ISO: ISO Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

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vicki-in-tucson

Well-known member
Hi all,

I'm looking for the most moist chocolate cake recipe you have. I made one for my MIL's b-day this week (with buttercream icing), and it turned out only so-so. The taste was okay but the cake was a tad dry. Perhaps I baked it a bit too long, but I was pretty careful about checking and watching the time. Also, the chocolate taste was not as intense as I'd like. (My husband says the frosting was also too grainy.)

I've never found a chocolate cake recipe that I thought was fabulous, so now I'm on a quest.

Best,

Amanda

 
Hi Amanda! Here's my favorite... REC: Deep Dark Chocolate 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!

https://recipeswap.org/fun/wp-content/uploads/Finer_Kitchens/Baby%20Shower%20Tea%20Party/7eb3dc9b.jpg

 
And here are my favorite frostings....

Basic Buttercream Frosting

3-3/4 cup (l lb. box) powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup butter or margarine (2/3 stick), softened

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer or with heavy spoon until smooth and creamy; scrape bowl often. If too stiff to spread easily, beat in a few drops of milk.




Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter
3 cups sifted confectioner’ sugar (plus more if needed)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring, if desired
1 tbl. milk or cream only if needed

Cream cheese and sugar together. Add flavorings and milk. Mix together until smooth. Add more confectioners’ sugar or milk if needed for desired consistency. Spread on cooled cake.




Butterscotch Cream Frosting
from Grammy (Iris Nielsen)

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup of your choice: cream, evaporated milk, OR half and half
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

In saucepan, combine sugar and butter; place over med-hi heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn heat to medium. Add cream, milk or half and half and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add confectioners’ sugar gradually; beat until smooth. Work quickly to ice the cake as the frosting will harden.



Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting

3/4 cup chocolate syrup (like Hershey’s)
8 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups creamy peanut butter (don’t use the ‘Old Fashioned’ or freshly ground)

Combine syrup and chocolate in heavy saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in peanut butter, then confectioners’ sugar, then milk; continue stirring until smooth.

NOTE: this can be chilled and rolled into balls for candy. Roll in crushed peanuts or cocoa powder for truffles.



Peanut Butter-Fudge Frosting

One 1-lb. box powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 5.33-oz. can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Sift powdered sugar and stir with cocoa. Combine peanut butter and butter in a mixer bowl and beat together. Blend in sugar/cocoa mixture, evaporated milk and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until smooth and spreadable. Add more milk, a little at a time, if frosting seems too thick.



Perfect Chocolate Frosting
Southern Living Five-Star Recipe Collection, 1990

1 6-oz. package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup half and half
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring until chocolate melts. Remove from heat; add powdered sugar, mixing well. Set saucepan in ice water and beat at low speed with electric mixer until frosting holds it’s shape and loses it’s gloss. Add a few more drops of half and half if needed to make a good spreading consistency. Makes 2-1/2 cups frosting.



Mocha Fudge Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
5 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hershey’s)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup hot, strong coffee

1. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer until smooth, then gradually (at LOW speed), add confectioners’ sugar - mixture will be very dry.
2. Add cocoa powder, vanilla and coffee, beating until smooth and spreadable. If it is a little too thin to frost with, chill for 30 min.



Mascarpone Frosting
Country Home Magazine, Feb 2006

4 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbl. milk or more
2 tsp. vanilla
One 16-oz. box powdered sugar, sifted

Beat first 5 ingredients together with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add more milk if necessary, 1 tsp. at a time, to reach spreading consistency.

 
Found my second favorite...REC: Perfect Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream Filling

Perfect Chocolate Cake With Whipped Cream Filling
A cake to die for! Three layered chocolate cake with a whipped cream filling between layers and frosted overall with a decadent chocolate frosting.

