with butter, then cool.

3. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Beat eggs, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. At low speed, mix in melted chocolate until incorporated, then add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until each addition is just incorporated. Spread batter evenly in pans and rap pans several times on counter to eliminate air bubbles.

5. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans and a wooden pick inserted in center of each comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.

6. Cool in pans on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges of pans. Invert onto racks and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.

7. MAKE FROSTING AND ASSEMBLE CAKE:
Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, then add milk and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture boils and is smooth and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature, covering surface with parchment paper to prevent a skin from forming.

8. Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy, then add cooled chocolate mixture a little at a time, beating until frosting is fluffy and spreadable.

9. Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers with a long serrated knife. Put 1 layer on a cake stand or large plate and spread top with 1 1/4 cups frosting. Repeat with 2 more layers, then add remaining layer and spread top and side of cake with remaining frosting.

Notes:

January 2008

COOKS’ NOTES:
Cake layers can be made 2 days ahead (but not split horizontally) and kept, wrapped tightly, at room temperature.
Frosting can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature (about 1 hour) and beat until fluffy before using.
Cake can be frosted 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

 
Mom's Double Chocolate Marshmallow Cake

This is truly old-fashioned chocolate cake. My Mom started making this for my birthday when I was one year old.....that would be in 1948. Still the best chocolate cake I've ever eaten. She (and I later and still) make a good seafoam frosting for it (ergo the marshmallow in the recipe title). I don't think I have ever shared this rec before:


MOM’S DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW CAKE

4 oz good semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1/4 c cocoa powder
4 T butter, melted
2 c sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 c cream
3 c flour
¼ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
4 egg whites, beaten stiff

Combine chocolate and butter. Add sugar. Dissolve soda in cream then add dry ingredients and milk alternately to chocolate mixture. Add vanilla. Fold in egg whites. Pour batter into 3-9” pans. Bake at 350 20-25 minutes.

 
Deep Dark Chocolate Cake - my all-time favorite go-to cake

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

1-3/4 cup flour (not sifted)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup boiling water
2 cups roughly chopped walnuts, tossed around in a sifter to remove small particles

Preheat oven to 350 deg.
Combine first 6 dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into greased/floured 9x13" pan or 2 9” round cake pans. Bake for 35 min. Remove from oven and cool on rack for10 minutes. If making the round cakes, turn out of pan to finish cooling. Use whipped cream filling below for the round cakes. Frost rectangular or round cakes with Mocha Fudge Frosting. Press walnuts into frosting on sides of cake.


Whipped cream filling

8 oz. Cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/8 tsp. Salt
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup raspberry reduction

Defrost 1 small bag of raspberries (I buy the Trader Joes bag). Press berries through a fine strainer to remove all seeds. Heat juice on med-low heat until juice reduces to 1/3 cup then cool. Put cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, salt and raspberry juice in mixer and whisk on med-hi until fluffy (1-2 min.). On low speed, add cream in slow steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed and beat until stiff peaks form.

Note: this is wonderful served with scones instead of clotted cream.

http://eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=53582

 
Thanks - looks like Feb. weekends might be chocolate cake bake off weekends

Hmmm - maybe I have an idea there. Pick a topic for the month and roll with it each month. I had a hard time waiting so I decided to try the one with buttermilk and boiling water from the search and now I can't remember if it was one Dawn posted or Maria but think it was one of those.

 
Here is my favorite one that matches your description - REC: Jack's Best Chocolate Birthday Cake

This makes a lot of batter, you could split into 3 layers.

Jack's Best Chocolate Birthday Cake

Have all ingredients except boiling water at room temperature

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup strong coffee
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Yummy Chocolate Frosting

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour bottom and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until smooth.

In a small bowl, combine the milk, coffee, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk together to blend. Sift he cocoa powder with the flour into a medium bowl.

Alternately add the liquid mixture and the flour mixture to the batter in three increments, ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, pour in the boiling water and stir well with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla and stir until blended.

Divide batter evenly between the two pans, bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick tests clean from the center of the cake. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely before removing from pans.

Yummy Chocolate Frosting

Makes enough to frost one 2 layer cake or 24 cupcakes.

3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 to 6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift together the flour and cocoa into a medium bowl. Add the butter, 4 tablespoons milk, and vanilla and blend together with an electric mixer on high speed for 4 - 5 minutes, or until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk to thin.*

*This makes a *very* fudgy frosting - I used about 8 tablespoons of milk to thin it to a spreadable consistently for this cake. YMMV

http://eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=182599

 
John Thorne cake - posted by Ron from Worchester - it is my birthday cake for kids but grown ups

devour it. Luscious and easy since I am always making at
least 2 and cutting and decorating.

. REC: John Thorne's Chocolate Cake aka better than sex cake
1 box Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 small package instant chocolate pudding
1 (12-oz.) package chocolate chips
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups (give or take) (my note) sour cream
Mix all ingredients together and turn into a buttered and floured (I usually spray with Pam--my note) Bundt pan.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes in a preheated 350÷ F. oven until cake springs back when pressed lightly. (A cake tester will still emerge sticky: this is a VERY moist cake

.

 
Recipe: McCall's Perfect Chocolate Cake

McCall's Perfect Chocolate Cake

This is the most delicious chocolate cake you ever tasted! Moist, light, sinfully rich, made with cocoa, lots of chocolate and whipped cream, it can't be found in a bakery or made from a cake mix. Follow this recipe exactly--accurate measurements, no substitutions, the right pan size--and you'll have a perfect dessert that you can really be proud of.

CAKE:

1 cup unsifted unsweetened cocoa
2 cups boiling water
2 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter or regular margarine, softened
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FROSTING:

1 pkg (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup light cream
1 cup butter or regular margarine
2 1/2 cups unsifted confectioner's sugar

FILLING:

1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup unsifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with wire whisk until smooth. Cool completely. Sift flour with soda, salt, and baking powder. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease well and lightly flour three 9 by 1 1/2 inch layer cake pans.

In large bowl of electric mixer at high speed beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, scraping bowl occasionally, until light--about 5 minutes. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat. Divide evenly into pans; smooth top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Carefully loosen sides with spatula; remove from pans; cool on racks.

Frosting: In medium saucepan, combine chocolate pieces, cream, butter; stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat. With whisk, blend in 2 1/2 cups confectioners; sugar. In bowl set over ice, beat until it holds shape.

Filling: Whip cream with sugar and vanilla; refrigerate.

To assemble cake: On plate, place a layer, top side down; spread with half of cream. Place second layer, top side down; spread with rest of cream. Place third layer, top side up.

To frost: With spatula, frost sides first, covering whipped cream; use rest of frosting on top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. To cut, use a thin edged sharp knife; slice with a sawing motion. Serves 10-12.

McCall's Cooking School

http://www.ukrainianclassickitchen.ca/index.php?board=248.0

 
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