I Am Sure It's Been Asked Before (Chocolate Cake)
Baking By FromScratch Updated 21 Mar 2007 , 3:28am by tobycat
What is your personal FAVORITE chocolate cake recipe. I am looking for one that is really moist and dense and of the semi-sweet/bittersweet variety that will hold up well when stacked and decorated. I have tried with boxed mixes and I can't STAND them.. too delicate. I have only made flourless chocolate cakes from scratch and I want to avoid anything that will be dry.. bleck! If anyone has a moment and wants to share.. I would love to try out some chocolate cake recipes.. my husband's b-day is coming up and he needs a GOOD cake.. LOL. 
This is more to sonoma than an answer to the question...do you also add the oil to your version? Thanks =)
Crissy 
I am looking for the same thing-a nice dense chocolate cake without using a cake mix. I am not liking the cake mixes too much lately. I would love to find a scratch cake that is chocolate, dense, moist and delicious also. Anyone??
This is my fav. chocolate cake recipe. It would be good for sculpting!
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE
This old-fashioned chocolate cake made our staff swoon! Chef Ed Kasky uses Callebaut semisweet chocolate for the cake and Guittard French-vanilla chocolate for the frosting, but any fine-quality semisweet chocolate will produce a wonderful result in either.
Watch how to prepare this cake like a pro with our hands-on technique video.
click photo to enlarge
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.
I'm similar to Sonoma.....I start with either a DH chocolate, or more recently I've used the BC Triple Fudge, mix as on the box and adding two more eggs, double the oil, and a box of fudge instant pudding mix. People rave about it. I also sub milk or cream for the water. This makes a dense, moist cake. I like to use the simple-syrup spray before icing also. I detest a dry, fluffy cake. This fits the bill!
What kind of chocolate cake are you looking for ? For a very good, not to sweet, old fashioned layer cake style cake I would recommend this recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101275
I get a lot of requests for this as a chocolate occasion cake.
When I am making a cake for a man, I often make this cake which has guiness beer in it. Don't laugh. It's an awesome cake.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/107105
revel and scoobam- Do you taste the coffee in the finished cake?
This is one I really like:
HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.
VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting
revels recipe is the first one I posted as well. It's a very good cake!
I know you said you didn't like cake mix cakes but this is from the Cake Mix Doctor which goes over well.
Darn Good Chocolate Cake
1 package plain devils food or dark chocolate fudge cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) package chocolate instant pudding
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
½ cup warm water
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, warm water and oil in large mixing bowl. Blend on low for 1 minute, scrape bowl, and blend on medium 2 more minutes. Batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in chocolate chips, making sure theyre well distributed. Pour batter into greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched and cake just starts to pull away from sides of pan. Place on rack to cool for 20 minutes before inverting and letting it cool completely (at least 20 more minutes).
I notice it if I taste it right after cooling... but it fades after it sits a little bit..
I just changed it and now make it with chocolate flavored instant t cappuccino instead... and I love it even more and I no long notice it.
but again.. the recipe as is is great... and my husband never notices the coffee and always eats samples LOL , no one else ever mentions or asks if there's coffee in it and I make this cake the most... I am the only one.. so it was probably just cause i knew it was in there. LOL
I like the Hersey recipe above; however, I use the Black Magic version which uses strong coffee instead of boiling water.
Another recipe which I have used for years is very easy and inexpensive to make. It is a dark and dense chocolate cake. It is a small recipe so if you want to bake in generous layers you might increase the amounts to one and a half. If baked in layers, reduce the baking time. This recipe gave me a blue ribbon at the Elkhart county fair in 1973.
"Miracle Whip" Chocolate Cake
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup salad dressing
1 cup water
1 tsp.vanilla
Sift dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into a well greased and floured 10 inch bundt pan. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 mins. Allow to cool for exactly 10 minutes, and then place a serving plate over the cake pan and invert. The cake should release immediately. Allow to finish cooling. Either dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with a thin glaze. (If the cake is allowed to cool for more than 10 minutes, it will stick to the pan. I usually set a timer to remind me to flip the cake out.)
Thank you all SO much!! I am going to try some and see how it is. Man.. my bathroom scale is going to hate me after I am done.. but my stomach will just LOVE me.. LOL. Keep them coming!! I am a SUCKER for a good chocolate cake.
This is more to sonoma than an answer to the question...do you also add the oil to your version? Thanks =)
Crissy
I follow the rest of the recipe as written, so yes there's oil too. I was only showing the differences. 
One thing about this recipe though (and I think for all the choc cakes I make) is that the edges tend to get done faster. I use a flower nail with all my cakes.
HOpe this helps.
Sarah
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