1 cup cocoa
2 cups boiling water
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

For Filling:
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cake:
1. Combine cocoa with boiling water and mix with a whisk, then cool completely.
2. In another bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Grease 3 9" layer cake pans.
5. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla at high speed for 5 minutes.
6. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 4ths alternately with cocoa mixture in 3rds.
7. Begin and end with flour mixture.
8. Do not overbeat.
9. Divide evenly in prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
10. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove and cool on rack.
Filling:
11. Whip cream, add sugar and vanilla.
12. Beat until thick.

To assemble Cake: Place 1 layer top side down on large plate and spread with half the whipped cream. Place 2nd layer top side down on whipped cream and spread remaining whipped cream on top. Place 3rd cake layer on top, top side up. Frost sides and top of cake with Perfect Chocolate Frosting. Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer before serving.

https://recipeswap.org/fun/wp-content/uploads/Finer_Kitchens/cheezz%20-%20desserts/perfect_choc_cake.jpg

 
Whoa! There's the keys to the frosting kingdom! Just what I was looking for. Thx cheezz.

 
Not what you were looking for, but I was just about to post this REC: Penni’s Mocha Nut Loaf

I just made this yesterday, and was typing it up to post. This is from Maida Heatter’s Cakes. She describes it as “the darkest of all chocolate cakes, and is a terrifically good, not-too-sweet, coffee-flavored, sour cream loaf”.

I gotta agree with that description. It’s more like a quick bread than a cake, definitely not-too-sweet, very coffee-ish, and perfect for a mid morning snack. I omitted the nuts, and I really like it that way. I think the nuts would get in the way of the chocolate-coffee flavor.

You do have to wait until the next day for the flavors to develop, but I love it! Yum yum!


Penni’s Mocha Nut Loaf
From Maida Heatter’s Cakes

1 1/2 cups (6 oz) sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1/4 cup powdered instant espresso of coffee
1 egg
1 1/4 cups (10 oz) sour cream
1 cup (7 oz) granulated sugar
5 1/3 tablespoons (2 2/3 oz) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups (5 oz) pecans, cut or broken into medium sized pieces

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan (capacity should be 7 cups) and dust with fine, dry bread crumbs. (I just lined the pan with parchment, so I could lift the cake out when done. ) Set pan aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan; set aside.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa and powdered instant espresso. Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, on low speed, beat the egg, sour cream, and sugar just to mix. Beat in the melted butter.

Add the dry ingredients on low speed (they may be added all at once), scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and beating only until smooth. Remove from the mixer and fold in the nuts.

Pour into prepared pan, and smooth the top.

Bake for 1 hour, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean and dry. ( I baked mine at 330º convection mode, and it was done in 45 minutes, so I'd check it at the 45-minute mark, even in a regular oven.)

Cool cake in pan 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Cool right side up; let stand until completely cool.

When cake is cool, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until thoroughly chilled, or refrigerate for a day or two. It is best to slice the cake when it is cold. Cut into 18-20 ½ inch slices. Serve cold or at room temperature.

 
For intense chocolate taste, you have got to try Epi's REC: Double Chocolate Layer Cake

In our house, this is known as "THE CHOCOLATE CAKE". It's pretty huge, though. I don't have 10" cake pans, so I use two 9" pans, and make a few cupcakes with the rest of the batter - just make sure to fill the 9" pan approx 2/3 full.

Uber-chocolate. Gotta have a glass of milk, or something to go with it.

It's always on Epi's most commented list, and it's been 8 years since it was first printed!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE
Gourmet, March 1999
Engine Co. No. 28, Los Angeles CA
Serves 12 to 14.

For cake layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Special equipment
two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.
Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make frosting:
Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).

Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101275

 
Debbie in GA's Look-No-Further cake in T&T is also quite yummy!

It's a lot lighter than the Double Chocolate Layer cake, but I loove the frosting! And still quite chocolate-y.

The frosting is incredibly smooth - it's like a very fudgy pudding, and it's so easy to make. You wouldn't think it tastes as good as it does, but it's something you have to try to believe.

And it's firm enough to pipe swirls if you want.

