What is your favorite chocolate cake recipe?

dawn_mo

dawn_mo

Well-known member
I am going to bake a cake for my stepdaughter's birthday and she requested a chocolate cake or a chocolate cake. I know I will have better luck with a sheet cake type cake, but am open to other options. Thanks!

 
D, this flourless one is quite easy and has a delicate taste. Bonus...you make

it in a cookie pan, so you can just cut it in half for an easy layer cake. Won't be all that high, but it tastes really good.

 
You're kidding, right??? I have so many favorites! Here's a list - take your pick:

Devil's Food Cake with Fluffy White Frosting (Chocolatier) (I make this every year for my husband's birthday)

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake (CI)(in T&T)

Black Magic Cake (Hershey's) (very easy to make - can do it in a 9x13 pan or two 9-inch rounds)

Sour Cream Fudge Layer Cake (CI)

Chocolate Espresso Torte (Joanne Chang - Fine Cooking)

Flourless Chocolate Cake (Gourmet)

Chocolate Orbit Cake (David Lebovitz)

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze (Fine Cooking)

AND... last, but not least - It's not really a cake/cake - it's more of a charlotte, but I love this one:
Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cake (In T&T).

 
This one I have baked as a layer cake and in a 9x11--will check the size of other pans I have used

to double it if you need to have more--

It is fairly easy and I have heard raves about it forever. One Captain I worked with liked it so much he took the recipe home--his wife baked it for her big time chef brother--he pronounced it the best he ever had!

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.

 
Yes, but what is your favorite? I am not a chocolate lover, I know, blasphemy,

but I only like milk chocolate and even that not so much. I am much more of a savory person. So of all the ones you listed, which one is your favorite as the ultimate chocolate lover?

 
Here's mine-made it in a 13x9x2. Best one I've ever had-especially the frosting!

Perfect Chocolate Cake
Southern Living Magazine

1 cup cocoa
2 cups boiling water
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Whipped Cream Filling (recipe below)
Perfect Chocolate Frosting (recipe below)

Combine cocoa and boiling water; stir until smooth; set aside to cool. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine dry ingredients. Add to sugar mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beating at low speed and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool layers on a wire rack. frost top and sides with Perfect Chocolate Frosting.






Perfect Chocolate Frosting


1 6-ounce package chocolate chips
1/2 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine chocolate chips, half-and-half, and butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing well. Set saucepan in ice and beat until frosting holds its shape and loses its gloss. Refrigerate until ready to use.

 
Definitely Epi's Double Chocolate Layer Cake, definitely (posted by Marilyn at 3.1)

I make chocolate cakes for everyone's birthdays, and that one is definitely the favorite, by far. Intensely chocolate - if your stepdaughter loves dark chocolate, that's the one.

It's very fudgy, very tall, and very impressive. I use 9" cake pans, and make a couple of cupcakes with the extra batter.

It uses a lot of chocolate, and I use Callebaut or Guittard - I'm sure the premium chocolate makes a difference smileys/smile.gif

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Double-Chocolate-Layer-Cake-101275

 
I just made the David Lebovitz Devil's Food Cake a couple of days ago...

This one's good too, but it's considerably lighter than the Epi one.

I love that the ganache is made with water instead of cream. Even though it's still really chocolate-y, the ganache is considerably lighter, but I love it. Doesn't feel like you have to have coffee or milk to wash it down smileys/smile.gif

This cake is a lot smaller than the Epi one - each layer is probably only 1 1/2" tall.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/08/devils_food_cak.html#more

 
I like Michael's Favorite Cake too (see above smileys/smile.gif

The cake is similar to the David Lebovitz one.

I didn't make the frosting that goes with it - I used Debbie/GA's blender frosting.

That blender frosting is pretty - it's glossy, and has a nice texture that you can pipe, if you want.

 
Oh my, this does look good.

Knowing me, though, I would also add a few ounces of melted semi-sweet or dark to the batter. Gotta try this recipe!

Thanks!

 
John Thornes Chocolate Cake

Cut and pasted from Debbie/GA (with Desert Jean notes). The original recipe was posted on Gail's by Ron in Worcester. Side note, does anyone ever hear from him?


John Thorne's Chocolate Cake

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

1 box Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake Mix (DJ note: triple chocolate cake)
1 small package instant chocolate pudding (DJ note: devils food)
1 package chocolate chips -- (12-oz.)(DJ note:mini chips)
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups sour cream
(DJ note:1 1/2 tsp vanilla)

Mix all ingredients together and turn into a buttered and floured (I usually spray with Pam--Debbie's note) Bundt pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes in a preheated 350º F. oven until cake springs back when pressed lightly. (A cake tester will still emerge sticky: this is a VERY moist cake.)

(Desert Jean's notes: **I make this in a 9x13 pan and it comes out a bit bumpy, and then frost with 1-2-3 ganache. Top with chocolate curls. The gals hubby works with request this all the time and my boss "if you are going to make a cake, make it from scratch, I don't like mixes" goes nuts when I bring it to work. I gave the recipe to his wife who was so impressed that I was sneaking a boxed cake in on him, it's now the only kind she makes.**)

Source:
"John Thorne's Outlaw Cook via Ron in Worcester"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



NOTES : Mr. Thorne notes that this is one of those recipes that, whenever he prepares it, he's embarrassed when people ask for the recipe. I guess that I'm not that easily embarrassed. So what if it's easy to throw together and made up of mostly pre-processed ingredients? The end result in wonderful, and trust me when I tell you that you will not regret trying this recipe out. It has become a favorite among my family and friends. Enjoy! --Ron in Worcesterhttp://eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=2015

 
Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

I clipped this from the Chicago Tribune, which attributed it to the "Indian Market Cookbook" by Mark Miller. My tweaks are in parentheses.

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup good-quality cocoa powder (I've used Hershey Special Dark, Droste, and Scharffen-Berger)
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease and flour (I use cocoa powder) a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan. (I use a bundt pan--it bakes more evenly and the shape is lovely.)
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, and vanilla. Sift together the cocoa, sugar, salt, baking powder, and flour into the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (I just use my handheld mixer.)

4. Mix in the butter and half of the liquid ingredients, and when moistened, increase the mixing speed to medium-high. Beat together for 2 minutes, turn down the speed to low and add the remaining liquid, stirring until incorporated.

5. Pour into pan, and bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze
(This is not part of Mark Miller's recipe, but I've started using it with this pound cake. I believe it originally came from PegW of Gail's Recipe Swap.)

1 cup whipping cream
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Heat cream in heavy saucepan until just below a boil. Add chocolate and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it is totally melted and completely merged with the cream. Cool until very warm but not hot, and pour over cooled cake generously, letting it drip attractively down the sides.

If you cover the cake completely with the glaze, it will stay moist longer. This glaze thickens as it gets cold. If you want it to set quickly, refrigerate for 30 minutes. This glaze can also be used to sandwich cookies or as a cake filling. Keeps well at room temperature.

 
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