I made a chocolate cake last weekend. It uses unsweetened chocolate squares that need to be melted. I melted it in the microwave and let it cool. My recipe is a one bowl one where all the ingredients are put into the bowl at one time and then mixed together. As soon as I added my melted chocolate, some of it became solid and I had tiny chocolate chunks in my batter. And they did not bake out in the oven. So my chocolate cake ended up being a chocolate chip cake! Not what I wanted!! I've made this cake for many, many years and sometimes this happens.
Was my melted chocolate not cooled enough? The recipe says to let it cool, but what temperature does it need to be?
Thanks for the help and advice!
Is there water in your recipe? Doesnt water make chocolate seize? Not sure if that could be your problem
Here is what I was thinking...it is an except from some site:
Do not store chocolate in the refrigerator or freezer because when it's brought to room temperature condensation will form on the surface of the chocolate and effect it's ability to melt smoothly. In fact, in most cases chocolate and water makes a disastrous combination. If you're melting chocolate all by itself and even a drop of water accidentally makes its way into the pot, you can possibly cause the chocolate mixture to "seize", meaning the chocolate will tighten and form an unworkable mass. If this should happen when you are melting chocolate add a few drops of vegetable oil to the chocolate which will allow it to relax enough that other ingredients can be mixed in.
Were any of the other ingredients cold? If so that could have caused the chocolate to harden up too.
Hello
2 things I can think of...
1) your chocolate had cooled too much, already starting to harden; or
2) when you added it to the other ingredients, it was met with something very cold or water.
I find that melting chocolate in the microwave is quick, but then the chocolate is just as quick to cool and harden; I prefer a double boiler. If you still wish to use the microwave, make sure to stir the chocolate to make sure it is completely melted & does not feel hot to the touch. You will want to use it within a few minutes.
Instead of adding the cooled chocolate to the bowl of all the other ingredients, try blending all the other ingredients first, then add the melted chocolate & continue mixing.
In any case, before adding the chocolate, stir it to make sure that it has not started to harden. It should be smooth & shiny, no crusting to the sides of the bowl you melted it in.
Hope this helps
ciao
Thanks so much for everyone's advice! I've also heard it might help if the water and buttermilk the recipe calls for are not cold. I'll try that and also mixing the chocolate in the batter toward the end. Thanks again!!
Thanks so much for everyone's advice! I've also heard it might help if the water and buttermilk the recipe calls for are not cold. I'll try that and also mixing the chocolate in the batter toward the end. Thanks again!!
Hello again,
I just want to point out the by 'are not cold' we mean the ingredients are at room temperature. Anything warm would be added at the end (i.e. like the Hershey's Chocolate cake recipe.. Hot water is added as the last step)
good luck
ciao
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