Help! Need Tried And True Scratch Chocolate Cake Recipe

Decorating By mija10417 Updated 26 Jan 2009 , 12:27am by ceshell

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mija10417 Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 3:28pm
post #1 of 22

I'm having no luck with chocolate cake recipes and need to make one this afternoon. I find the Hershey's to be too soft so I"m hoping to find a butter based instead of oil based.

Any great recipes would be so appreciated!!!!

21 replies
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Bijoudelanuit Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 3:31pm
post #2 of 22

I love the black chocolate cake from allrecipes.com. The recipe calls for shortening, but I use butter for it. Just thinking of it makes my mouth water! Hope you like it!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Black-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx

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MissRobin Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 3:42pm
post #3 of 22

Chocolate Stout Cake, hands down!!

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Ironbaker Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 3:50pm
post #4 of 22

The black chocolate cake one is a good one.

Here's a good thread to read with some other suggestion, I think I posted some in there:

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=607324&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

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tx_cupcake Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 3:58pm
post #5 of 22

This is the recipe I always use, and everyone who eats it compliments me to death! It is incredibly moist and super chocolate-y.

2 cups a-p flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder (you can use any brand, but this is my pref)
2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup oil (I use Smart Balance)
1 cup boiling water

I combine the dry and wet separately, then combine them in the KA, mix for about 2 min until smooth then bake at 300F.

Edited to note: This is a pretty sturdy cake. I've used it under fondant several times, but yes, it is an oil cake.

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Mike1394 Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 4:01pm
post #6 of 22

The Choc cake in T. Garrets "The Well Decorated Cake" is the best, easiest cake there is.

Mike

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newmansmom2004 Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 4:13pm
post #7 of 22

This is a Collette Peters recipe and it's FABULOUS! Don't need a mixer - just mix up in one bowl with a whisk. It's never failed me yet and I've gotten terrific feedback on this cake. It's moist and dense and SO delicious!

Chocolate Bourbon Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
1 3/4 cups hot coffee
1/4 cup bourbon
5 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, cut into small pieces
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Combine the coffee, bourbon, chocolate, and butter in a large covered metal bowl. Let stand until completely melted, then whisk together. Whisk in the sugar and cool. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, then the eggs and the vanilla.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 60 minutes (checking after 45 minutes for even baking) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Suebee Posted 14 Jan 2009 , 4:17pm
post #8 of 22

I love this chocolate cake, quick and easy.

Mix in mixer: 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup milk (most of the time I use 2% because I have it at home and it comes out fine.), 1 cup oil, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until well blended.

Then add: 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon instant coffee (1 tablespoon for espresso), 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, dash of salt, 1/2 cup of cocoa powder. Mix well.

Bake at 330 and time depends on what pans you are using.

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mija10417 Posted 15 Jan 2009 , 2:37am
post #9 of 22

Thanks Everyone!

txcupcake - I tried your recipe...I don't know what happened but I couldn't for the life of me get the cake to come out of the pan. I managed to get half of the cake out...I really don't know why I'm having so many problems baking lately! LOL

Again, thanks for all your recipes. I ended up using a box mix because I had already spent so much money and was really short on time. Once this order is completed, I'm going to give these recipes a try.

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kate6207 Posted 15 Jan 2009 , 4:15am
post #10 of 22

The Double Chocolate Layer cake from Epicurious is wonderful.

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

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tx_cupcake Posted 15 Jan 2009 , 2:51pm
post #11 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by mija10417

txcupcake - I tried your recipe...I don't know what happened but I couldn't for the life of me get the cake to come out of the pan. I managed to get half of the cake out...I really don't know why I'm having so many problems baking lately! LOL




Oh no!!! Well, at the very least the leftovers would make some scrummy cake truffles! icon_biggrin.gif

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ceshell Posted 17 Jan 2009 , 8:08am
post #12 of 22

If you can stand another one, I am always on here adding throwing this one into the ring http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-52587-30.html (Fudge Brownie Cake, top of p3).

There are a few threads recently where I mentioned it, and some CCers tried it and agreed it was to-die-for, better than the Epicurious cake and their new "go to" cake. Ignore the part about doming and cracking, that doesn't happen to me anyway.

What do you have now, like 8 recipes to try...? LOL.

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JennaB Posted 17 Jan 2009 , 8:17am
post #13 of 22

The Downhome Chocolate Mayonaisse cake from the Cake Bible is excellent. It is moist but has body so you can carve it.

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kjgjam22 Posted 17 Jan 2009 , 4:34pm
post #14 of 22

i use one from cc. its the fudge chocolate cake. it always comes out well. it is soft and very fluffy.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-788-Fudge-Layer-Cake.html

its great

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erc11 Posted 17 Jan 2009 , 7:55pm
post #15 of 22

I swear by Ina Garten's "Beatty's Chocolate Cake". Someone actually mentioned that it was called a Black Magic Cake. I make this all the time and it always turns out moist, dark and delicious. Just use decaf coffee if you are making it for kids.

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.
Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the
bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low
speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs,
and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

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Cakenicing4u Posted 18 Jan 2009 , 1:31am
post #16 of 22

OOOohhhhh I LOVE it when someone else is having the same trouble as me!

Diana

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mija10417 Posted 19 Jan 2009 , 4:50am
post #17 of 22

ceshell & ERC11 - I've made both those cakes before and loved the taste of them! The fudge brownie was delicious but sooo crumbly, so if I had to carve anything it practically fell apart. Ina's recipe was the only chocolate cake I used until I tried carving it and it was just too soft. Why can't I just find a happy medium?? LOL

I actually had a delicious chocolate cake today from a well known bakery. I was told it was a sponge cake and it seemed pretty sturdy (which I thought sponge cakes werent' sturdy), so I think I might have to search for a recipe like this. And continue to test out all these recipes everyone posted!

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ceshell Posted 19 Jan 2009 , 5:56am
post #18 of 22

mija10417, did you use the egullet modification of the FBC, or just the recipe as originally written?? I've never had a problem with it being crumbly and have, in fact, carved it (frozen or quite cold).

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sayhellojana Posted 19 Jan 2009 , 6:03am
post #19 of 22

I make a modified version of the Hershey's recipe. Use half milk & half sour cream in place of milk. I have use sour cream entirely in place of milk before and that is good, but half sour cream half milk makes it a bit more dense but with a softer texture when you eat it. It's very good this way

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erc11 Posted 19 Jan 2009 , 11:30am
post #20 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by mija10417

ceshell & ERC11 - I've made both those cakes before and loved the taste of them! The fudge brownie was delicious but sooo crumbly, so if I had to carve anything it practically fell apart. Ina's recipe was the only chocolate cake I used until I tried carving it and it was just too soft. Why can't I just find a happy medium?? LOL

I actually had a delicious chocolate cake today from a well known bakery. I was told it was a sponge cake and it seemed pretty sturdy (which I thought sponge cakes werent' sturdy), so I think I might have to search for a recipe like this. And continue to test out all these recipes everyone posted!




I have never carved that one so I guess I will be in the same boat as you when I get a cake request that needs carving! Darn it... But it is pretty darn moist so that is probably a given...

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mija10417 Posted 25 Jan 2009 , 7:07pm
post #21 of 22

ceshell - I can't remember where I got the recipe from and I didn't keep it after the cake failed on me. Any chance you could pm me the one you use?

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ceshell Posted 26 Jan 2009 , 12:27am
post #22 of 22

I'll PM you mija, but also if you just go to p1 of this thread, I posted a link to the recipe there thumbs_up.gif

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