I use the frosting on brownies, cakes, Toll House cookies baked in mini-muffin pans.....

http://www.finerkitchens.com/swap/forum6/24_Look_No_Further_Chocolate_Cake

 
Chocolate is different than Double Chocolate, method pretty close, love this cake!

Goes fast, real chocolatety, slightly heavy and moist--
North Douglas Chocolate Cake
From Fiddlehead Restaurant in Juneau,AK

Prep time: 30 minutes—after first time, it seems to go together much faster.
Baking cooling: 1 hour
Completion time: 30 minutes
Cake:
1 cup water
¼ pound butter
½ cup safflower or corn oil
3 ½ Tabls. Sifted Dutch process dark cocoas (other cocoas will produce a lighter, sweeter cake and icing, like milk chocolate)
2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teas. baking soda
½ teas. salt
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 teas. vanilla extract
Icing:
¼ pound +4 Tabls. butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
½ cup Dutch process cocoa
3 Tabls. milk—I like to use strong coffee here instead
1 ½ teas. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F.
Butter and flour two 8 or 9” cake pans

Combine water, butter, oil, and cocoa in small pan and bring to boil.
While mixture is coming to boil. Sift together next four ingredients in large bowl.
Whisk eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla in small bowl and set aside.
When butter mixture comes to boil, pour over flour mixture and stir until just combined.Add egg mixture and fold together gently.
Pour into prepared pans.
Bake 20-25 minutes, 8” will take slightly longer. Remove from oven when tester comes out clean. Let rest briefly, then turn out on racks to cool completely.

In medium bowl, beat butter until smooth, add confectioners sugar and cocoa. Stir until they are partially combined. Stir in milk and vanilla and beat until smooth and spreadable. Additional confectioners sugar may be necessary if it seems too soft.

Place one layer on plate top side up, ice, sides and top. Place second layer, top down, and ice sides and top. Use any remaining icing for decorating
Chill briefly to set icing.

 
Thanks, all!

These recipes look great, and I look forward to all the experimentation. (Guess I'd better start doubling my workout time at the gym!) I'll keep you posted.

Thanks,
Amanda

 
this is my favorite - excellent cake and frosting, chocolatey but not over the top.

Posted to Thread #6321 at 1:56 pm on Apr 9, 2007

this is from Feast by nigella lawson, and she describes it "as a sort of idealised chocolate cake out of a packet...the cake looks and tastes perfect and has that melting, smooth lightness - immensely chocolatey but far from rich."

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake

for the cake:
200g plain flour (all purpose)
200g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
40g best-quality cocoa
175g soft unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp real vanilla extract
150ml sour cream

for the icing:
75g unsalted butter
175g best quality dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
300g icing sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
125 ml sour cream
1 tsp real vanilla extract
sugar flowers, optional

bring all the fridge ingredients to room temperature and preheat the oven to 180c/350f. line and butter two 20cm sandwich tins with removable bases (i just used regular cake pans).

mix the flour, sugar and leavening agents in a large bowl, beat in the soft butter until you have a combined and creamy mixture. now whisk the cocoa, sour cream, vanilla and eggs together and beat this into your bowl of ingredients.

divide batter into prepared pans and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, which should be about 35 min, but start checking at 25 (i needed to check by 20 min). good idea to switch cake positions halfway through. cool cakes in tins on wire rack x 10 min, then turn out and cool.

to make the icing, melt butter and chocolate together by your preferred method. while they are cooling, sieve the icing sugar into another bowl. add the golden syrup to the cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla and when all this is combined, whisk in the sieved icing sugar. you may need to add a little boiling water, say a tsp or so, or indeed more icing sugar, depending on thickness of the icing.

place bottom layer with flat side up on cake plate. cut 4 strips parchment to tuck around edges on plate while icing, to stop icing running onto the plate. ice the bottom layer with 1/3 of the icing, then cover with top layer and finish icing the cake. decorate with sugar flowers if desired.

 
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